economics

¹⁰Then, too, while we were with you, we insisted on this to you: that if anyone was not willing to work, neither should he eat.

¹⁶Whoever slanders the poor, so as to augment his own riches, will give it away to one who is richer, and will be in need.

³³Now therefore, let the king provide a wise and industrious man, and place him over the land of Egypt, ³⁴so that he may appoint overseers throughout all the regions. And let a fifth part of the fruits, throughout the seven fertile years ³⁵that now have already begun to occur, be gathered into storehouses. And let all the grain be stored away, under the power of Pharaoh, and let it be kept in the cities. ³⁶And let it be prepared for the future famine of seven years, which will oppress Egypt, and then the land will not be consumed by destitution.” ³⁷The counsel pleased Pharaoh and all his ministers. ³⁸And he said to them, “Would we be able to find another such man, who is full of the Spirit of God?”

¹⁷Whoever is merciful to the poor lends to the Lord. And he will repay him for his efforts.

¹⁰For desire is the root of all evils. Some persons, hungering in this way, have strayed from the faith and have entangled themselves in many sorrows.

⁷The rich rule over the poor. And the borrower is servant to the lender.

¹⁰Where there are many riches, there will also be many to consume these things. And how does it benefit the one who possesses, except that he discerns the wealth with his own eyes?

¹⁵So he said to them: “Be cautious and wary of all avarice. For a person’s life is not found in the abundance of the things that he possesses.”

³⁸Give, and it will be given to you: a good measure, pressed down and shaken together and overflowing, they will place upon your lap. Certainly, the same measure that you use to measure out, will be used to measure back to you again.”

¹⁹And may my God fulfill all your desires, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

¹Let every soul be subject to higher authorities. For there is no authority except from God and those who have been ordained by God. ²And so, whoever resists authority, resists what has been ordained by God. And those who resist are acquiring damnation for themselves. ³For leaders are not a source of fear to those who work good, but to those who work evil. And would you prefer not to be afraid of authority? Then do what is good, and you shall have praise from them. ⁴For he is a minister of God for you unto good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid. For it is not without reason that he carries a sword. For he is a minister of God; an avenger to execute wrath upon whomever does evil. ⁵For this reason, it is necessary to be subject, not solely because of wrath, but also because of conscience. ⁶Therefore, you must also offer tribute. For they are the ministers of God, serving him in this.

⁴Whoever heeds the wind will not sow. And whoever considers the clouds will never reap. ⁵In the same manner that you do not know the way of the spirit, nor the way that bones are joined together in the womb of a pregnant woman, so you do not know the works of God, who is the Maker of all. ⁶In the morning, sow your seed, and in the evening, do not let your hand cease. For you do not know which of these may rise up, the one or the other. But if both rise up together, so much the better.

⁸But if anyone has no concern for his own, and especially for those of his own household, he has denied the faith, and he is worse than an unbeliever.

⁹Honor the Lord with your substance, and give to him from the first of all your fruits, ¹⁰and then your storehouses will be filled with abundance, and your presses shall overflow with wine.

²⁵Whoever boasts and enlarges himself stirs up conflicts. Yet truly, whoever trusts in the Lord will be healed.

²⁰There is desirable treasure, as well as oil, in the habitations of the just. And the imprudent man will waste it.

¹⁵You shall not deliver a servant who has fled to you to his master. ¹⁶He shall live with you in a place that pleases him, and he shall rest in one of your cities. You shall not grieve him. ¹⁷There shall be no prostitutes among the daughters of Israel, nor anyone among the sons of Israel who visits a prostitute. ¹⁸You shall not offer money from a prostitute, nor the price of a dog, in the house of the Lord your God, no matter what you may have vowed. For both of these are an abomination with the Lord your God. ¹⁹You shall not lend money, or grain, or anything else at all, to your brother at interest, ²⁰but only to a foreigner. For you shall lend to your brother whatever he needs without interest, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all your works in the land, which you shall enter so as to possess it.

¹⁰Who shall find a strong woman? Far away, and from the furthest parts, is her price. ¹¹The heart of her husband confides in her, and he will not be deprived of spoils. ¹²She will repay him with good, and not evil, all the days of her life. ¹³She has sought wool and flax, and she has worked these by the counsel of her hands. ¹⁴She has become like a merchant’s ship, bringing her bread from far away. ¹⁵And she has risen in the night, and given a prey to her household, and provisions to her maids.