We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, ¹  and rightly so, ²  because your faith flourishes more and more and the love of each one of you all for one another is ever greater.

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

I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the Lord’s angel added, ¹  “so that they will be too numerous to count.” ² 

Then I will confirm my covenant ¹  between me and you, and I will give you a multitude of descendants.” ² 

Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and they owned land there. They were fruitful and increased rapidly in number.

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

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

Jehoshaphat’s power kept increasing. He built fortresses and storage cities throughout Judah.

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 

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

If his children increase – it is for the sword! ¹  His offspring never have enough to eat. ² 

Yet he protected ¹  the needy from oppression, and cared for his families like a flock of sheep.

When ¹  I cried out for help, you answered me. You made me bold and energized me. ² 

A wise person’s heart ¹  makes his speech wise ²  and it adds persuasiveness ³  to his words. ⁴ 

But avoid profane chatter, ¹  because those occupied with it will stray further and further into ungodliness, ² 

You must keep carefully all these commandments ¹  I am giving ²  you today so that you may live, increase in number, ³  and go in and occupy the land that the Lord promised to your ancestors. ⁴ 

Their widows will become in my sight more numerous ¹  than the grains of sand on the seashores. At noontime I will bring a destroyer against the mothers of their young men. ²  I will cause anguish ³  and terror to fall suddenly upon them. ⁴ 

engages in usury and charges interest. Will he live? He will not! Because he has done all these abominable deeds he will certainly die. ¹  He will bear the responsibility for his own death. ² 

‘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.

If you say, ‘What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not sow and gather our produce?’