ユニバーサル 神様: 平和のメッセージ
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Promoting peace and harmony from an Abrahamic perspective
Money
Does my Money belong to Me? Who is the Source of my Wealth?
Do I take in order to take?
Do I take in order to give?
Do I give in order to take?
Do I give in order to give?
Do I earn and spend Money in a fair, balanced and honest way?
Do I like to hoard Money? Do I like to spend it wastefully?
Am I a slave to Money? Or am I a servant of my Maker?
Do I serve money or does money serve Me?
What is more Precious to me- Wisdom or silver? a blessing of 'Peace' or gold?
How do I choose to be 'paid' for my efforts? Do I seek reward in this temporary physical world of money or in the Eternal Home of Peace?
How can I choose to recieve and spend money in a way that can help humanity transform Darkness into Light?
What is Money?
'Money' is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The functions of 'money' are distinguished as: 'a Medium of exchange', a 'unit of account', a 'store of value, or a 'standard of deferred payment.' Any item or verifiable record that fulfils these functions can be considered as money.
Why is Money important?
How can we live in a Just society without having a medium through which we are 'paid' our wages in full, and people get what they deserve? Most of us are not willing to work for 'nothing.' Others who may be happy to work for nothing- seeking only to give give and give; cannot survive in this physical world without expecting 'payment' for their labour when even basic essentials in urban areas (food, electricity, clothes, housing, education..) seem to have a price tag attached to it. So with money- comes 'power'- and with anything in this life- can be either a 'blessing' or a 'curse.' If we 'choose' to strive to help humanity by using our physical 'wealth' in the ways of Justice and Peace and selfless loving kindness ( by sharing our blessings with others who need our help) - the we can make even greater transformations of darkness to light than we could without the physical wealth. If on the other hand we choose to strive to make more and more money, through either gifts or work- and then 'choose' to use our physical 'wealth' seeking to satisfy our own selfish pleasures- then this 'strength' or 'power' is put into the way of 'Injustice' and 'greed' and can bring much misery onto the lives of others.
How can we function as a just and peaceful community, and how can we show gratitude to our Creator for all of our blessings gifts and talents if we are unable to 'give' ? How can we 'give' if we do not 'receive?' Do we deserve to receive if we do not 'work' for our efforts? Or do we want that money should rain on our doorsteps like Manna from Heaven?- for some of us- perhaps this might be the case ( eg being born into a wealthy family)- but then surely the more we have been blessed with- the more we will be expected to give? The less we have been given, the less we will be expected to give?- If not then what is Justice?
What would our world look like without 'money'? If nothing had a 'value' to it then how would we be able to 'trade' with each other? Would our communities be able to grow and work together for a common goal? When this common goal is 'money' itself- money might be seen as the 'root to all evil' (can be used to invite us to the worship of our egos and selfish desires) but if our common goal is our common 'Higher Purpose' of seeking to worship our Creator- and benefitting humanity according to His Will- then money has Huge potential to bring Unity and Peace when its potential is channelled in the correct and balanced way.
Imagine a world where humanity decided that there was more value in knowledge, wisdom, love and understanding than there is in gold, silver or bronze coins? Imagine a world where there was more 'value' seen in a 'blessing of Peace' from a person, or a 'song of Praise to our Creator' or a 'thanksgiving Offering to The Lord' then there was in a silver/gold coin or other physical object? Surely then- we would exchange gifts of Higher Value such as blessings of Peace, Praise of our Creator, and the sharing of our mutual knowledge, wisdom and understanding through acts of loving kindness as 'reward' or 'payment according to our abilities- instead of silver or gold coins? When we look at it from this perspective, then money is anything whether it be physical or spiritual- that society decides to put a value on. The more our societies put value on the physical pleasures of this worldly life; the more our societies will be tempted to worship it ( ie seeking to satisfy the temporary the selfish physical pleasures of our bodies). The more our societies begin to put value on Higher and more Lasting Spiritual Goals of Peace, Unity, Love, Kindness, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, etc (with the intention to sanctify the Name of our Creator by incorporating His Beautiful Attributes into our physical lives and relationships) then the less need there will be for our societies to use money- and the less tempted we will be to worship it besides our Creator- Who is our True Source of Eternal Life.
The 'medium' of money (when used in the ways of Justice, Peace, Truth and Love) helps to lift up the world from a physical and spiritual place of selfishness (causing harm), to a place of higher selfishness (avoiding harm due to fear of punishment or doing good only to be rewarded). Without this place of higher selfishness (avoiding sin due to fear of punishment, giving in order to receive, or 'seeking monetary reward for our efforts') then how would we get to the Higher Place of altruistic 'Giving' purely without expectation of monetary Reward ( but only to do the Will of our Creator while relying on Him as our Source of Provision?) Surely when we reach this 'State' of 'Being' where we (Humanity as One) become pure channels of His Light and Love, where we 'Receive' only in order to 'Give' directly from and to our 'Creator' (other than Whom there is No Reality) will there no longer be a physical need for the medium of 'money'? At this Higher State of Revealed Love, Truth, Justice and Peace, which those who have strived with their wealth and lives in this physical world will will have helped to establish in their joint efforts by applying their 'money' into the Higher Ways of Peace (according to the Higher Will of Our Creator) then everyone and everything (that is permitted to) will be 'lifted' to experience this Kingdom of Peace- where there is a complete Willing Surrender to our Creator- Lord of The Worlds.
How can Money help me and others?
'Something of physical value'- (eg 'money' or silver or gold for example) can help us if it is earned with honesty and good intention (not bribery, theft, blood money, gaining interest etc), and if it is spent in a way that helps ourselves and others draw closer to our Creator. The blessing of our money and physical possessions which we can then use to 'trade' in Peace with others for mutual benefit and community growth and unity- is achieved when it is pure from corruption and sin.
So- how do we purify ourselves using our physical wealth like a grain which grows seven spikes; in each spike a hundred grains? This can only be achieved when we choose to spend our wealth (each according to their ability) in the cause of our Creator- for a Collective selfless Purpose that is Higher than our own selfish ego. The more we choose to give of our wealth to help others and to help spread good in the world, without expectation of reward (but only seeking the Pleasure of our Creator and as a thanks offering to Him): The more He will give us both in this world and in the Hereafter. The blessings we receive back from our Creator for our sacrifices come in many shapes, sizes, forms and colours; seen and unseen- ( not always as silver or gold or any other physical wealth but often as spiritual enlightenment, knowledge, wisdom and understanding and the opening of gates of ease towards paths of righteousness eg gratitude, compassion, forgiveness, mercy, justice, patience and Peace) as He gives back according to our needs, His Desires, and sometimes we do not 'see' the 'value' of the blessings we get in return until a later time, if at all in this worldly Life. What we do not 'see' value in this world for our efforts- we will 'See' in the Hereafter by His Will.
Using our money in the cause of Justice that helps to free others from oppression, injustice and slavery ( physical or spiritual) then we are granted the keys to unlock the secrets within which help to free ourselves from our own slavery to the evil inclinations within us and surrounding us, which imprison us: our greed, ego, envy, lust, sloth, anger, fears/sorrows. When we use our money to feed and clothe the orphans outside of us, we in fact start to hear the cry of the orphan within us, and we see ourselves in others and others in ourselves. This way, by our Creator planting the seeds of love and peace in our hearts - we become more able to 'see' and 'feel' and 'hear' and 'taste' and 'smell' our Oneness with our Creator and with creation-with our brethren, our neighbour, our fellow human being and all of creation- the more we give of charity, the thinner becomes the veil of separation which clouds our senses to Love. The giving of charity is like a seed of love planted in the ground which grows into the beautiful Tree of Life: the taller this grows, further it reaches, its beautiful branches, scented leaves, sweet fruit and its deep roots of faith plant firmly into the ground; protecting it from the stormy weather.
When our physical riches are 'blessed' from Above, we find that it goes a long way. The weight of the gold or silver, or the figure on the cheque or in the bank account- is not what matters. Some own more property but it brings them suffering and loss, while others own very little, but what they have is enough to cover their needs for the day and they are content and at peace. When our intentions are good, and directed towards our creator and in serving Him to the Best of our abilities ( by obeying HIs commandments to the best of our knowledge, awareness and ability, refraining from sin and doing good with sincere pure hearts) then no fear of poverty will come on that person- for he or she will trust in the Provision of our Creator- the Source of our Provision- who provides for the needs of all His Creatures as He chooses. The blessing of a small mustard seed in the possession of a spiritually wealthy person will sprout into mountains of silver and gold- if The Creator Wills- and either way, the spiritually wealthy person will be content with their lot if it is truly the Pleasure of the Lord he or she seeks, and let go of the need to understand why physical wealth is not raining down upon us like manna from heaven.
With the Fear and Love of our Creator, and as long as we remember that the more we have been given, the more will be expected from us, and the less we are given, the less will be expected from us- and apply this to the way we earn and spend our physical wealth, our money cannot harm us, but in fact help to transform darkness to light and elevate the hidden sparks of wisdom that are buried in this physical world to draw us closer to our Creator.
How can Money cause us harm?
The less we give, the more will be taken from us, and the more we give, the more will be given to us. Money that is earned and spent without wisdom will cause us harm. When we gain money that we do not deserve ( that is rightly someone else's) or if we waste money instead of using it to the bring out its best potential in doing good (something which requires wisdom) then our provision becomes more restricted. When we restrict others from benefiting ( for their basic needs) from our money which we have (saved up eg in a bank account for selfish reasons) beyond our own needs- then we are in fact bringing a 'curse upon ourselves' and locking the door of provision from Above. Sometimes we do not 'see' this door as locked, it may be locked in ways we do not understand yet ( eg for spiritual wealth, children, happy marriage, health, or provision in the Hereafter) and according to Abrahamic Scripture, not a mustard seed of injustice will be done to any person. Those who seek the pleasures of this worldly life ( forgetting the Hereafter or Higher Purpose) by using their riches to satisfy their selfish evil ways- they may find that in fact silver and gold in the form of money does rain from the heavens like manna for them to eat- but in the Hereafter they will get no share but will only be recompensed with what they earned- upon themselves wrath upon wrath. Furthermore, in this worldly life, those who seek material wealth in order to feed and satisfy their evil inclinations- their hearts become veiled and hardened to Higher Truth so they are lost, deaf, dumb and blind. They wander in darkness, like lost sheep, trying to steal the light of others as they are unable to find their own hidden light beneath their hard shells created by their own ego, greed and arrogance (thinking they are more worthy of their provisions than others who need it more than they do.)
