He must become more important while I become less important.” ¹ 

May he increase your numbers, yours and your children’s! ¹ 

The ¹  apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” ² 

When someone’s ¹  prosperity ²  increases, those who consume it also increase; so what does its owner ³  gain, except that he gets to see it with his eyes? ⁴ 

Raise me to a position of great honor! ¹  Turn and comfort me! ² 

Take a good look! This is what the wicked are like, ¹  those who always have it so easy and get richer and richer. ² 

You bring new witnesses ¹  against me, and increase your anger against me; relief troops ²  come against me.

When the wicked gain control, ¹  people ²  hide themselves, ³  but when they perish, ⁴  the righteous increase.

And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you,

The earth yields its crops. May God, our God, bless us!

For with great wisdom comes ¹  great frustration; whoever increases his ²  knowledge merely ³  increases his ⁴  heartache.

Yes, the Lord will bestow his good blessings, ¹  and our land will yield ²  its crops.

Your beginning ¹  will seem so small, since your future will flourish. ² 

I planted, ¹  Apollos watered, but God caused it to grow.

Your children ¹  will be cursed, as well as the produce of your soil, the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks.

Do not trust in what you can gain by oppression! ¹  Do not put false confidence in what you can gain by robbery! ²  If wealth increases, do not become attached to it! ³ 

For it is a fire that devours even to Destruction, ¹  and it would uproot ²  all my harvest.

(Let the wise also ¹  hear ²  and gain ³  instruction, and let the discerning ⁴  acquire ⁵  guidance! ⁶ )

Wealth gained quickly ¹  will dwindle away, ²  but the one who gathers it little by little ³  will become rich. ⁴ 

Now look, you are standing in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinners, to increase still further the fierce wrath of the Lord against the Israelites.