There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver.

我见日光之下有一宗大祸患，就是财主积存资财，反害自己。

我见日光之下有一件令人忧伤的祸患，就是财主积存财富，反害自己。

我见日光之下有一件令人忧伤的祸患，就是财主积存财富，反害自己。

我看到日光之下有一件可悲的事：有人积攒财宝，反而害了自己。

我看见日光之下有一令人痛心的憾事，就是财主积聚财富，反受其害。

我看到在日光之下有一件令人痛心的悲苦之事：财主所积存的财富导致了他的悲苦，

我見日光之下有一宗大禍患，就是財主積存資財，反害自己。

我見日光之下有一件令人憂傷的禍患，就是財主積存財富，反害自己。

我見日光之下有一件令人憂傷的禍患，就是財主積存財富，反害自己。

我看到日光之下有一件可悲的事：有人積攢財寶，反而害了自己。

我看見日光之下有一令人痛心的憾事，就是財主積聚財富，反受其害。

我看日光之下有一宗大禍患：就是財富積守着、反而害到財主；

我看到在日光之下有一件令人痛心的悲苦之事：財主所積存的財富導致了他的悲苦，

我於日下見有大患、乃人存積貨財、反自害也、

曠觀天下之人、深可憫惜、積貯貨財、自取其害、

遭遇患難、貲財俱失、雖生子、手中毫無所有、以遺於子、

I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,

I’ve seen something very evil on earth. It’s when wealth is stored up and then brings harm to its owners.

There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt,

There is a sickening tragedy I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.

There is a sickening evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth being hoarded by its owner to his detriment.

There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt.

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt:

There is a sickening tragedy I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.

There is a sore evil[ which] I have seen under the sun,[ namely], riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.

Here is a misfortune on earth that I have seen: Wealth hoarded by its owner to his own misery.

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.

There is another serious tragedy I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity.God gives some people great wealth and honor and everything they could ever want, but then he doesn’t give them the chance to enjoy these things. They die, and someone else, even a stranger, ends up enjoying their wealth! This is meaningless— a sickening tragedy.

When Jesus heard his answer, he said,“ There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.

So Lot rushed out to tell his daughters’ fiancés,“ Quick, get out of the city! The Lord is about to destroy it.” But the young men thought he was only joking.

“ Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried,and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.

Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

Jesus told this story to his disciples:“ There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money.So the employer called him in and said,‘ What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’“ The manager thought to himself,‘ Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg.Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’“ So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one,‘ How much do you owe him?’The man replied,‘ I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him,‘ Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.’“‘ And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man.‘ I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply.‘ Here,’ the manager said,‘ take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.’“ The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light.Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.“ If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?“ No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”

Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; it robs them of life.

Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death.

Your silver and gold will not save you on that day of the Lord’s anger. For the whole land will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy. He will make a terrifying end of all the people on earth.

Lot, who was traveling with Abram, had also become very wealthy with flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and many tents.But the land could not support both Abram and Lot with all their flocks and herds living so close together.So disputes broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot.( At that time Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land.)Finally Abram said to Lot,“ Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives!The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left.”Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the Lord or the beautiful land of Egypt.( This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan Valley to the east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants and parted company with his uncle Abram.

Then he told them a story:“ A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops.He said to himself,‘ What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’Then he said,‘ I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods.And I’ll sit back and say to myself,“ My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’“ But God said to him,‘ You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’“ Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself,“ Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.

One day the older daughter said to her sister,“ There are no men left anywhere in this entire area, so we can’t get married like everyone else. And our father will soon be too old to have children.Come, let’s get him drunk with wine, and then we will have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.”So that night they got him drunk with wine, and the older daughter went in and had intercourse with her father. He was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister,“ I had sex with our father last night. Let’s get him drunk with wine again tonight, and you go in and have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.”So that night they got him drunk with wine again, and the younger daughter went in and had intercourse with him. As before, he was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.As a result, both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their own father.When the older daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Moab. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites.When the younger daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Ben ammi. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Ammonites.

For simpletons turn away from me— to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.

They may say,“ Come and join us. Let’s hide and kill someone! Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave; let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.Think of the great things we’ll get! We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take.

Abram recovered all the goods that had been taken, and he brought back his nephew Lot with his possessions and all the women and other captives.

But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt.

For fools speak foolishness and make evil plans. They practice ungodliness and spread false teachings about the Lord. They deprive the hungry of food and give no water to the thirsty.The smooth tricks of scoundrels are evil. They plot crooked schemes. They lie to convict the poor, even when the cause of the poor is just.But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.

Jesus said,“ There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury.

I have thought deeply about all that goes on here under the sun, where people have the power to hurt each other.

Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you.Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth eaten rags.Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment.For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

On that day of judgment they will abandon the gold and silver idols they made for themselves to worship. They will leave their gods to the rodents and bats,

Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said,“ I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?