Physical 'Money' can act as a screen in my vision, my hearing and understanding of Higher Truth-if I run away from taking responsibility of my life; turning away from evil and doing more good according to my own given potential and free will. This barrier can be helpful to maintain a broken peace within myself- until the time has come for the Gog and Magog within me to collide- at which point there will be destruction for those (within myself and the universe) who were deluded by it, then there will be Peace for those who used it to seek a Higher Pleasure of their Creator. The value that I believe to 'see' in the physical riches of this world such as bronze, silver, gold, precious stones, beautiful houses, sparkly cars etc act as a distracting 'glitter' that separates me from Who I Truly Am- The Essence of my inner Being. It clouds over my vision, hearing and understanding of my eyes ears and heart so that the 'value' that I perceive in physical money, invites me to lead a selfish life of engaging in physical (or spiritual) efforts to gain more money in order to abuse the power that comes with it. This Power that I choose to use my money for while seeking the temporary pleasures of my physical desires, feeds my ego, my greed, my lusts, my sloth, my gluttony, my envy, and distracts me from being able to make good judgements between good or bad- so leads me further astray from the Straight Path to my Creator. My reduced ability to perceive my direct relationship with my Creator and Source of Provision- disconnects me from my self, my Higher Purpose and once the brief temporary delight in my physical pleasure has forsaken my senses, I descend spiritually physically, mentally and emotionally into a world of despair, anguish, grief and bitterness. I find myself in darkness, full of fear, with no light left to guide me back Home. The money god that I was deceived into or chose to believe in and rely on beside my Creator (The True Source of Life and Provision) has deceived me, betrayed me and deserted me in my hour of need. My physical body dies, rots and returns to the ground and my deeds are scattered in the wind as I leave my worldly riches behind. And what payment method awaits me in the hereafter? Or do I expect that I will never reap what I sowed? Will I reap sweet fruit for the wages of my evil ways instead of bitter fruit? What excuses will I have against myself when I bear witness to the wrong choices I made when I chose to transform my blessings into curses, instead of using them to help transform darkness to Light? Will I not have to be part of that experience/reality of darkness and curse that I created with my own chosen ways?
Money causes me harm when I choose to worship it (by choosing to spend my time solely for the sake of gaining it for my selfish 'wants' that are beyond my need) instead of choosing to spend my time in this world doing the Will of my Creator and pursuing His commandments ( Ways of Peace). We may try to deceive ourself into the belief that our 'want' is in fact only our 'need' and therefore excuse ourselves from taking responsibility of and rising above our selfish greed in pursuit of gaining even more wealth, while we turn a blind eye to those who have less than we do and those who really 'need' what we want or have (that is rightly theirs). We may even deceive ourself into believing that once we gain more, we will then give more to help others and therefore excuse ourselves from giving at the closest possible moment of receiving worldly riches, only to then make the same excuse when we receive what we said we would give at that time. Slowly, these excuses feed our greed, and turn us away (through distraction, false promises and self deception) from our Creator, while we chase after the physical delusions of this Mirage of Money, wealth, power, glory, greed, ego- a false god/s- which forsakes us in our hour of Need/and does not last. This is why it is so important to keep seeking refuge in our Creator from the whispers ofSatan, and to keep seeking Truth, questioning ourselves, and reminding each other to share our blessings at every opportunity and moment in time whenever possible in order to show Gratitude to our Creator-Our Source of Life and Provision.
Money has the potential to cause us harm when we do not find the right balance between how much we choose to spend on ourselves for our own needs VS and how much we use to help others. It is very difficult to find this balance if we do not have knowledge wisdom and guidance from our Creator who uses Scripture to communicate to us what is Most Pleasing to Him.
Although Money can be used as a tool for Satan ( our evil inclinations) to deceive us, lead us astray from experiencing True Reality ( direct connection with our Creator), cause division amongst us, and as a tool or weapon to cause corruption and oppression and injustice in the land ( within ourselves and the land we share with others)- It can also be used as a weapon of Peace Unity Love and Justice, and tool which helps to Reveal the Light of our Creator- if it is used correctly according to the Will of our Creator, revealed in Scripture as a Guidance for humanity.
From an Abrahamic Perspective, money we gain will cause us harm if it is 'stolen' or gained through 'usery' eg 'interest' from loan repayments which causes others to be 'enslaved in debts' through hardship and in constant struggle to pay off their debt to us causing them more loss than benefit through our loan. Money will cause us harm when it is 'beyond' our needs but we still hold on to it, hoarding it- while refusing to share with others in need of our help who have not yet met their needs in order to live the quality of physical that we strive to live ourselves. Money will cause us harm when it is accepted from another as a 'bribe' in order that we avoid speaking the Truth- or maintaining Justice in our societies- eg a Judge accepting a bribe in order that he or she should Judge more favourably towards one party over another against Truth/evidence, or government officials accepting mutual bribes in order to take from its people their human rights. Money can cause us harm if we choose to spend it on things or projects that are fed by our selfish nature- seeking only to pleasure ourselves- rather than using it to help others meet their needs. Money can cause us harm if we choose to use it to intentionally and knowingly cause harm to others against the Will of our Creator ( according to His Commandments and Teachings) eg to buy weapons of mass destruction, instead of helping to feed the orphan, widow, homeless or to clothe the naked, house the poor etc...
To sum up- whenever we choose to use our wealth to seek self-glorification rather than to Glorify our Creator- The One that is Worthy of All Praise and Thanks and Glory- then we cause harm to ourselves and deny His True Existence. By Refusing to sanctify the Name of our Creator by refusing to strive with our wealth (or whatever we put a value to according to our knowledge and abilities) and lives in His Cause ( Ways of Peace)- we refuse to sanctify ourselves and achieve our true purpose as Humanity.
How can money affect our wellbeing?
Money can sometimes help to give us a false sense of security in the form of a physical home which protects from physical dangers, and provision such as clothing and food to help us survive in this physical world. Money may be able to help us with strong armour and weapons so that we can defend ourselves and fight against external physical attack, but are the weapons and shields of iron bronze and silver bullet proof against the Sword of The Almighty? Does the protection come from the physical strength of that which buy with money, or does it come from our Creator who chooses to provide us a physical shield through these blessings? In What do we choose to Trust: our properties, our money, our weapons and shields or do we choose to Trust in the Word of our Creator who is The Most Powerful, our Protector and Only True Shield? Can our physical riches provide us with a spiritual shield to help us defeat our evil inclination and to protect us from the forces of evil within us that seek to destroy? -Not if used to feed our selfish egos, but Yes, as long as we acknowledge and give thanks to our Creator and Source of Physical provision and protection and acknowledge that it is only by the Will and Strength of The Creator and therefore choose to use our physical provision to worship and glorify Him instead of the Physical provision itself ( by using it to feed our ego), while obeying HIs Commandments- and if we apply Wisdom to the application of our riches in His Cause and Ways of Peace.
Does money bring True Peace and Happiness? How many of us have property upon property, and drives full of the latest models of new expensive cars, and figure upon figure of numbers in the bank, and hoarded amounts of jewellery, gold, silver, precious jewels, horses, cattle, all the beautiful physical delights of this worldly life- and can truly say that we are 'happy?'. For those of us that feel 'happy' with these hoarded items while there are fellow humans living on the same earth as that on which we live, naked, cold, hungry, thirsty, poor, homeless without shoes and transport- Is our Happiness 'Real'? Will it last? or is it only a temporary delusion and a brief pleasure that only further fuels and excites the inner greed, lusts and evil inclination which invites us to the fiery flames of God's Fury?
Having enough money to satisfy our basic physical needs and rights as a human being (eg enough food and clean water and shelter and clothing and for medical needs) in order that we can spend more time doing good and on improving our relationships with our Creator and with loved ones, is an important part of our physical, emotional, spiritual and mental well-being. To insist that we deserve to have more than our needs, while we refuse to serve the rest of humanity who do not have their basic needs (by obeying the commandment of charitable giving and giving to those who need and ask according to the best of our abilities, gifts talents and blessings)- is seen as 'arrogance' in the Eyes of our Creator and is like saying that 'I are more worthy than others' because 'fire is better than clay.' This is what Satan said when he refused to bow to Adam as God had instructed, while all the other Angels did as were commanded.
If our money is used to help free up 'time' so that we can endeavour through learning from and teaching to our fellow humans, to draw ourselves closer to our Creator- then this can bring us peace and contentment because with the Word of God and with the revelation of the Word of God, comes Peace. However, once one advances in knowledge through study of the Word of God, one realises that in the physical labour itself lies treasures of hidden sparks of wisdom (like gold and silver) which enable us to apply our knowledge gained through study, into acts of loving kindness to help us better 'understand' and 'know' our Creator. With The 'Knowing' of our Creator and in the meeting of the physical and spiritual Face to Face, and through the Journey of application of wisdom using our wealth and lives in order to purify our hearts, remove the clouding that covers our senses and endeavour in our efforts to spread Truth, Peace Justice and Love -while seeking only The Pleasure of our Creator and King- and to Praise, Thank, worship and Glorify Him- comes the Eternal Bliss of the Kingdom of God, the transformation of darkness to Light, The Uniting of True Eternal Physical Blessings with The True Eternal Spiritual Blessings and the Unification of the Worlds beyond Time and Space.
How can I use Money to help transform Darkness to Light?
Let’s extract the hidden wisdom from our experiences with ‘money’ and then use our money to share that wisdom with others. Let’s ask ourselves:
-Is it not that when we break free from the slavery to our selfish ego (ego, greed, lusts, envy, sloth, fear, anger.. etc) and instead choose to serve the Higher Will of our Creator ( by using our physical lives and wealth to pursue Justice, Peace, Love and Truth)- we break free from the chains which enslave us to worshipping 'Money' itself as a god beside our Creator- in Whose Hands lie the Treasures of the Heavens and Earth? Is it not that through giving from that which we love in The Cause of Justice, we are able to break free from our slavery to our evil inclination and therefore enter through the Gates of Righteousness into our Eternal Home of Peace? So let's not obey the commands of our evil inclination which tempt us into disobeying our Creator's commandments in order to make selfish profit in this physical world by stealing, bribery, usery, gambling, sorcery and deceit. Instead let's willingly Obey The Higher Will of our Creator by living our lives according to His Ways of Peace and trust in His Provision wholeheartedly by turning away from sin, treating others how we ourselves would want to be treated, and doing more good with our worldly provision seeking His Pleasure Alone.
-Can we use our physical wealth to buy spiritual riches? If so- how? Does our money save us from: Loneliness? Ego? Fear? Anxiety? Depression? Greed? Envy? Lusts? Hatred against our fellow? … How is it possible to break through the difficult paths that lead us into idol worship using our physical riches? Is it not by using our physical riches in the cause of Justice/charity/peace/truth- to help free slaves, help the needy, help the orphans, the widows, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, provide shelter for the homeless, help the traveller, heal the sick, make peace between brethren, spread the Light of Scripture, and in helping to relieve the pains and sorrows of others- The way to enter through the Gates of Heaven? Do we not share our success with one another and bring Unity into this physical world by showing our Creator Gratitude with the sharing of our physical riches with our brethren- while seeking His Pleasure Alone? Do we not prove through the striving for the Cause of Heaven with our wealth and lives that the success of others is our success, and that our God and our people are One? Is it not through the serving of Humanity with our physical riches and blessings; the Way we serve our Creator?
