Instructions to the Rich

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain ^(A)riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things ^(B)to enjoy.

¹⁵ And He said to them, ^(A)“Take heed and beware of ^[a]covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

¹⁶ Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. ¹⁷ And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, ^(B)“Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; ^(C)eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night ^(D)your soul will be required of you; ^(E)then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

²¹ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, ^(F)and is not rich toward God.”

¹² Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel:

Caution Against Disobedience

¹⁰ “So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He ^[a]swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities ^(A)which you did not build, ¹¹ houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—^(B)when you have eaten and are full— ¹² then beware, lest you forget the ^(C)Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.