Thematic Bible: Profit


Thematic Bible




What value [is] an idol when its carver has fashioned it, a molten idol, a teacher of lies? For [he who] fashioned his creation trusts in it, [though] making mute idols! Woe to [him who] says to the wood, 'Wake up!' [And] to a lifeless stone, 'Arise!' Can he teach? Look, it is covered [with] gold and silver, and there is no breath within it.


Has a nation exchanged gods? And they [are] not gods! But my people have exchanged their glory for that which does not profit.



All those who form an idol [are] nothing, and their delightful things do not profit. And their witnesses do not see or know, so they will be ashamed. Who would form a god and cast an image of [which] he cannot profit?

"But you, come near here, you children of a soothsayer, offspring [of] an adulterer and she [who] commits fornication. At whom do you make fun? At whom do you {open} [your] mouth [and] {stick out} [your] tongue? [Are] you not children of transgression, offspring of deception, who burn with lust among the oaks, under every leafy tree, who slaughter children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks? read more.
Your portion [is] among [the] smooth [stones] of [the] valley; they, they [are] your lot; indeed, to them you have poured out a drink offering, you have brought a food offering. Shall I relent concerning these [things]? You have set your bed upon a high and lofty mountain; indeed, you went up there to slaughter sacrifice. And you have set your symbol behind the door and the doorpost; for you depart from me, and you go up; you make your bed wide, and you {make a deal with} them, you have loved their bed; you have seen [their] {genitals}. And you climbed down to the king with oil, and you made your perfumes numerous, and you sent your envoys {far away}, and you {sent down deep} to Sheol. You grow weary by the greatness of your way, [but] you did not say, 'Despairing!' You found the {renewal} of your {strength}, therefore you do not grow weak. And of whom were you afraid and feared, that you deceived and did not remember me? Did you not place [it] on your heart? [Have] I not been silent, even from long ago, and [so] you do not fear me? I myself will declare your righteousness and your works, but they will not benefit you.

Yahweh, my strength, and my stronghold, and my refuge in [the] day of distress, to you [the] nations will come from the ends of [the] earth, and they will say, "Our ancestors have inherited only lies, vanity, and there is no profit in them. Can a human make for himself gods? Yet they [are] not gods!"

For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a person give in exchange for his life?


My child, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, "Come with us! We shall lie in wait for blood; we shall ambush the innocent without cause. Like Sheol, we will swallow them alive and whole, {like those who descend to the pit}. read more.
We shall find all precious wealth, we shall fill our houses [with] booty, you shall throw your lot in our midst, there will be one purse for all of us." My child, do not walk in their way. Keep your foot from their paths, for their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed blood, for "in vain is the net scattered, in the sight of any {winged bird}." They lie in wait for their [own] blood. They ambush their [own] lives. Thus are the ways of all who are greedy [for] gain-- it will take the life of its possessors.

Shall not all of these take up a taunt against him, with ridicule and riddles against him, saying, 'Woe to him who heaps up what is not his'? [For] how long? And, '[Woe to him] who makes himself heavy with pledges'? Will not your creditors suddenly rise up and awaken those who make you tremble? Then you shall be as plunder for them. Because you plundered many nations, all the remaining nations will plunder you on account of the blood of humanity and violence [against the] land, [and against] cities and all who live in them. read more.
Woe to [him who] obtains profit [from] evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be saved from the hand of misfortune! You have plotted shame for your house, cutting off many peoples and sinning against your life. For the stone will cry out from the wall, and [the] plaster from [the] wood will answer it. Woe to [him who] builds a city by bloodguilt, and [who] founds a city by wickedness! Look! [Is it] not from Yahweh of hosts that people labor for mere fire, and nations exhaust themselves for mere vanity? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh, like the waters covering the sea. Woe to [him who] gives a drink to his neighbors, pouring out your wrath and also making [them] drunk in order to see their nakedness! You will be sated with shame rather than glory. Drink also yourself, and expose yourself! The cup of the right hand of Yahweh will come around upon you and disgrace upon your glory. For [the] violence of Lebanon will cover you, and [the] destruction of wild animals will shatter them on account of the blood of humanity, and [the] violence [against the] land, [against] a city and all the inhabitants in it.