-Can we use our spiritual riches to bring us physical wealth? If so, how? How can walking the Ways of Peace help to provide us with our physical needs in this physical Reality? How can the seeking and revealing knowledge, wisdom, and understanding and walking in the ways of our Lord- with peace, love, compassion, justice, truth, faith, integrity, patience, perseverance, gratitude, respect, courage, humility, commitment, joy, and obedience to our Creator with love and reverence make for us a Home of Precious Jewels, in a Land flowing with wine, milk and honey? Does the answer not lie in the wisdom that when we willingly choose to unite our will to the Higher Will of our Creator in thought, speech and action, while engaging in acts of loving kindness, to purify our hearts- we become parts of a Tree of Life- and our awareness of the Reality of True Oneness with our Creator enables us to connect Heaven to Earth; we start to Receive the manna from Heaven and become a vessel to allow the Mercy of our Creator to provide for all of our true needs, and pure desires, through receiving unconditional Love- we eat from the Tree that connects us to everlasting Life in the garden of Eden. Does walking the Path of Peace not help to free us from the prison that clouds our awareness of our True Essence? Does it not help us to break through the barrier/veil of delusion/physicality, time and space that clouds our vision, hearing and understanding so that whichever direction we turn- we become able to see the Face of God?
So what can we do with our money that can help us transform darkness into light? (If money=what we/society perceives value in)
-When we give to charity from that which we ourselves or our societies value/ or from that which we love (if it is gold/silver; give, if it is wisdom; share, if it is acts of loving kindness; do) then this will bring our societies into a Higher Awareness where physical money is not needed anymore for peaceful societies to run properly. People will start trading more with knowledge, wisdom, empathy, compassion, respect, acts of loving kindness, the sharing of time, the sharing of space. The more we share with others what our societies value-together- the more we help to connect The upper worlds with the Lower worlds, spirituality with physicality. This will bring us to the point where give, not in order to receive, but in order just to give pleasure to our Lord through Higher Service. When we see that others also share what is given to them through us, unto others who need, and in the cause of Love, Truth, Justice and Peace- Then this binds humanity together, binds Heaven to Earth- and brings us a true sense of Joy and pleasure. It allows each and everyone of us to use our unique gifts for a Higher Universal Purpose- as One entity within diverse creation- and this Brings great Pleasure to our Creator. As our Pleasure is in His Pleasure- When we share what He gives us, with others we draw ourselves and each other closer to Him. ( He does not need anything physical from us- He is The Source of our Provision- but only seeks the Piety of the heart) The Unity of our desire with our Creator’s Desire becomes Revealed and celebrated.
-Let’s be open to receiving from our Creator through allowing others to give to us also that which they have, and we lack. When we become open to receiving, we allow others to purify their hearts and draw closer to their Creator. By showing Gratitude (through obedience to his Will) for receiving from our Creator through others, it brings us to humility and worship while allowing our Creator to give more freely- something He desires to do.
-Everyone has a unique value/ worth- whether it be through our physical or spiritual blessings, gifts, talents, and wisdom, whether it be in the eyes of man, or in the Eyes of our Creator- But 'True' Value lies in the 'truth' and sincerity of our faith and behaviour. All other ways in which humans 'value' themselves are only external and superficial truth mixed with falsehood- and therefore our bodies in this physical world are only temporary unless we remove the blockage of our inner Higher 'Truth' and Essence that desires to shine through. All of us hold our value in hidden places where only truth seekers will find it, sometimes buried deep within the layers of our harsh external appearances. Every interaction with another being is therefore an opportunity to increase in both physical and spiritual wealth- when we seek wisdom with a different kind of ‘eye’- when we engage in a teacher/student relationship with those we share the same space with. We are all teachers, and we are all students; we are mirrors which gaze in the same direction ( whether it be East or West, North or South, inward or outward) - enabling us to draw closer and gain higher awareness of our true connection with our Creator/ Source of Life and all provision/wealth.
-Let’s seek to find the right ‘balance’ in the act of giving. When we give too much of ourselves, we burn out- and if there is nothing left of ‘me’ then how can I serve ‘You?’. When we give more than our own physical needs (in order to remain in a physical form in this world) we merge into our Creator and become unable to have a ‘relationship’ with our Source and others. A level of perception of our ‘separateness’ is therefore essential to maintain through our sense of ‘ego’ in order to continue serve our King, Master, Lord of the Worlds, for what is a King without willing servants?. What is His True desire? Is it not that we worship Him through our own free will? Why else would He choose to create us? Is His Desire not to ‘create’ worlds of diversity? How can we truly appreciate diversity if each of the parts of the Whole do not feel their own ‘separateness’ from their Source? Therefore, giving only beyond our own needs- is the place that the Physical and Spiritual worlds can meet face to face, where the Higher and lower Will unites in man. However, sometimes our passion burns so much that we would rather sacrifice our own physical or spiritual form in order to keep another’s going- when this comes from a place of selfless ‘Love’ for our Creator and fellow human- then that soul does not die, but just changes form and remains One with the Source of Life. In continues to reside in the hearts of man- and strengthens their Spirit in the Ways of Peace, Love, Truth and Justice.
-Each one of us has everything we are meant to have in this physical world. When we ‘’surrender” to this Truth while willingly persevering in doing good to the best of our given abilities and while seeking His Pleasure- we feel and reveal our Oneness with our Lord who is maintaining His Creation in Justice through ‘us’- His Hand is on our hand- ‘The Lord our God is One.’ Being aware of this Truth itself can help us become more able to just ‘Be’ what we are, while the committed obedience to seeking and revealing Higher Truth (and obedience to the path of Truth/commandments) according to the best of our knowledge and sincere intention enables us to ‘Become’ what we are to become- and brings us to a Higher level of awareness and Unity despite our diversity and separation in creation.
-Let's accept in our hearts minds and souls that we are not in ‘control’ of our riches, and that our Provision depends on our Source of Life that is Higher than our physical self- Let's let go of our desire to 'know' what is good and bad according to our own limited understanding and awareness, and instead 'accept' whatever He chooses to give us and trust that it is 'Good.' When we understand that sometimes what we perceive to be 'bad' externally is in in fact good for us and what we understand externally to be good is sometimes bad for us- we can let go of this desire to be in 'control' of our provision. The path toward understanding and 'Knowing' our Creator is Infinite. The Peace is in the journey itself- the journey of 'Submission' to a Higher Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding. The more we have Faith in and willingly 'choose' to Rely on our Source of Provision/Truth for Life (beyond our own limited understanding) through God's Kindness, Mercy, Forgiveness and Boundless Love (and all of His Beautiful Attributes)- and the more we see 'Goodness' in His Choice of Provision for us- the more able we become to be able to show gratitude to our Creator for our blessings through this humility and experience True inner Peace with our provision. The more grateful we become (by sharing with each other and helping others) for the manna from Heaven that is showered upon us each day, the more able we become to receive extra blessings in order that we experience the True joy of ‘Shabbat’ with our Creator and loved ones- releasing us from the experience of ‘pain’ and ‘struggle’ and ‘suffering’ from the daily burdens of physical labour/work during the six days of creation. The more we as humanity strive with our blessings to reach a level of Unity ;and Higher Gratitude to our Creator, the more we become open to receive, and the more we receive, the more able we will become to experience Shabbat in all the days of the week- bringing Unity to Time and space itself by filling it with Divine Grace by The Will of our Creator.
-The more we begin to experience the joy of our blessings- Let us sing songs of Praise to our King- let's make Music in a language of love (giving charity) while we glorify our Creator, (instead of seeking self-glorification through seeking to feed our selfish ego beyond our needs)- for in His Hands lie the keys to all Good Provision- He gives and takes away (by hardening our hearts, clouding our vision hearing and understanding or removing the veil) as He Pleases and with Due measure according to His Will. What He gives, we willingly accept, what He removes, we also willingly accept. Either way, we remain committed to His worship using our free-will and obey his Commandments according to the best of our ability. Without His Mercy we are nothing. All Praise and Thanks be to our Creator- Lord of The Worlds.
