Ezra 4:14

They profess that they know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.

‘These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

He answered them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

The Lord said, “Because this people draws near with their mouth and honors me with their lips, but they have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which has been taught;

What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.

Turn my heart toward your statutes, not toward selfish gain.

Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.”

But he said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it.”

Therefore Yahweh’s word will be to them precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, fall backward, be broken, be snared, and be taken.

Therefore I will give their wives to others and their fields to those who will possess them. For everyone from the least even to the greatest is given to covetousness; from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely.

You have planted them. Yes, they have taken root. They grow. Yes, they produce fruit. You are near in their mouth, and far from their heart.

But your eyes and your heart are only for your covetousness, for shedding innocent blood, for oppression, and for doing violence.”

In the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, the Lord Yahweh’s hand fell on me there.

A certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was very rich.

Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good.

My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

He said to them, “Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Yahweh shall speak to me.” The princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.

Balaam said to Balak, “Build here seven altars for me, and prepare here seven bulls and seven rams for me.”

But the word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.

Delilah said to Samson, “Behold, you have mocked me, and told me lies. Now please tell me how you might be bound.”

But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No; but we will have a king over us,

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Yahweh; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the best of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.

But he went in, and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you come from, Gehazi?” He said, “Your servant went nowhere.”

You see many things, but don’t observe. His ears are open, but he doesn’t listen.

I was angry because of the iniquity of his covetousness and struck him. I hid myself and was angry; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.

“For from their least even to their greatest, everyone is given to covetousness. From the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely.

then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered,’ that you may do all these abominations?

Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, came near,

For you have dealt deceitfully against your own souls; for you sent me to Yahweh your God, saying, ‘Pray for us to Yahweh our God; and according to all that Yahweh our God says, so declare to us, and we will do it.’

“As for the word that you have spoken to us in Yahweh’s name, we will not listen to you.

Mischief will come on mischief, and rumor will be on rumor. They will seek a vision of the prophet; but the law will perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders.

Then some of the elders of Israel came to me, and sat before me.

Her princes within it are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, that they may get dishonest gain.

They come to you as the people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but don’t do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their gain.

“Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.

But when the young man heard the saying, he went away sad, for he was one who had great possessions.

He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I’m going, sir,’ but he didn’t go.

But his face fell at that saying, and he went away sorrowful, for he was one who had great possessions.

But he who hears, and doesn’t do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” He said, “Teacher, say on.”

But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God, and do it.”

She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.

One of the multitude said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

“Strive to enter in by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter in and will not be able.

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed at him.

The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men, extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these will receive greater condemnation.”

He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it.

Therefore I sent to you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God to hear all things that have been commanded you by God.”

Meanwhile, he also hoped that money would be given to him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore also he sent for him more often and talked with him.

Agrippa said to Paul, “With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?”

in pureness, in knowledge, in perseverance, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love,

I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.

But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints;

Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.

constant friction of people of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. Withdraw yourself from such.