The little you had before I came has grown enormously, and the LORD has blessed you wherever I went. Now it is time for me to look out for my own interests."

Let me go through all your flocks today and take every black lamb and every spotted or speckled young goat. That is all the wages I want.

Laban answered, "Agreed. We will do as you suggest."

and then went away from Jacob with this flock as far as he could travel in three days. Jacob took care of the rest of Laban's flocks.

He placed these branches in front of the flocks at their drinking troughs. He put them there, because the animals mated when they came to drink.

Jacob kept the sheep separate from the goats and made them face in the direction of the streaked and black animals of Laban's flock. In this way he built up his own flock and kept it apart from Laban's.

But he did not put the branches in front of the weak animals. Soon Laban had all the weak animals, and Jacob all the healthy ones.

(SEE 31:17)

The Israelites had done as Moses had said, and had asked the Egyptians for gold and silver jewelry and for clothes.

The LORD made the Egyptians respect the people and give them what they asked for. In this way the Israelites carried away the wealth of the Egyptians.

So then, you must never think that you have made yourselves wealthy by your own power and strength.

Remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to become rich. He does this because he is still faithful today to the covenant that he made with your ancestors.

But Elisha said, "Wasn't I there in spirit when the man got out of his chariot to meet you? This is no time to accept money and clothes, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, or servants!

So Hazael loaded forty camels with all kinds of the finest products of Damascus and went to Elisha. When Hazael met him, he said, "Your servant King Benhadad has sent me to ask you whether or not he will recover from his sickness."

For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake, you will find it.

Will you gain anything if you win the whole world but lose your life? Of course not! There is nothing you can give to regain your life.

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake, will receive a hundred times more and will be given eternal life.

For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for me and for the gospel, you will save it.

There is nothing you can give to regain your life.

Then Peter spoke up, "Look, we have left everything and followed you."

will receive much more in this present age. They will receive a hundred times more houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields---and persecutions as well; and in the age to come they will receive eternal life.

For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it, but if you lose your life for my sake, you will save it.

Will you gain anything if you win the whole world but are yourself lost or defeated? Of course not!

Invest your money in foreign trade, and one of these days you will make a profit.

The men went as far as the Jordan, and all along the road they saw the clothes and equipment that the Syrians had abandoned as they fled. Then they returned and reported to the king.

He gives generously to the needy, and his kindness never fails; he will be powerful and respected.

When that day comes, they will throw away the gold and silver idols they have made, and abandon them to the moles and the bats.

The sailors were terrified and cried out for help, each one to his own god. Then, in order to lessen the danger, they threw the cargo overboard. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone below and was lying in the ship's hold, sound asleep.

and on the following day they threw part of the ship's equipment overboard.

After everyone had eaten enough, they lightened the ship by throwing all the wheat into the sea.

But all those things that I might count as profit I now reckon as loss for Christ's sake.

Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ

You shared the sufferings of prisoners, and when all your belongings were seized, you endured your loss gladly, because you knew that you still possessed something much better, which would last forever.

Do not lose your courage, then, because it brings with it a great reward.