Here are some self- Reflection Questions that might help:
Some Scripture Verses On 'Money'
This is the commandment, the statutes, and the ordinances that the Lord, your God, commanded to teach you, to perform in the land into which you are about to pass, to possess it. In order that you fear the Lord, your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments that I command you, you, your son, and your son's son, all the days of your life, and in order that your days may be lengthened. And you shall, [therefore,] hearken, O Israel, and be sure to perform, so that it will be good for you, and so that you may increase exceedingly, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, spoke to you, a land flowing with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God; the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your means. And these words, which I command you this day, shall be upon your heart. And you shall teach them to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk on the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for ornaments between your eyes. And you shall inscribe them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates. And it will be, when the Lord, your God, brings you to the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you, great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant, and you will eat and be satisfied. Beware, lest you forget the Lord, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall fear the Lord, your God, worship Him, and swear by His name. Do not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are around you. For the Lord, your God, is a zealous God among you, lest the wrath of the Lord, your God, be kindled against you, and destroy you off the face of the earth. You shall not try the Lord, your God, as you tried Him in Massah. Diligently keep the commandments of the Lord, your God, and His testimonies. and His statutes, which He has commanded you. And you shall do what is proper and good in the eyes of the Lord, in order that it may be well with you, and that you may come and possess the good land which the Lord swore to your forefathers, to drive out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has spoken. If your son asks you in time to come, saying, "What are the testimonies, the statutes, and the ordinances, which the Lord our God has commanded you?" You shall say to your son, "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord took us out of Egypt with a strong hand. And the Lord gave signs and wonders, great and terrible, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes. And he brought us out of there, in order that He might bring us and give us the land which He swore to our fathers. And the Lord commanded us to perform all these statutes, to fear the Lord, our God, for our good all the days, to keep us alive, as of this day. And it will be for our merit that we keep to observe all these commandments before the Lord, our God, as He has commanded us." Deuteronomy 6
And Abram came up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that was his, and Lot with him, to the south. And Abram was very heavy with cattle, with silver, and with gold. And he went on his journeys, from the south and until Beth el, until the place where his tent had been previously, between Beth el and between Ai. To the place of the altar that he had made at first, and Abram called there in the name of the Lord. And also Lot, who went with Abram, had flocks and cattle and tents. And the land did not bear them to dwell together, for their possessions were many, and they could not dwell together. And there was a quarrel between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and between the herdsmen of Lot's cattle, and the Canaanites and the Perizzites were then dwelling in the land. And Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no quarrel between me and between you and between my herdsmen and between your herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not all the land before you? Please part from me; if [you go] left, I will go right, and if [you go] right, I will go left." And Lot raised his eyes, and he saw the entire plain of the Jordan, that it was entirely watered; before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as you come to Zoar. And Lot chose for himself the entire plain of the Jordan, and Lot traveled from the east, and they parted from one another. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and he pitched his tents until Sodom. And the people of Sodom were very evil and sinful against the Lord. And the Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Please raise your eyes and see, from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward. For all the land that you see I will give to you and to your seed to eternity. And I will make your seed like the dust of the earth, so that if a man will be able to count the dust of the earth, so will your seed be counted. Rise, walk in the land, to its length and to its breadth, for I will give it to you." And Abram pitched his tents, and he came, and he dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord. Genesis 13
Every commandment that I command you this day you shall keep to do, that you may live and multiply, and come and possess the land that the Lord swore to your forefathers. And you shall remember the entire way on which the Lord, your God, led you these forty years in the desert, in order to afflict you to test you, to know what is in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. And He afflicted you and let you go hungry, and then fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your forefathers know, so that He would make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but rather by, whatever comes forth from the mouth of the Lord does man live. Your clothing did not wear out upon you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. You shall know in your heart, that just as a man chastises his son, so does the Lord, your God, chastise you. And you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to go in His ways, and to fear Him. For the Lord your God is bringing you to a good land, a land with brooks of water, fountains and depths, that emerge in valleys and mountains, a land of wheat and barley, vines and figs and pomegranates, a land of oil producing olives and honey - a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, you will lack nothing in it, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose mountains you will hew copper. And you will eat and be sated, and you shall bless the Lord, your God, for the good land He has given you. Beware that you do not forget the Lord, your God, by not keeping His commandments, His ordinances, and His statutes, which I command you this day, lest you eat and be sated, and build good houses and dwell therein, and your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold increase, and all that you have increases, and your heart grows haughty, and you forget the Lord, your God, Who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, Who led you through that great and awesome desert, [in which were] snakes, vipers and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought water for you out of solid rock, Who fed you with manna in the desert, which your forefathers did not know, in order to afflict you and in order to test you, to benefit you in your end, and you will say to yourself, "My strength and the might of my hand that has accumulated this wealth for me." But you must remember the Lord your God, for it is He that gives you strength to make wealth, in order to establish His covenant which He swore to your forefathers, as it is this day. And it will be, if you forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, and worship them, and prostrate yourself before them, I bear witness against you this day, that you will surely perish. As the nations that the Lord destroys before you, so will you perish; since you will not obey the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 8
Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honour. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed. Proverbs 3:13-18
Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored. Proverbs 3:18
Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. Proverbs 10:4
The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor. Proverbs 10:15
The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it. Proverbs 10:22
Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. Proverbs 11:4
A kindhearted woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth. Proverbs 11:16
One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. Proverbs 11:24-25
Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. Proverbs 11:28
Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense. Proverbs 12:11
Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth. Proverbs 12:27
A man’s riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat. Proverbs 13:8
Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. Proverbs 13:11
He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored. Proverbs 13:18
A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous. Proverbs 13:22
A poor man’s field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away. Proverbs 13:23
The righteous eat to their hearts’ content, but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry. Proverbs 13:25
The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends. Proverbs 14:20
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honours God. Proverbs 14:31
.. in the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. Proverbs 15:6
Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil. Proverbs 15:16
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:3
The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart. Proverbs 17:3
A poor man pleads for mercy, but a rich man answers harshly. Proverbs 18:23
Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse. Proverbs 19:1
Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man’s friend deserts him. Proverbs 19:4
Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger. Proverbs 19:15
He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. Proverbs 19:17
The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing. Proverbs 20:4
Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare. Proverbs 20:13
The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. Proverbs 21:5
He who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich. Proverbs 21:17
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1
Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all. Proverbs 22:2
Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life. Proverbs 22:4
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7
A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. Proverbs 22:9
He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich–both come to poverty. Proverbs 22:16
Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those under them. Proverbs 22:22-23
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. Proverbs 23:4-5
Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a ruling rightly given. Proverbs 25:11
Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear. Proverbs 25:12
But his desire is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be as a tree planted beside rivulets of water, which brings forth its fruit in its season, and its leaves do not wilt; and whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:2-3
And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times. Psalm 12:6
.. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He causes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even when I walk in the valley of darkness, I will fear no evil for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff - they comfort me. You set a table before me in the presence of my adversaries; You anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. May only goodness and kindness pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for length of days. Psalm 23
.. The land and the fullness thereof are the Lord's; the world and those who dwell therein. Psalm 24:1
This poor man called and the Lord heard, and He saved him from all his troubles. An angel of the Lord is stationed around those who fear Him, and He saved them. Comprehend and see that the Lord is good; praiseworthy is the man who takes shelter in Him. Fear the Lord, His holy ones; for there is no want to those who fear Him. Young lions suffer want and are hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good. Psalm 34:7-11
All my bones shall say, O Lord, who is like You, Who saves a poor man from one stronger than he and a poor man and a needy one from one who robs him. Psalm 35:10
Do not compete with the evildoers; do not envy those who commit injustice. For they will be speedily cut off like grass and wither like green vegetation. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and be nourished by faith. So shall you delight in the Lord, and He will give you what your heart desires. Commit your way to the Lord, and trust in Him and He will act. And He will reveal your righteousness like the light, and your judgments like noon. Wait for the Lord and hope for Him; do not compete with one whose way prospers, with a man who executes malicious plans. Desist from anger and forsake wrath; do not compete only to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off, and those who hope for the Lord-they will inherit the land. A short while longer and the wicked man is not here, and you shall look at his place and he is not there. But the humble shall inherit the land, and they shall delight in much peace. The wicked man plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him. The Lord will scoff at him because He saw that his day will come. The wicked initiated war and bent their bow to cast down the poor and the needy, to slay those who walk on a straight path. Their sword shall enter their heart, and their bows shall be broken. The few of the righteous are better than the multitude of many wicked men. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord supports the righteous. The Lord knows the days of the innocent, and their inheritance will be forever. They will not be ashamed in time of calamity, and in days of famine they shall still be satisfied. For the wicked will perish, and the enemies of the Lord are like disappearing light on the plains; they are consumed in smoke, yea they are consumed. A wicked man borrows and does not pay, but the Righteous one is gracious and gives. For those blessed by Him will inherit the land, and those cursed by Him will be cut off. From the Lord a mighty man's steps are established, for He delights in his way. If he falls, he will not be cast down, for the Lord supports his hand. I was young, I also aged, and I have not seen a righteous man forsaken and his seed seeking bread. All day long he is gracious and lends, and his seed is due for a blessing. Shun evil and do good, and dwell forever. For the Lord loves justice, and He shall not forsake His pious ones; they will be guarded forever, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell forever in it. The righteous man's mouth utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not falter. The wicked man watches for the righteous man and seeks to put him to death. The Lord shall not leave him in his hands, and He shall not condemn him [the righteous] when he [the wicked] is judged. Hope to the Lord and keep His way; He will exalt you to inherit the land, and you will witness the destruction of the wicked. I saw a wicked man, powerful, well-rooted as a native who is fresh. And he passed away and behold! he is not here, and I sought him and he was not found. Observe the innocent and see the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. But transgressors were destroyed together; the future of the wicked was cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, their stronghold in time of distress. The Lord helped them and rescued them; He rescued them from the wicked and saved them because they took refuge in Him. Psalm 37
