Dishonest wealth will dwindle, but what is earned through hard work will be multiplied.

The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. A faithful man will abound with blessings, but one eager to be rich will not go unpunished.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment. Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down. I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.

A faithful man will abound with blessings, but one eager to be rich will not go unpunished.

Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself or giving gifts to the rich will surely lead to poverty.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty awaits him.

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes of the Dispersion: Greetings. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. . . .

Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house.

And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?

As God’s steward, an overseer must be above reproach—not self-absorbed, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money.

Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun. For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.

A wise son heeds his father’s discipline, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke. From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things, but the desire of the faithless is violence. He who guards his mouth protects his life, but the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin. The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied. The righteous hate falsehood, but the wicked bring shame and disgrace. . . .

The slacker does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there.

There is a grievous evil I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, or wealth lost in a failed venture, so when that man has a son there is nothing to pass on.

But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’ This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”

A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. . . .

Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,

When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. . . .

To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.”