'Cursed be the one who strikes down his neighbor in secret.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' 'Cursed be the one who takes a bribe {to murder an innocent person}.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

And the word of Yahweh {came} to me, {saying}, "{What do you mean by} quoting this proverb about the land of Israel, {saying}, 'The fathers, they ate unripe fruit, and the teeth of the child became blunt.' {As I live}, {declares} the Lord Yahweh, it will surely not any longer be {appropriate for you} to quote this proverb in Israel! read more.
Look! {All lives are mine}. {The lives of father and son alike are mine}. The person sinning will die. And if a man is righteous and does justice and righteousness, and on the mountains he [does] not eat and he [does] not lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and the wife of his neighbor he [does] not defile and he [does] not approach a woman of menstruation, and he oppresses {no one} [and] he returns pledge for his loan {and he commits no robbery} [and] he gives his bread to [the] hungry and he covers a naked person [with] a garment, [and] {he does not charge interest} and he takes no usury, [and] he holds back his hand from injustice [and] he executes judgment of fairness between {persons}, [and] in my statutes he goes about and my regulations he keeps, {performing faithfully} --[then] he is righteous, [and] certainly he will live," {declares} the Lord Yahweh. "And [now] he has a son, a violent one, {who sheds blood} {and does any of these things} (though he did not do all of these [things]), for [the son] also eats on the mountains and he defiles the wife of his neighbor. He oppresses [the] needy and [the] poor, [and] {he commits robbery}, [and] he [does] not return pledge for a loan, [and] he lifts his eyes to the idols [so] he does a detestable thing. {He charges interest} and takes usury. Then, shall he live? He shall not live, [for] he did all of these detestable things. Surely he will die! His blood will be on him.




Your wickedness [affects] a person like yourself, and your righteousness [affects] humans.

Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance; {it benefits the living}.

Remind them to be subject to the rulers [and] to the authorities, to obey, to be prepared for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all courtesy to all people. For we also were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, enslaved to various desires and pleasures, spending our lives in wickedness and envy, despicable, hating one another. read more.
But when the kindness and love for mankind of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not by deeds of righteousness that we have done, but because of his mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying [is] trustworthy, and I want you to insist concerning these [things], so that those who have believed in God may be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and beneficial for people.


Moreover, their silver and their gold will not be able to save them on the day of the wrath of Yahweh. And in the fire of his zeal, the whole land shall be consumed, for a terrifying end he shall make [for] all the inhabitants of the land.



"{Therefore} look, I [am] against the prophets," {declares} Yahweh, "who steal my words each one from his neighbor. Look, I [am] against the prophets," {declares} Yahweh, "who take their tongues and declare as prophets, '[Yahweh] {declares}.' Look, I [am] against those who prophesy dreams of lies," {declares} Yahweh, "and tell them, and they caused my people to err through their lies, and in their recklessness, when I myself have not sent them nor commanded them, so they profit not this people at all," {declares} Yahweh.



The saying [is] trustworthy, and I want you to insist concerning these [things], so that those who have believed in God may be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and beneficial for people.

And you shall keep his rules and his commandments that I am commanding you {today}, [so] that {it may go well} for you and for your children after you, and so that {you may remain a long time} on the land that Yahweh your God [is] giving to you [during] all [of] those days."


Tell [the] innocent that [it is] good for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.

Although the sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I also know that it will be good for those who fear God--because they fear {his presence}.

They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat. For the days of my people [shall be] like the days of tree, and my chosen ones shall enjoy the work of their hands.

But I only commanded them this word, {saying}, 'Obey my voice, and I will be to you God, and you will be to me people, and you must walk in all of the way that I command you, so that it goes well with you.'

Do you reign as king because you [are] competing in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, and he did justice and righteousness, then it was well with him?


They have sown wheat and they have reaped thorns. They are exhausted, they do not profit. And they will be ashamed of your produce, because of {the burning anger} of Yahweh."

Why do you weigh out money for [what is] not food, and your labor for {what cannot satisfy}? Listen carefully to me, and eat [what is] good, and let your soul take pleasure in {rich} food.

"He will sing to men, and he will say, 'I have sinned and have perverted [what is] right, and it was not paid back to me.




And do not turn aside after the triviality, which have no value and cannot deliver, for they are triviality.

For there will not be a future for the evil; the lamp of the wicked will die out.

All those who form an idol [are] nothing, and their delightful things do not profit. And their witnesses do not see or know, so they will be ashamed.




The saying [is] trustworthy, and I want you to insist concerning these [things], so that those who have believed in God may be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and beneficial for people.