Wash, cleanse yourselves, remove the evil of your deeds from before My eyes, cease to do evil. Learn to do good, seek justice, strengthen the robbed, perform justice for the orphan, plead the case of the widow. Come now, let us debate, says the Lord. If your sins prove to be like crimson, they will become white as snow; if they prove to be as red as crimson dye, they shall become as wool. If you be willing and obey, you shall eat the best of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword, for the mouth of the Lord spoke. How has she become a harlot, a faithful city; full of justice, in which righteousness would lodge, but now murderers. Your silver has become dross; your wine is diluted with water. Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes and runs after payments; the orphan they do not judge, and the quarrel of the widow does not come to them. "Therefore," says the Master, the Lord of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, "Oh, I will console Myself from My adversaries, and I will avenge Myself of My foes. And I will return My hand upon you and purge away your dross as with lye, and remove all your tin. And I will restore your judges as at first and your counsellors as in the beginning; afterwards you shall be called City of Righteousness, Faithful City. Zion shall be redeemed through justice and her penitent through righteousness. And destruction shall come over rebels and sinners together, and those who forsake the Lord shall perish. For they shall be ashamed of the elms that you desired, and you shall be humiliated because of the gardens that you chose. For you shall be like an elm whose leaves are wilting, and like a garden that has no water. And the[ir] strength shall become as tow, and its perpetrator as a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with no one to extinguish [the fire]. Isaiah 1:16-31
And it shall be at the end of the days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be firmly established at the top of the mountains, and it shall be raised above the hills, and all the nations shall stream to it. And many peoples shall go, and they shall say, "Come, let us go up to the Lord's mount, to the house of the God of Jacob, and let Him teach us of His ways, and we will go in His paths," for out of Zion shall the Torah come forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge between the nations and reprove many peoples, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift the sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. "O house of Jacob, come and let us go in the light of the Lord." For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob, for they are full of [witchcraft] from the East and soothsayers like the Philistines, and with children of gentiles they please themselves. And his land became full of silver and gold, without end to his treasures; and his land became full of horses, without end to his chariots. And his land is full of idols; to the work of his hands he prostrates himself, to that which his fingers made. And man has become bowed down, and man has become humble, and You shall not forgive them. Come into the rock and hide in the dust, because of fear of the Lord and because of the splendor of His pride. The haughty eyes of man will be humbled, and the height of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted on that day. For the Lord of Hosts has a day over everyone proud and high, and over everyone exalted, and he shall become humble. And over all the cedars of the Lebanon, high and exalted, and over all the oaks of the Bashan; And over all the high mountains and over all the exalted hills; And over every lofty tower and over every fortified wall; And over all the ships of Tarshish and over all coveted floors. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the Lord alone shall be exalted on that day. And the idols shall completely pass away. And they shall come into the caves of the rocks and into the hollows of the earth, because of the fear of the Lord and because of the splendor of His pride, when He rises to break the earth. On that day, man will cast away his silver idols and his gold idols, which they made for him, [before which] to prostrate himself to moles and to bats. To come into the clefts of the rocks and the hollows of the cliffs, because of the fear of the Lord and because of the splendor of His pride, when He rises to break the earth. Withdraw yourselves from man whose breath is in his nostrils, for in what merit is he to be esteemed? Isaiah 2:2-22
Praise the righteous man for he is good, for the fruit of their deeds they shall eat. Woe to the wicked [who does] evil, for the recompense of his hands shall be done to him. As for My people, their rulers are mockers, and women govern them; O My people! Your leaders lead you astray, and the way of your paths they have destroyed. The Lord stands to plead, and He stands to judge the peoples. The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders of His people and their officers. And you have ravaged the vineyard; the spoils of the poor are in your houses. What do you mean that you crush My people and the faces of the poor you grind? says the Lord God of Hosts. Isaiah 3:10-15
And the Lord said to me, "Take for yourself a large scroll, and write on it in common script, to hasten loot, speed the spoils. And I will call to testify for Myself trustworthy witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah." And I was intimate with the prophetess, and she conceived, and she bore a son, and the Lord said to me, "Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz. For, when the lad does not yet know to call, 'Father' and 'mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria shall be carried off before the king of Assyria." "Since this people has rejected the waters of the Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice in Rezin and the son of Remaliah, Therefore, behold the Lord is bringing up on them the mighty and massive waters of the river-the king of Assyria and all his wealth, and it will overflow all its distributaries and go over all its banks. And it will penetrate into Judah, overflowing as it passes through, up to the neck it will reach; and the tips of his wings will fill the breadth of your land, Immanuel. Join together, O peoples, and be broken, hearken, all you of distant countries. Gird yourselves and be broken, gird yourselves and be broken. Take counsel and it will be foiled; speak a word and it will not succeed, for God is with us. Isaiah 8:1-10
Woe to those who engrave engravings of injustice and missives of perverseness they write. To pervert the judgment of the impoverished and to rob the judgment of the poor of My people, so that the widows are their plunder, and they pillage the orphans. And what will you do for the day of visitation, and for the destruction that shall come from afar? To whom will you flee for aid, and where will you leave your riches? Isaiah 10:1-3
And you shall say on that day, "I will thank You, O Lord, for You were wroth with me; may Your wrath turn away and may You comfort me. Here is the God of my salvation, I shall trust and not fear; for the strength and praise of the Eternal the Lord was my salvation." And you shall draw water with joy from the fountains of the salvation. And you shall draw water with joy from the fountains of the salvation. And you shall say on that day, "Thank the Lord, call in His Name, publicize His deeds among the peoples; keep it in remembrance, for His Name is exalted. Sing to the Lord for He has performed mighty deeds; this is known throughout the land. Shout and praise, O dwellers of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 12:1-6
I will make mortal man dearer than fine gold, and man [dearer] than the collection of the gold of Ophir. Isaiah 13:12
On that day, man shall turn to his Maker, and his eyes shall look to the Holy One of Israel. And he shall not turn to the altar of the work of his hands, and what his fingers made he shall not regard, neither the asherim nor the sun-images. On that day, the cities of his strength shall be like the abandonment of the forest and the many branched trees which they abandoned from before the children of Israel, and it became a waste. For you forgot the God of your salvation, and the Rock of your strength you did not remember; because I planted you with pleasant saplings, and with the branch of a stranger you sow it. On the day of your planting you mingled, and in the morning you cause your seed to blossom; a heap of harvest on a day of sickness and mortal pain. Isaiah 17:7-11
And it shall be at the end of seventy years, that the Lord shall remember Tyre, and she shall return to her hire, and she shall have commerce with all the kingdoms of the earth upon the surface of the earth. And her commerce and her hire shall be holy to the Lord, it shall not be stored nor shall it be inherited, but those who sit before the Lord shall have her commerce to eat their fill and for stately clothing. Isaiah 23:17-18
Behold the Lord empties the land and lays it waste, and He shall turn over its face and scatter its inhabitants. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest, as with the slave, so with his master, as with the maidservant, so with her mistress, as with the buyer, so with the seller, as with the lender, so with the borrower, as with the creditor, so with the one who owes him. The land shall be emptied and it shall be pillaged, for the Lord has spoken this thing. The land has mourned, it has withered, the land has been humbled and withered, the highest of the people of the land have been humbled. And the land has deceived because of its inhabitants, for they transgressed instructions, infracted statutes, broke the everlasting covenant. Isaiah 23:1-5
Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah the Lord, is the Rock of eternity. For He humbled the inhabitants of the high places, the fortified city; He brings it low, he brings it low even to the earth, he makes it reach even to the dust. A foot shall trample it, the feet of a poor man, the soles of the impoverished. The way of the righteous that is straight-O Upright One, the path of the righteous, You shall weigh. Even [for] the way of Your judgments, O Lord, have we hoped for You; for Your Name and for Your remembrance was the desire of [our] soul. [With] my soul I longed for you at night; even [with] my spirit within me I beseeched You, for when Your judgments [come] to the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn justification. Shall the wicked be favored-who did not learn righteousness? In the land of uprightness he deals unjustly, and he does not see the pride of the Lord. Shall the wicked be favored-who did not learn righteousness? In the land of uprightness he deals unjustly, and he does not see the pride of the Lord. Isaiah 26:3-10
For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the House of Israel, and the people of Judah are the plant of His joy; and He hoped for justice, and, behold, there was injustice; for righteousness, and behold, an outcry. Woe to those who join a house to a house; a field to a field they draw near; until there is no place, and you will be settled alone in the midst of the land. In my ears [spoke] the Lord of Hosts, "Truly, great houses shall become desolate, yea, large ones and good ones, without inhabitants. For ten acres of vineyard will produce one bath, and the seed of a homer shall produce an ephah. Woe to those who rise early in the morning; they pursue strong wine. They sit until late in the evening; wine inflames them. And there are harp and lute, tambourine and flute, and wine at their drinking feasts; and the work of the Lord they do not regard, and the deed of His hands they have not seen. Isaiah 5:17-13
And it shall come to pass, that every place where there were a thousand vines for a thousand pieces of silver, will be for the worms and the thorns. Isaiah 7:23
"Woe to rebellious children," says the Lord, "to take counsel but not from Me, and to appoint a ruler but not of My spirit, in order to add sin upon sin. Those who go to descend to Egypt, and they have not asked of My mouth, to strengthen themselves with the strength of Pharaoh and to take shelter in the shade of Egypt. And the strength of Pharaoh shall be to you for shame, and the shelter in the shade of Egypt for disgrace. For his princes were in Zoan and his emissaries reached Hanes. They all disgraced themselves because of a people that will not avail them, neither for aid nor for avail, but for shame and also for disgrace. The burden of the beasts of the southland, in a land of trouble and anguish, the awesome lion and the crushing lion among them, the viper and the flying serpent; they carry their wealth on the shoulders of young donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people that will not avail. And the Egyptians help in vain and to no purpose, therefore, I called this, "They are haughty, idlers." Isaiah 30:1-7
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for aid, and who rely on horses and trust in chariots which are many, and on riders who are very strong, and they did not rely on the Holy One of Israel and the Lord they did not seek. He too is wise, and He brought evil, and His words He did not retract; and He rose up on the house of evildoers and upon the aid of workers of iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses are flesh and not spirit, and the Lord shall turn His hand, and the helper shall stumble and the helped one shall fall, and together all of them shall perish. For so has the Lord said to me, "As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey, although a band of shepherds gather against him, from their voice he is not dismayed and from their stirring he is not subdued, so shall the Lord of Hosts descend to gather an army on Mount Zion and on its hill. Like flying birds, so shall the Lord of Hosts protect Jerusalem, protecting and saving, passing over and rescuing." Return to Him, against Whom you have thought deeply to turn away, O children of Israel. For on that day, they shall despise, each man his silver idols and his golden idols, which your hands have made for you [for] a sin. And Assyria shall fall by the sword of one not a man, and the sword of one who is not a man shall consume him, and he shall flee from before a sword, and his chosen ones shall melt. And his rock shall pass from fear, and his princes shall be dismayed at the miracle, the word of the Lord, whose fire is in Zion and Whose stove is in Jerusalem. Isaiah 31:1-9
And the faith of your times shall be the strength of salvations, wisdom and knowledge; fear of the Lord, that is his treasure. Isaiah 33:6
Sinners in Zion were afraid; trembling seized the flatterers, 'Who will stand up for us against a consuming fire? Who will stand up for us against the everlasting fires?' He who walks righteously, and speaks honestly, who contemns gain of oppression, who shakes his hands from taking hold of bribe, closes his ear from hearing of blood, and closes his eyes from seeing evil. Isaiah 33:14-15
And Hezekiah rejoiced over them, and he showed them his entire treasure- house, the silver, the gold, the spices, and the good oil, and the entire house in which he kept his vessels, and everything that was found in his treasures; there was nothing that Hezekiah did not show them in his palace and in his kingdom. And Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, "What did these men say, and whence did they come to you? " And Hezekiah said, "They have come to me from a distant country-from Babylonia." And he said, "What did they see in your palace?" And Hezekiah said, "They saw everything that is in my palace. There was nothing that I did not show them in my treasuries. " And Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hearken to the word of the Lord of Hosts, 'Behold a time shall come when everything in your palace and what your forefathers have stored up, shall be carried off to Babylonia; nothing shall remain,' said the Lord. And they shall take [some] of your sons, who shall issue from you, whom you shall beget, and they shall be officers in the palace of the king of Babylonia." And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good." For he thought, "For there shall be peace and truth in my days." Isaiah 39:2-8
