Whenever Laban said, 'The speckled goats shall be your wages,' all the flocks produced speckled young. When he said, 'The striped goats shall be your wages,' all the flocks produced striped young.

God has taken flocks away from your father and given them to me.

All those who work for me know that I have always welcomed strangers.

I am surrounded by enemies, who are like lions hungry for human flesh. Their teeth are like spears and arrows; their tongues are like sharp swords.

They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like arrows.

They are quick to spread their shameless lies; they destroy good people with cowardly slander.

You liars, what will God do to you? How will he punish you?

Living among you is as bad as living in Meshech or among the people of Kedar.

Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer.

Anger is cruel and destructive, but it is nothing compared to jealousy.

I have also learned why people work so hard to succeed: it is because they envy the things their neighbors have. But it is useless. It is like chasing the wind.

The LORD said, "People will use this proverb about you, Jerusalem: 'Like mother, like daughter.'

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, and wrong. We were slaves to passions and pleasures of all kinds. We spent our lives in malice and envy; others hated us and we hated them.

Tell my father how powerful I am here in Egypt and tell him about everything that you have seen. Then hurry and bring him here."

He boasted to them about how rich he was, how many sons he had, how the king had promoted him to high office, and how much more important he was than any of the king's other officials.

I have never trusted in riches

or taken pride in my wealth.

save me from those who in this life have all they want. Punish them with the sufferings you have stored up for them; may there be enough for their children and some left over for their children's children!

Don't be upset when someone becomes rich, when his wealth grows even greater;

he cannot take it with him when he dies; his wealth will not go with him to the grave.

I have also learned why people work so hard to succeed: it is because they envy the things their neighbors have. But it is useless. It is like chasing the wind.

The world of the dead is hungry for them, and it opens its mouth wide. It gulps down the nobles of Jerusalem along with the noisy crowd of common people.

The LORD says, "The wise should not boast of their wisdom, nor the strong of their strength, nor the rich of their wealth.

Then the Devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in all their greatness.

is swollen with pride and knows nothing. He has an unhealthy desire to argue and quarrel about words, and this brings on jealousy, disputes, insults, evil suspicions,

As the scripture says, "All human beings are like grass, and all their glory is like wild flowers. The grass withers, and the flowers fall,