The plans of the diligent bring plenty, as surely as haste leads to poverty.

Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it? Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This man could not finish what he started to build.’ Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand? And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace. . . .

A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.

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

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise. Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler, it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest.

Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it?

Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it? Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This man could not finish what he started to build.’

Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his folly.

Let Pharaoh take action and appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. Under the authority of Pharaoh, let them collect all the excess food from these good years, that they may come and lay up the grain to be preserved as food in the cities. This food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine to come upon the land of Egypt. Then the country will not perish in the famine.”

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.” You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.”

Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.

If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Be sure to know the state of your flocks, and pay close attention to your herds;

The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools deceives them.

in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;

For lack of guidance, a nation falls, but with many counselors comes deliverance.

Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be achieved.

And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

Precious treasures and oil are in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man consumes them.

The plans of the heart belong to man, but the reply of the tongue is from the LORD.

The prudent see danger and take cover; but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.

By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

May He give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed.

So teach us to number our days, that we may present a heart of wisdom.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.” You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil.

Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself.

Let me hear Your loving devotion in the morning, for I have put my trust in You. Teach me the way I should walk, for to You I lift up my soul.

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

Divide your portion among seven, or even eight, for you do not know what disaster may befall the land.

A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man promotes folly.

To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.

Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways; for the LORD detests the perverse, but He is a friend to the upright.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

This also comes from the LORD of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.

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.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.

Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods. Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ 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?’ . . .

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. . . .

On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a portion of his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will be needed.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men,

Set plans by consultation, and wage war under sound guidance.

I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.

Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise: The ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness.

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.

I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.

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. . . .

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints— the faith and love proceeding from the hope stored up for you in heaven, of which you have already heard in the word of truth, the gospel . . .

Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.

He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like foliage.

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

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

The prudent see danger and take cover, but the simple keep going and suffer the consequences.

This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John,

Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.

For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey. The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and gained five more. Likewise, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the servant who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. . . .

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

Place no trust in extortion, or false hope in stolen goods. If your riches increase, do not set your heart upon them.

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

But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Even zeal is no good without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps misses the mark.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!”

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.

Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise. Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler, it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, . . .

But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

But Jesus said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.

At that time Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the LORD in whom my horn is exalted. My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, for I rejoice in Your salvation. There is no one holy like the LORD. Indeed, there is no one besides You! And there is no Rock like our God. Do not boast so proudly, or let arrogance come from your mouth, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble are equipped with strength. The well-fed hire themselves out for food, but the starving hunger no more. The barren woman gives birth to seven, but she who has many sons pines away. . . .

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.” You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

For no word from God will ever fail.”

Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. . . .

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.

He who despises instruction will pay the penalty, but the one who respects a command will be rewarded.

Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me face to face, that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this so that no one will deceive you by smooth rhetoric. For although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I delight to see your orderly condition and firm faith in Christ. . . .