The grass shall dry out, the blossom shall wilt, but the word of our God shall last forever. Isaiah 40:8
And to whom do you compare God, and what likeness do you arrange for Him? The graven image, the craftsman has melted, and the smith plates it with gold, and chains of silver he attaches. He who is accustomed to select, chooses a tree that does not rot; he seeks for himself a skilled craftsman, to prepare a graven image, which will not move. He who is accustomed to select, chooses a tree that does not rot; he seeks for himself a skilled craftsman, to prepare a graven image, which will not move. Isaiah 40:18-30
I am the Lord, that is My Name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to the graven images. Isaiah 42:8
They shall turn back greatly ashamed, those who trust in the graven image, who say to the molten idols, "You are our gods." Isaiah 42:17
Neither did you purchase cane for Me with money, nor have you sated Me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened Me with your sins; you have wearied Me with your iniquities. Isaiah 43:24
I aroused him with righteousness, and all his ways I will straighten out. He shall build My city and free My exiles, neither for a price nor for a bribe," said the Lord of Hosts. Isaiah 45:14
Ho! All who thirst, go to water, and whoever has no money, go, buy and eat, and go, buy without money and without a price, wine and milk. Why should you weigh out money without bread and your toil without satiety? Hearken to Me and eat what is good, and your soul shall delight in fatness. Incline your ear and come to Me, hearken and your soul shall live, and I will make for you an everlasting covenant, the dependable mercies of David… Isaiah 55:1-3
Awaken, awaken, put on your strength, O Zion; put on the garments of your beauty, Jerusalem the Holy City, for no longer shall the uncircumcised or the unclean continue to enter you. Shake yourselves from the dust, arise, sit down, O Jerusalem; free yourself of the bands of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. For so said the Lord, "You were sold for nought, and you shall not be redeemed for money.".. Isaiah 52:1-3
It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace. He built the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon a hundred cubits long, fifty wide and thirty high, with four rows of cedar columns supporting trimmed cedar beams. It was roofed with cedar above the beams that rested on the columns—forty-five beams, fifteen to a row. Its windows were placed high in sets of three, facing each other. All the doorways had rectangular frames; they were in the front part in sets of three, facing each other. He made a colonnade fifty cubits long and thirty wide. In front of it was a portico, and in front of that were pillars and an overhanging roof. He built the throne hall, the Hall of Justice, where he was to judge, and he covered it with cedar from floor to ceiling. And the palace in which he was to live, set farther back, was similar in design. Solomon also made a palace like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married. All these structures, from the outside to the great courtyard and from foundation to eaves, were made of blocks of high-grade stone cut to size and smoothed on their inner and outer faces. The foundations were laid with large stones of good quality, some measuring ten cubits and some eight. Above were high-grade stones, cut to size, and cedar beams. The great courtyard was surrounded by a wall of three courses of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams, as was the inner courtyard of the temple of the Lord with its portico. King Solomon sent to Tyre and brought Huram, whose mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and whose father was from Tyre and a skilled craftsman in bronze. Huram was filled with wisdom, with understanding and with knowledge to do all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all the work assigned to him. He cast two bronze pillars, each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference. He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; each capital was five cubits high. A network of interwoven chains adorned the capitals on top of the pillars, seven for each capital. He made pomegranates in two rows encircling each network to decorate the capitals on top of the pillars. He did the same for each capital. The capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were in the shape of lilies, four cubits high. On the capitals of both pillars, above the bowl-shaped part next to the network, were the two hundred pomegranates in rows all around. He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple. The pillar to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz. The capitals on top were in the shape of lilies. And so the work on the pillars was completed. He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it. Below the rim, gourds encircled it—ten to a cubit. The gourds were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea. The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. It was a handbreadth in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths. He also made ten movable stands of bronze; each was four cubits long, four wide and three high. This is how the stands were made: They had side panels attached to uprights. On the panels between the uprights were lions, bulls and cherubim—and on the uprights as well. Above and below the lions and bulls were wreaths of hammered work. Each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and each had a basin resting on four supports, cast with wreaths on each side. On the inside of the stand there was an opening that had a circular frame one cubit[s] deep. This opening was round, and with its basework it measured a cubit and a half.[t]Around its opening there was engraving. The panels of the stands were square, not round. The four wheels were under the panels, and the axles of the wheels were attached to the stand. The diameter of each wheel was a cubit and a half. The wheels were made like chariot wheels; the axles, rims, spokes and hubs were all of cast metal. Each stand had four handles, one on each corner, projecting from the stand. At the top of the stand there was a circular band half a cubit deep. The supports and panels were attached to the top of the stand. He engraved cherubim, lions and palm trees on the surfaces of the supports and on the panels, in every available space, with wreaths all around. This is the way he made the ten stands. They were all cast in the same molds and were identical in size and shape. He then made ten bronze basins, each holding forty baths and measuring four cubits across, one basin to go on each of the ten stands. He placed five of the stands on the south side of the temple and five on the north. He placed the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner of the temple. He also made the pots and shovels and sprinkling bowls. So Huram finished all the work he had undertaken for King Solomon in the temple of the Lord: the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; the two sets of network decorating the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network decorating the bowl-shaped capital-son top of the pillars); the ten stands with their ten basins; the Sea and the twelve bulls under it; the pots, shovels and sprinkling bowls. All these objects that Huram made for King Solomon for the temple of the Lord were of burnished bronze. The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Sukkoth and Zarethan. Solomon left all these things unweighed, because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not determined. Solomon also made all the furnishings that were in the Lord’s temple: the golden altar; the golden table on which was the bread of the Presence; the lamp-stands of pure gold (five on the right and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary); the gold floral work and lamps and tongs; the pure gold basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and censers; and the gold sockets for the doors of the innermost room, the Most Holy Place, and also for the doors of the main hall of the temple. When all the work King Solomon had done for the temple of the Lord was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated—the silver and gold and the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple. 1 Kings 7
And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it. Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof. And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row. And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their in-closings. And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes. And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold. And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the tworings which are on the ends of the breastplate. And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod before it. And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt putthem upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward. And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt putthem on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod. And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually. And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urimand the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually. And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue. Exodus 28:5-31
Hear this, all you peoples; hearken, all You inhabitants of the earth. Both the sons of "adam," and the sons of "ish," together rich and poor. My mouth shall speak wisdoms and the thoughts of my heart are understanding. I will bend my ear to a parable; with a lyre, I will solve my riddle. Why should I fear in days of misfortune? The iniquity of my heels surrounds me. Those who rely on their possessions and boast of their great wealth, -a brother cannot redeem a man, he cannot give his ransom to God. The redemption of their soul will be too dear, and unattainable forever. Will he live yet forever and not see the Pit? For he sees that wise men die, together a fool and a boorish man perish, and leave over their possessions to others. In their heart, their houses are forever, their dwellings are for every generation; they call by their names on plots of land. But man does not repose in his glory; he is compared to the silenced animals. This is their way; folly is theirs, and after them they will tell with their mouth forever. Like sheep, they are destined to the grave; death will devour them, and the upright will rule over them in the morning, and their form will outlast the grave as his dwelling place. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall take me forever. Fear not when a man becomes rich, when the honor of his house increases, For he will not take anything in his death; his glory will not descend after him. Because in his lifetime he blesses himself, but [all] will praise you, for you will benefit yourself. You shall come to the generation of his forefathers; to eternity they will not see light. Man is in his glory but he does not understand; he is compared to the silenced animals. Psalm 49
..Truly God is good to Israel, to the pure of heart. But as for me, my feet had almost turned away, in an instant my steps would have been swept away. For I envied the perverse; I would see the tranquility of the wicked. For there are no fetters to their death, and their health is sound. In the toil of mortal man they are not, neither are they plagued with mankind. Therefore, they wear pride as a necklace; the robbery that they commit envelops their hips. Because of their fat, their eyes bulge; they surpassed the imaginings of their heart. They consume, and speak wickedly about oppression; they speak about the Most High. They have set their mouth against Heaven, and their tongue walks through the earth. Therefore, His people will return here, and the waters of the full [stream] are drain water to them. And they say, "How does God know, and is there knowledge in the Most High?" Behold these are wicked, yet they are tranquil in the world and have increased wealth. But for nought I cleansed my heart and bathed my hands with cleanliness. And I was plagued all the days, and my chastisement was every morning. If I said, "I shall tell it as it is," behold I have made the generation of Your children into traitors. And when I ponder to know this, it is iniquity in my eyes. Until I came to the sanctuaries of God, and I understood their end. Only in slippery places do You set them; You cast them down to ruin. How they became desolate instantly! They were completely consumed by terrors. As a dream without awakening; O Lord, in the city You will despise their form. For my heart was in ferment, and my mind was on edge. But I was brutish and I did not know; I was [as] a beast with You. Yet I was constantly with You; You grasped my right hand. With Your counsel You led me, and after[wards], You took me [for] glory. For whom do I have in heaven, and I desired no one with You on earth. My flesh and my heart yearn; God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever. For behold, those who have distanced themselves from You will perish; You have cut off anyone who strays from You. But as for me-God's nearness is my good; I have placed my refuge in the Lord God, to tell all Your mission. Psalm 73
Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honour. The wicked will see and be vexed, they will gnash their teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing. Psalm 112
It is better to take shelter in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take shelter in the Lord than to trust in princes. All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord that I shall cut them off. Psalm 118:8-10
The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. Psalm 119:72
Everyone's eyes look to You with hope, and You give them their food in its time. You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing [with] its desire. The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds. The Lord is near to all who call Him, to all who call Him with sincerity. He does the will of those who fear Him, and He hears their cry and saves them. The Lord guards all who love Him, and He destroys all the wicked. My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever. Psalm 145:15-21
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Mathew 6:24
Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? Luke 16:10-11
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. ‘Test Me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Malachi 3:10
And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient . . . Quran 2:155
. . . but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in God, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous. Quran 2:177
And do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might aid] you [to] consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you know [it is unlawful]. Quran 2:188
. . . But give them [a gift of] compensation – the wealthy according to his capability and the poor according to his capability – a provision according to what is acceptable, a duty upon the doers of good. Quran 2:236
