The king of Israel said, “If the Lord does not help you, how can I help you? {I have nothing to give to you—there is no grain} from the threshing floor [71] or {wine} from the winepress.”
So that person becomes strong\par like a tree planted by streams of water\par He is like a tree that makes fruit\par at the right time.\par He is like a tree with leaves that don’t die.\par Everything he does is successful.\par
You will have enough crops to last for more than a year. You will harvest the new crops. But then you will have to throw out the old crops to make room for the new crops!
Is there any grain still in the barn? \{No!\} Look at the vines, the fig trees, the pomegranates, {\cf2\super [11]} and the olive trees. Are they producing fruit? \{No!\} But, starting today, I will bless you!”
Let the weeds and the wheat grow together until the harvest time. At the harvest time I will tell the workers this: First gather the weeds and tie them together to be burned. Then gather the wheat and bring it to my barn.’”
Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or save food in barns. But your heavenly Father feeds those birds. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds.
Then the rich man said, ‘I know what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger barns! I will put all my wheat and good things together in my new barns.
This food is for the Levites, [94] because they don’t have any land of their own. This food is also for other people in your towns that need it. That food is for foreigners, widows, and children that have no parents. If you do this, then the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.
“Give the poor person all that you can. Don’t feel bad about giving to him. Why? Because the Lord your God will bless you for doing this good thing. He will bless you in all your work and in everything you do.
“If you do evil and turn away from the Lord, then he will make bad things happen to you. You will have frustration and trouble in everything you do. He will continue to do this until you are quickly and completely destroyed. He will do this because you turned away from him and left him.
“The Lord will help you defeat your enemies that come to fight against you. Your enemies will come against you one way, but they will run away from you seven different ways!