For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not to make you sad, but to let you know the love that I have especially for you. ¹ 

You will still be eating stored produce from the previous year ¹  and will have to clean out what is stored from the previous year to make room for new. ² 

if I have rejoiced because of the extent of my wealth, or because of the great wealth my hand had gained,

It is not the aged ¹  who are wise, nor old men who understand what is right.

which the clouds pour down and shower on humankind abundantly.

During his days the godly will flourish; ¹  peace will prevail as long as the moon remains in the sky. ² 

The righteous person is cautious in his friendship, ¹  but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

The one who works his land will be satisfied with food, ¹  but whoever chases daydreams ²  will have his fill ³  of poverty.

He then ¹  told them a parable: ²  “The land of a certain rich man produced ³  an abundant crop,

and I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of Christ’s blessing.

So, although I have quite a lot of confidence in Christ and could command you to do what is proper,

Also their neighbors, from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, were bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. There were large supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisins, wine, olive oil, beef, and lamb, ¹  for Israel was celebrating. ² 

Therefore you delivered them into the hand of their adversaries, who oppressed them. But in the time of their distress they called to you, and you heard from heaven. In your abundant compassion you provided them with deliverers to rescue them from ¹  their adversaries.

Her profits and earnings will be set apart for the Lord. They will not be stored up or accumulated, for her profits will be given to those who live in the Lord’s presence and will be used to purchase large quantities of food and beautiful clothes. ¹ 

Citizens of Zion, ¹  rejoice! Be glad because of what the Lord your God has done! ²  For he has given to you the early rains ³  as vindication. He has sent ⁴  to you the rains – both the early and the late rains ⁵  as formerly.

When you try to cultivate ¹  the ground it will no longer yield ²  its best ³  for you. You will be a homeless wanderer ⁴  on the earth.”

Then I will make you ¹  into a great nation, and I will bless you, ²  and I will make your name great, ³  so that you will exemplify divine blessing. ⁴ 

“Because you have not served the Lord your God joyfully and wholeheartedly with the abundance of everything you have,

My teaching will drop like the rain, my sayings will drip like the dew, ¹  as rain drops upon the grass, and showers upon new growth.

The king made silver as plentiful ¹  in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was ²  as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the lowlands. ³