The parable of those who spend their wealth in God’s way is that of a grain that produces seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains. God multiplies for whom He wills. God is Bounteous and Knowing. Those who spend their wealth in the way of God, and then do not follow up what they spent with reminders of their generosity or with insults, will have their reward with their Lord—they have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve. Kind words and forgiveness are better than charity followed by insults. God is Rich and Clement. O you who believe! Do not nullify your charitable deeds with reminders and hurtful words, like him who spends his wealth to be seen by the people, and does not believe in God and the Last Day. His likeness is that of a smooth rock covered with soil: a downpour strikes it, and leaves it bare—they gain nothing from their efforts. God does not guide the disbelieving people. And the parable of those who spend their wealth seeking God’s approval, and to strengthen their souls, is that of a garden on a hillside. If heavy rain falls on it, its produce is doubled; and if no heavy rain falls, then dew is enough. God is seeing of everything you do. Would anyone of you like to have a garden of palms and vines, under which rivers flow—with all kinds of fruit in it for him, and old age has stricken him, and he has weak children—then a tornado with fire batters it, and it burns down? Thus God makes clear the signs for you, so that you may reflect. O you who believe! Give of the good things you have earned, and from what We have produced for you from the earth. And do not pick the inferior things to give away, when you yourselves would not accept it except with eyes closed. And know that God is Sufficient and Praiseworthy. Satan promises you poverty, and urges you to immorality; but God promises you forgiveness from Himself, and grace. God is Embracing and Knowing. He gives wisdom to whomever He wills. Whoever is given wisdom has been given much good. But none pays heed except those with insight. Whatever charity you give, or a pledge you fulfill, God knows it. The wrongdoers have no helpers. If you give charity openly, that is good. But if you keep it secret, and give it to the needy in private, that is better for you. It will atone for some of your misdeeds. God is cognizant of what you do. Their guidance is not your responsibility, but God guides whom He wills. Any charity you give is for your own good. Any charity you give shall be for the sake of God. Any charity you give will be repaid to you in full, and you will not be wronged. It is for the poor; those who are restrained in the way of God, and unable to travel in the land. The unaware would think them rich, due to their dignity. You will recognize them by their features. They do not ask from people insistently. Whatever charity you give, God is aware of it. Those who spend their wealth by night and day, privately and publicly, will receive their reward from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve. Those who swallow usury will not rise, except as someone driven mad by Satan's touch. That is because they say, “Commerce is like usury.” But God has permitted commerce, and has forbidden usury. Whoever, on receiving advice from his Lord, refrains, may keep his past earnings, and his case rests with God. But whoever resumes—these are the dwellers of the Fire, wherein they will abide forever. God condemns usury, and He blesses charities. God does not love any sinful ingrate. Those who believe, and do good deeds, and pray regularly, and give charity—they will have their reward with their Lord; they will have no fear, nor shall they grieve. O you who believe! Fear God, and forgo what remains of usury, if you are believers. If you do not, then take notice of a war by God and His Messenger. But if you repent, you may keep your capital, neither wronging, nor being wronged. But if he is in hardship, then deferment until a time of ease. But to remit it as charity is better for you, if you only knew. And guard yourselves against a Day when you will be returned to God; then each soul will be rewarded fully for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged. O you who believe! When you incur debt among yourselves for a certain period of time, write it down. And have a scribe write in your presence, in all fairness. And let no scribe refuse to write, as God has taught him. So let him write, and let the debtor dictate. And let him fear God, his Lord, and diminish nothing from it. But if the debtor is mentally deficient, or weak, or unable to dictate, then let his guardian dictate with honesty. And call to witness two men from among you. If two men are not available, then one man and two women whose testimony is acceptable to all—if one of them fails to remember, the other would remind her. Witnesses must not refuse when called upon. And do not think it too trivial to write down, whether small or large, including the time of repayment. That is more equitable with God, and stronger as evidence, and more likely to prevent doubt—except in the case of a spot transaction between you—then there is no blame on you if you do not write it down. And let there be witnesses whenever you conclude a contract, and let no harm be done to either scribe or witness. If you do that, it is corruption on your part. And fear God. God teaches you. God is aware of everything. If you are on a journey, and cannot find a scribe, then a security deposit should be handed over. But if you trust one another, let the trustee fulfill his trust, and let him fear God, his Lord. And do not conceal testimony. Whoever conceals it is sinner at heart. God is aware of what you do. To God belongs everything in the heavens and the earth. Whether you reveal what is within your selves, or conceal it, God will call you to account for it. He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills. God is Able to do all things. The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, as did the believers. They all have believed in God, and His angels, and His scriptures, and His messengers: “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and we obey. Your forgiveness, our Lord. To you is the destiny.”God does not burden any soul beyond its capacity. To its credit is what it earns, and against it is what it commits. “Our Lord, do not condemn us if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord, do not burden us as You have burdened those before us. Our Lord, do not burden us with more than we have strength to bear; and pardon us, and forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our Lord and Master, so help us against the disbelieving people.” Quran 2:261-286
…’And they ask you about what they should give: say, “The surplus.” Thus God explains the revelations to you, so that you may think.’ Quran 2:219
Indeed, those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers – never would the [whole] capacity of the earth in gold be accepted from one of them if he would [seek to] ransom himself with it. For those there will be a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers. None of you will attain true piety unless you give out of what you cherish: whatever you give, God knows about it very well. Quran 3:91-92
As for the thief, whether male or female, cut their hands as a penalty for what they have reaped—a deterrent from God. God is Mighty and Wise. Quran 5:38
“O you who have believed, do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly but only [in lawful] business by mutual consent. Quran 5:39
It is He who produces gardens, both cultivated and wild, and date-palms, and crops of diverse tastes, and olives and pomegranates, similar and dissimilar. Eat of its fruit when it yields, and give its due on the day of its harvest, and do not waste. He does not love the wasteful. Among the livestock are some for transportation, and some for clothing. Eat of what God has provided for you, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. He is to you an outright enemy. Quran 6:141-142
“[D]o not kill your children out of poverty; We will provide for you and them,” Quran 6:151
˹God said,˺ “O Adam! Live with your wife in Paradise and eat from wherever you please, but do not approach this tree, or else you will be wrongdoers.” Quran 7:19
And the dwellers of the Elevations will call to men they recognize by their features, saying, “Your hoardings did not avail you, nor did your arrogance.” Quran 7:48
It is He who sends the wind ahead of His mercy. Then, when they have gathered up heavy clouds, We drive them to a dead land, where We make water come down, and with it We bring out all kinds of fruits. Thus We bring out the dead—perhaps you will reflect.
As for the good land, it yields its produce by the leave of its Lord. But as for the bad, it produces nothing but hardship and misery. Thus We explain the revelations in various ways for people who are thankful. Quran 7:57-58
“And remember how He made you successors after Aad, and settled you in the land. You make for yourselves mansions on its plains, and carve out dwellings in the mountains. So remember God’s benefits, and do not roam the earth corruptingly.” Quran 7:74
And We afflicted the people of Pharaoh with barren years, and with shortage of crops, that they may take heed. Quran 7:130
And We made the oppressed people inherit the eastern and western parts of the land, which We had blessed. Thus the fair promise of your Lord to the Children of Israel was fulfilled, because of their endurance. And We destroyed what Pharaoh and his people had built, and what they had harvested. Quran 7:137
And We delivered the Children of Israel across the sea. And when they came upon a people who were devoted to some statues of theirs, they said, “O Moses, make for us a god, as they have gods.” He said, “You are truly an ignorant people.” What these people are concerned with is perdition, and their deeds are based on falsehoods.” He said, “Shall I seek for you a god other than God, when He has favored you over all other people?” Quran 7:138-140
In his absence, the people of Moses adopted a calf made from their ornaments—a body which lowed. Did they not see that it could not speak to them, nor guide them in any way? They took it for worship. They were in the wrong. Quran 7:148
“My Master is God, He Who sent down the Book, and He takes care of the righteous.” Quran 7:200
Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire – of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but God has with Him the best return. Quran 9:34
So let not their wealth or their children impress you. God only intends to punish them through them in worldly life and that their souls should depart [at death] while they are disbelievers. Quran 9:55
O you who have believed, indeed many of the scholars and the monks devour the wealth of people unjustly and avert [them] from the way of Allah. And those who hoard gold and silver and spend it not in the way of God – give them tidings of a painful punishment. Quran 18:19
Or you have a house of gold or you ascend into the sky. And [even then], we will not believe in your ascension until you bring down to us a book we may read.” Say, “Exalted is my Lord! Was I ever but a human messenger?” Quran 17:93
Quaroon belonged to the clan of Moses, but he oppressed them. We had given him treasures, the keys of which would weigh down a group of strong men. His people said to him, “Do not exult; God does not love the exultant. But seek, with what God has given you, the Home of the Hereafter, and do not neglect your share of this world. And be charitable, as God has been charitable to you. And do not seek corruption in the land. God does not like the seekers of corruption.” He said, “I was given all this on account of knowledge I possess.” Did he not know that God destroyed many generations before him, who were stronger than he, and possessed greater riches? But the guilty will not be asked about their sins. And he went out before his people in his splendor. Those who desired the worldly life said, “If only we possessed the likes of what Quaroon was given. He is indeed very fortunate.” But those who were given knowledge said, “Woe to you! The reward of God is better for those who believe and do righteous deeds.” Yet none attains it except the steadfast. So We caused the earth to cave in on him and his mansion. He had no company to save him from God, and he could not defend himself. Those who had wished they were in his position the day before were saying, “Indeed, it is God who spreads the bounty to whomever He wills of His servants, and restricts it. Had God not been gracious to us, He would have caved in on us. No wonder the ungrateful never prosper.” That Home of the Hereafter—We assign it for those who seek no superiority on earth, nor corruption. And the outcome is for the cautious. Whoever brings a virtue will receive better than it. But whoever brings evil—the evildoers will be rewarded only according to what they used to do. He Who ordained the Quran for you will return you Home. Say, “My Lord knows best who comes with guidance, and who is in manifest error.” Quran 28: 76- 85
And We granted David, Solomon, an excellent servant. He was penitent. When the beautiful horses were paraded before him in the evening. He said, “I have preferred the love of niceties to the remembrance of my Lord—until it disappeared behind the veil. Bring them back to me.” And he began caressing their legs and necks. We tested Solomon, and placed a body on his throne; then he repented. He said, “My Lord, forgive me, and grant me a kingdom never to be attained by anyone after me. You are the Giver.” So We placed the wind at his service, blowing gently by his command, wherever he directed. And the demons—every builder and diver. And others fettered in chains. “This is Our gift; so give generously, or withhold; without account.” For him is nearness to Us, and a beautiful resort. Quran 38:30-40
O you who have believed, let not your wealth and your children divert you from remembrance of God. And whoever does that – then those are the losers. Quran 63:9
. . . wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one’s] hope. Quran 18:46
Those will have gardens of perpetual residence; beneath them rivers will flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and will wear green garments of fine silk and brocade, reclining therein on adorned couches. Excellent is the reward, and good is the resting place. Quran 18:31
The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children . . . Quran 26:88
It is neither your wealth nor your children that bring you closer to Us, but it is he who believes and does good deeds. These will have a double reward for what they did; and they will reside in the Chambers, in peace and security. Quran 34:37
Say, “My Lord extends the provision to whomever He wills of His servants, or withholds it. Anything you spend, He will replace it. He is the Best of providers.” Quran 34:39
“And on the Day when He will muster them all together then He will say to the angels: ‘Did these worship you?’” “They (the angels) will say: ‘Glory be to You. You are our Guardian, not they, nay rather, they were worshipping the jinn, (while) most of them were believers in them’.” Quran 34: 40-41
“So on that Day one of you shall not own for the other any profit or harm, and We will say unto those who did injustice: ‘Taste you the chastisement of the Fire which you used to deny’.” Quran 34:41
Indeed, Allah will admit those who believe and do righteous deeds to gardens beneath which rivers flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and pearl, and their garments therein will be silk. Quran 22:23
And gold ornament. But all that is not but the enjoyment of worldly life. And the Hereafter with your Lord is for the righteous. Quran 43:35
Then why have there not been placed upon him bracelets of gold or come with him the angels in conjunction?” Quran 43:53
Circulated among them will be plates and vessels of gold. And therein is whatever the souls desire and [what] delights the eyes, and you will abide therein eternally. Quran 43:71
And similarly, We awakened them that they might question one another. Said a speaker from among them, “How long have you remained [here]?” They said, “We have remained a day or part of a day.” They said, “Your Lord is most knowing of how long you remained. So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the city and let him look to which is the best of food and bring you provision from it and let him be cautious. And let no one be aware of you. Quran 43:33
“Verily your properties and your children may be but a trial; where as Allah, with Him is the highest Reward”? Quran 64:15
Whoever comes up with a good deed will have ten times its like; and whoever comes up with an evil deed will be repaid only with its equivalent—they will not be wronged. Quran 6:160
