³⁴ Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners^(A) over the land to take a fifth^(B) of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.^{(C) 35} They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food.^{(D) 36} This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt,^(E) so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”

¹⁶ And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

¹⁸ “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. ¹⁹ And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool!^(A) This very night your life will be demanded from you.^(B) Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’^(C)

²¹ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”^(D)