Relationships and money, passage by passage

But if anyone doesn’t provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.

3Honor widows who are widows indeed. 4But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety towards their own family, and to repay their parents, for this is acceptable in the sight of God. 5Now she who is a widow indeed, and desolate, has her hope set on God, and continues in petitions and prayers night and day. 6But she who gives herself to pleasure is dead while she lives. 7Also command these things, that they may be without reproach. 8But if anyone doesn’t provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever. 9Let no one be enrolled as a widow under sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, 10being approved by good works, if she has brought up children, if she has been hospitable to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, and if she has diligently followed every good work. 11But refuse younger widows, for when they have grown wanton against Christ, they desire to marry; 12having condemnation, because they have rejected their first pledge. 13Besides, they also learn to be idle, going about from house to house. Not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not. 14I desire therefore that the younger widows marry, bear children, rule the household, and give no occasion to the adversary for insulting. 15For already some have turned away after Satan. 16If any man or woman who believes has widows, let them relieve them, and don’t let the assembly be burdened; that it might relieve those who are widows indeed.

9He said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. 10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 11But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban, that is to say, given to God”;’ 12then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother, 13making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this.”

10Who can find a worthy woman? For her price is far above rubies. 11The heart of her husband trusts in her. He shall have no lack of gain. 12She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. 13She seeks wool and flax, and works eagerly with her hands. 14She is like the merchant ships. She brings her bread from afar. 15She rises also while it is yet night, gives food to her household, and portions for her servant girls. 16She considers a field, and buys it. With the fruit of her hands, she plants a vineyard. 17She arms her waist with strength, and makes her arms strong. 18She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp doesn’t go out by night. 19She lays her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. 20She opens her arms to the poor; yes, she extends her hands to the needy. 21She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet. 22She makes for herself carpets of tapestry. Her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23Her husband is respected in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. 24She makes linen garments and sells them, and delivers sashes to the merchant. 25Strength and dignity are her clothing. She laughs at the time to come. 26She opens her mouth with wisdom. Faithful instruction is on her tongue. 27She looks well to the ways of her household, and doesn’t eat the bread of idleness. 28Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her: 29“Many women do noble things, but you excel them all.” 30Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised. 31Give her of the fruit of her hands! Let her works praise her in the gates!

3Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established; 4by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure.

16Better is little, with the fear of Yahweh, than great treasure with trouble. 17Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, than a fattened calf with hatred.

Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.

House and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from Yahweh.

11He said, “A certain man had two sons. 12The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ He divided his livelihood between them. 13Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living. 14When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. 15He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16He wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. 17But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger! 18I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. 19I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20“He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat, and celebrate; 24for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’ They began to celebrate. 25“Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26He called one of the servants to him, and asked what was going on. 27He said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.’ 28But he was angry, and would not go in. Therefore his father came out, and begged him. 29But he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30But when this your son came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ 31“He said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’”

1Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph came near. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. 2They stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the Tent of Meeting, saying, 3“Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against Yahweh in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin. He had no sons. 4Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the brothers of our father.” 5Moses brought their cause before Yahweh. 6Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 7“The daughters of Zelophehad speak right. You shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers. You shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. 8You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies, and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. 9If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11If his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his kinsman who is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it. This shall be a statute and ordinance for the children of Israel, as Yahweh commanded Moses.’”

1Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don’t they come from your pleasures that war in your members? 2You lust, and don’t have. You murder and covet, and can’t obtain. You fight and make war. You don’t have, because you don’t ask. 3You ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

1My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger; 2You are trapped by the words of your mouth. You are ensnared with the words of your mouth. 3Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, since you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor. 4Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids. 5Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

He who is collateral for a stranger will suffer for it, but he who refuses pledges of collateral is secure.

A man void of understanding strikes hands, and becomes collateral in the presence of his neighbor.

26Don’t you be one of those who strike hands, of those who are collateral for debts. 27If you don’t have means to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you?

The rich rule over the poor. The borrower is servant to the lender.

25“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor. You shall not charge him interest. 26If you take your neighbor’s garment as collateral, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down, 27for that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What would he sleep in? It will happen, when he cries to me, that I will hear, for I am gracious.

35“‘If your brother has become poor, and his hand can’t support himself among you; then you shall uphold him. He shall live with you like an alien and a temporary resident. 36Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God; that your brother may live among you. 37You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit. 38I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.

34If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much. 35But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you.

The wicked borrow, and don’t pay back, but the righteous give generously.

1Praise Yah! Blessed is the man who fears Yahweh, who delights greatly in his commandments. 2His offspring will be mighty in the land. The generation of the upright will be blessed. 3Wealth and riches are in his house. His righteousness endures forever. 4Light dawns in the darkness for the upright, gracious, merciful, and righteous. 5It is well with the man who deals graciously and lends. He will maintain his cause in judgment.

9Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. 10For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up. 11Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone? 12If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

7They beckoned to their partners in the other boat, that they should come and help them. They came, and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.” 9For he was amazed, and all who were with him, at the catch of fish which they had caught; 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will be catching people alive.”

One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

What agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what portion has a believer with an unbeliever?

Do two walk together, unless they have agreed?

Servants, obey in all things those who are your masters according to the flesh, not just when they are looking, as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God.

23And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord, and not for men, 24knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

But he who does wrong will receive again for the wrong that he has done, and there is no partiality.

Masters, give to your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

5Servants, be obedient to those who according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ; 6not in the way of service only when eyes are on you, as men pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men; 8knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive the same again from the Lord, whether he is bound or free. 9You masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.

“‘You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. “‘The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning.

14You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers, or one of the foreigners who are in your land within your gates. 15In his day you shall give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down on it; for he is poor, and sets his heart on it; lest he cry against you to Yahweh, and it be sin to you.

1Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming on you. 2Your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3Your gold and your silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be for a testimony against you, and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up your treasure in the last days. 4Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of those who reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Armies. 5You have lived in luxury on the earth, and taken your pleasure. You have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 6You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous one. He doesn’t resist you.

I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and don’t fear me,” says Yahweh of Armies.

“Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his rooms by injustice; who uses his neighbor’s service without wages, and doesn’t give him his hire;

Remain in that same house, eating and drinking the things they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Don’t go from house to house.

17Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching. 18For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox when it treads out the grain.” And, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

1“For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3He went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace. 4He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went their way. 5Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6About the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle. He said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day idle?’ 7“They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ “He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.’ 8When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.’ 9“When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius. 10When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius. 11When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household, 12saying, ‘These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’ 13“But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me for a denarius? 14Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you. 15Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?’ 16So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

25In the morning, behold, it was Leah! He said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Didn’t I serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” 26Laban said, “It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you will serve with me yet seven other years.” 28Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. He gave him Rachel his daughter as wife. 29Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah, his servant, to be her servant. 30He went in also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

38“These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not cast their young, and I haven’t eaten the rams of your flocks. 39That which was torn of animals, I didn’t bring to you. I bore its loss. Of my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40This was my situation: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 42Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”

2Yahweh was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3His master saw that Yahweh was with him, and that Yahweh made all that he did prosper in his hand. 4Joseph found favor in his sight. He ministered to him, and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. 5From the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, Yahweh blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake. Yahweh’s blessing was on all that he had, in the house and in the field. 6He left all that he had in Joseph’s hand. He didn’t concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate. Joseph was well-built and handsome.

44All who believed were together, and had all things in common. 45They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need.

32The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul. Not one of them claimed that anything of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33With great power, the apostles gave their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Great grace was on them all. 34For neither was there among them any who lacked, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35and laid them at the apostles’ feet, and distribution was made to each, according as anyone had need. 36Joses, who by the apostles was also called Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of Encouragement), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race, 37having a field, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

contributing to the needs of the saints; given to hospitality.

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

6But let him who is taught in the word share all good things with him who teaches. 7Don’t be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up. 10So then, as we have opportunity, let’s do what is good toward all men, and especially toward those who are of the household of the faith.

1Moreover, brothers, we make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the assemblies of Macedonia; 2how that in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their generosity. 3For according to their power, I testify, yes and beyond their power, they gave of their own accord, 4begging us with much entreaty to receive this grace and the fellowship in the service to the saints. 5This was not as we had expected, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God. 6So we urged Titus, that as he had made a beginning before, so he would also complete in you this grace. 7But as you abound in everything, in faith, utterance, knowledge, all earnestness, and in your love to us, see that you also abound in this grace. 8I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich. 10I give a judgment in this: for this is expedient for you, who were the first to start a year ago, not only to do, but also to be willing. 11But now complete the doing also, that as there was the readiness to be willing, so there may be the completion also out of your ability. 12For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don’t have. 13For this is not that others may be eased and you distressed, 14but for equality. Your abundance at this present time supplies their lack, that their abundance also may become a supply for your lack; that there may be equality. 15As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

1Dare any of you, having a matter against his neighbor, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2Don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3Don’t you know that we will judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 4If then, you have to judge things pertaining to this life, do you set them to judge who are of no account in the assembly? 5I say this to move you to shame. Isn’t there even one wise man among you who would be able to decide between his brothers? 6But brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers! 7Therefore it is already altogether a defect in you, that you have lawsuits one with another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? 8No, but you yourselves do wrong, and defraud, and that against your brothers.