Then God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

May the sovereign God ¹  bless you! May he make you fruitful and give you a multitude of descendants! ²  Then you will become ³  a large nation. ⁴ 

your cattle, and the wild animals that are in your land – all its produce will be for you ¹  to eat.

Do not take interest or profit from him, ¹  but you must fear your God and your brother must live ²  with you.

“‘If you walk in hostility against me ¹  and are not willing to obey me, I will increase your affliction ²  seven times according to your sins.

when your cattle and flocks increase, when you have plenty of silver and gold, and when you have abundance of everything,

Shimei the Ramathite was in charge of the vineyards; Zabdi the Shiphmite was in charge of the wine stored in the vineyards. ¹ 

He made storerooms for the harvest of grain, wine, and olive oil, and stalls for all his various kinds of livestock and his flocks. ¹ 

Our storehouses ¹  will be full, providing all kinds of food. ²  Our sheep will multiply by the thousands and fill ³  our pastures. ⁴ 

The one who loves money ¹  will never be satisfied with money, ²  he who loves wealth ³  will never be satisfied ⁴  with his ⁵  income. This also is futile.

And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters ¹  in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, ² 

¹ “For six years ²  you are to sow your land and gather in its produce.

Pay attention, Israel, and be careful to do this so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in number ¹  – as the Lord, God of your ancestors, ²  said to you, you will have a land flowing with milk and honey.

I will increase their ¹  disasters, I will use up my arrows on them.

“Why do the wicked go on living, ¹  grow old, ²  even increase in power?

for they will provide ¹  a long and full life, ²  and they will add well-being ³  to you.

The reward ¹  which the righteous receive ²  is life; the recompense ³  which the wicked receive ⁴  is judgment. ⁵ 

‘for there will be a peaceful time of sowing, the vine will produce its fruit and the ground its yield, and the skies ¹  will rain down dew. Then I will allow the remnant of my people to possess all these things.

But the word of God ¹  kept on increasing ²  and multiplying.

In this way the word of the Lord ¹  continued to grow in power ²  and to prevail. ³