It is He who made you successors on the earth, and raised some of you in ranks over others, in order to test you through what He has given you. Your Lord is Quick in retribution, and He is Forgiving and Merciful. Quran 6:165
That you believe in God and His Messenger, and strive in the cause of God with your possessions and yourselves. That is best for you, if you only knew. He will forgive you your sins; and will admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow, and into beautiful mansions in the Gardens of Eden. That is the supreme success. And something else you love: support from God, and imminent victory. So give good news to the believers. O you who believe! Be supporters of God, as Jesus son of Mary said to the disciples, “Who are my supporters towards God?” The disciples said, “We are God's supporters.” So a group of the Children of Israel believed, while another group disbelieved. We supported those who believed against their foe, so they became dominant. Quran 61:1-14
And if it were not that the people would become one community [of disbelievers], We would have made for those who disbelieve in the Most Merciful – for their houses – ceilings and stairways of silver upon which to mount. Quran 76:15
And there will be circulated among them vessels of silver and cups having been [created] clear [as glass], Quran 76:16
Upon them are garments of green silk, and satin. And they will be adorned with bracelets of silver. And their Lord will offer them a pure drink. Quran 76: 21
It is they who say: “Do not spend anything on those who side with God’s Messenger, unless they have dispersed.” To God belong the treasures of the heavens and the earth, but the hypocrites do not understand. Quran 63:7
O you who believe! Let neither your possessions nor your children distract you from the remembrance of God. Whoever does that—these are the losers. And give from what We have provided for you, before death approaches one of you, and he says, “My Lord, if only You would delay me for a short while, so that I may be charitable, and be one of the righteous.” Quran 63:9-10
So be conscious of God as much as you can, and listen, and obey, and give for your own good. He who is protected from his stinginess—these are the prosperous. If you lend God a good loan, He will multiply it for you, and will forgive you. God is Appreciative and Forbearing. Quran 64:16-17
O you who disbelieved! Make no excuses today. You are being repaid for what you used to do. Quran 66:7
And God illustrates an example of those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, “My Lord, build for me, with you, a house in Paradise, and save me from Pharaoh and his works, and save me from the wrongdoing people.” Quran 66:11
Blessed is He in whose hand is the sovereignty, and Who has power over everything. Quran 67:1
Noon. By the pen, and by what they inscribe. By the grace of your Lord, you are not insane. In fact, you will have a reward that will never end. And you are of a great moral character. You will see, and they will see. Which of you is the afflicted. Your Lord knows best who has strayed from His path, and He knows best the well-guided. So do not obey the deniers. They would like you to compromise, so they would compromise. And do not obey any vile swearer. Backbiter, spreader of slander. Preventer of good, transgressor, sinner. Rude and fake besides. Just because he has money and children. When Our Verses are recited to him, he says, “Myths of the ancients!” We will brand him on the muzzle. We tested them, as We tested the owners of the garden, when they vowed to harvest it in the morning. Without any reservation. But a calamity from your Lord went around it while they slept. And in the morning it was as if picked. In the morning, they called to one another.”Go early to your plantation, if you are going to harvest.” So off they went, murmuring to one another. “No poor person is to enter it upon you today.” And early they went, resolved in intent. But when they saw it, they said, “We were wrong. We are now deprived.” The most reasonable of them said, “Did I not say to you, ‘if only you would glorify?’”They said, “Glory to our Lord—We were indeed in the wrong.” Then they turned to one another, blaming one another. They said, “Woe to us—we were indeed domineering. Perhaps our Lord will give us a better substitute for it. We are turning to our Lord.”Such is the punishment; but the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew. Quran 68:1-33
We sent Noah to his people: “Warn your people before there comes upon them a painful punishment.” He said, “O my people, I am to you a clear warner. Worship God and reverence Him, and obey me. And He will forgive you of your sins, and reprieve you until a stated term. God’s term cannot be deferred once it has arrived, if you only knew.” He said, “My Lord, I have called my people night and day. But my call added only to their flight. Whenever I called them to Your forgiveness, they thrust their fingers into their ears, and wrapped themselves in their garments, and insisted, and became more and more arrogant. Then I called them openly. Then I appealed to them publicly, and I spoke to them privately. I said, ‘Ask your Lord for forgiveness; He is Forgiving. He will let loose the sky upon you in torrents. And provide you with wealth and children, and allot for you gardens, and allot for you rivers. What is the matter with you, that you do not appreciate God’s Greatness? Quran 71:1-13
So read of it what is possible for you, and observe the prayers, and give regular charity, and lend God a generous loan. Whatever good you advance for yourselves, you will find it with God, better and generously rewarded. And seek God’s forgiveness, for God is Forgiving and Merciful. Quran 73:20
Woe to the defrauders. Those who, when they take a measure from people, they take in full. But when they measure or weigh to others, they cheat. Do these not know that they will be resurrected? For a Great Day? The Day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds? Quran 83:1-6
By the daybreak. And ten nights. And the even and the odd. And the night as it recedes. Is there in this an oath for a rational person? Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with Aad? Erum of the pillars. The like of which was never created in the land. And Thamood—those who carved the rocks in the valley. And Pharaoh of the Stakes. Those who committed excesses in the lands. And spread much corruption therein. So your Lord poured down upon them a scourge of punishment. Your Lord is on the lookout. As for man, whenever his Lord tests him, and honors him, and prospers him, he says, “My Lord has honored me.” But whenever He tests him, and restricts his livelihood for him, he says, “My Lord has insulted me.” Not at all. But you do not honor the orphan. And you do not urge the feeding of the poor. And you devour inheritance with all greed. And you love wealth with immense love. No—when the earth is leveled, pounded, and crushed. And your Lord comes, with the angels, row after row. And on that Day, Hell is brought forward. On that Day, man will remember, but how will remembrance avail him? He will say, “If only I had forwarded for my life.” On that Day, none will punish as He punishes. And none will shackle as He shackles. But as for you, O tranquil soul. Return to your Lord, pleased and accepted. Enter among My servants. Enter My Paradise. Quran 89
I swear by this land. And you are a resident of this land. And by a father and what he fathered. We created man in distress. Does he think that no one has power over him? He says, “I have used up so much money.” Does he think that no one sees him? Did We not give him two eyes? And a tongue, and two lips? And We showed him the two ways? But he did not brave the ascent. And what will explain to you what the ascent is? The freeing of a slave. Or the feeding on a day of hunger. An orphan near of kin. Or a destitute in the dust. Then he becomes of those who believe, and advise one another to patience, and advise one another to kindness. These are the people of happiness. But as for those who defy Our revelations—these are the people of misery. Upon them is a padlocked Fire. Quran 90
As for him who gives and is righteous. And confirms goodness. We will ease his way towards ease. But as for him who is stingy and complacent. And denies goodness. We will ease his way towards difficulty. And his money will not avail him when he plummets. Quran 92:5-11
By the morning light. And the night as it settles. Your Lord did not abandon you, nor did He forget. The Hereafter is better for you than the First. And your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied. Did He not find you orphaned, and sheltered you? And found you wandering, and guided you? And found you in need, and enriched you. Therefore, do not mistreat the orphan. Nor rebuff the seeker. But proclaim the blessings of your Lord. Quran 93
With hardship comes ease. With hardship comes ease. When your work is done, turn to devotion.And to your Lord turn for everything. Quran 95:5-8
By the racers panting. Igniting sparks. Raiding at dawn. Raising clouds of dust. Storming into the midst. Indeed, the human being is ungrateful to his Lord. And he bears witness to that. And he is fierce in his love of wealth. Does he not know? When the contents of the graves are scattered around. And the contents of the hearts are obtained. Their Lord, on that Day, is fully informed of them. Quran 100
The Shocker. What is the Shocker? What will explain to you what the Shocker is? The Day when the people will be like scattered moths. And the mountains will be like tufted wool. As for he whose scales are heavy. He will be in a pleasant life. But as for he whose scales are light. His home is the Abyss. Do you know what it is? A Raging Fire. Quran 101
By Time. The human being is in loss. Except those who believe, and do good works, and encourage truth, and recommend patience. Quran 103
Woe to every slanderer backbiter. Who gathers wealth and counts it over. Thinking that his wealth has made him immortal. By no means. He will be thrown into the Crusher. And what will make you realize what the Crusher is? God's kindled Fire. That laps to the hearts. It closes in on them. In extended columns. Quran 104:1-9
Have you considered him who denies the religion? It is he who mistreats the orphan. And does not encourage the feeding of the poor. So woe to those who pray. Those who are heedless of their prayers. Those who put on the appearance. And withhold the assistance. Quran 107:1-7
We have given you plenty. So pray to your Lord and sacrifice. He who hates you is the loser. Quran 108:1-3
Condemned are the hands of Abee Lahab, and he is condemned. His wealth did not avail him, nor did what he acquired. He will burn in a Flaming Fire. And his wife—the firewood carrier. Around her neck is a rope of thorns. Quran 111:1-5
And when a suggestion from Satan assails you, take refuge with God. He is Hearing and Knowing. Quran 7:200
He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” Mark 4:26-29
Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Mathew 19:24
“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Luke 7:41-43
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” Mathew 5:14-15
He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.” Luke 4:21-25
“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.” Luke 8:16-18
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?””What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:25-37
Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. Luke 11:5-8
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’”This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:16-21
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Mathew 7:24-27
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” Luke 6:46-49
Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Mathew 9:17
“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.” Mark 2:21-22
And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’” Luke 5:37-39
Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. Mathew 12:29
In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. Mark 3:27
When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder. Luke 11:21-22
Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” Mathew 13:3-9
“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” Mark 4:3-9
“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”
When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” Luke 8:5-8
Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” Mathew 13:24-30
Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’”’Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’” Luke 13:6-9
He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” Mathew 13:31-33
Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” Luke 13:20-21
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. Mathew 13:45-46
Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Mathew 13:47-50
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Mathew 13:44
Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. Luke 14:28-33
See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. Mathew 18:10-14
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ Luke 15:4-6
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ “In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” Mathew 18:23-35
Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin. Luke 15:8-9
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” Luke 15:11-32
Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master? “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Luke 16:1-13
There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’”’No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” Luke 16:19-31
Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’?Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” Luke 17:7-10
“Two men went up to the temple to pray,one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:10-14
For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’”So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Mathew 20:1-16
“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’”’I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. Mathew 21:28-32
Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” Mathew 21:33-41
Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Mark 12:1-9
He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out. “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’ “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. “What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!” Luke 20:9-16
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
“Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business.The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” Mathew 22:1-14
When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’” Luke 14:15-25
Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Mathew 24:32-35
“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Mark 13:28-31
He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Luke 21:29-33
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Mathew 24:42-51
It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” Mark 13:34-37
Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?” The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows.From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:35-48
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. Mathew 25:1-13
Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Mathew 25:14-30
He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’ “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’ “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? “Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’
“Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’” Luke 19:12-27
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’”Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. Mathew 25:31-46
When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14:7-14
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