Blessed is the rich man that is found without blemish: and that hath not gone after gold, nor put his trust in money nor in treasures.9 Who is he, and we will praise him? for he hath done wonderful things in his life.10 Who hath been tried thereby, and made perfect, he shall have glory everlasting. He that could have transgressed, and hath not transgressed: and could do evil things, and hath not done them:11 Therefore are his goods established in the Lord, and all the church of the saints shall declare his alms.
How can one approve those who seem to dominate in this world, if they do less than they can? The Scripture praises precisely the one "who could have sinned but did not, who did not run after gold." Gold must follow you, and not you gold. In fact, gold is a good thing—certainly God created nothing evil. Don't you be evil, then, and the gold good. See here, I place some gold between an upright person and a dishonest one. If the dishonest person takes it, the poor are oppressed, magistrates corrupted, laws broken, social life upset. Why? Because a dishonest person took the gold. If the upright person were to have it, the poor would be sustained, the naked clothed, the oppressed liberated, prisoners redeemed. How much good is derived from the gold the honest person has, and how many evils from the gold of the dishonest person! To what end, therefore, do you say in disgust, "And what if gold did not exist at all?" You should not love gold. If you are dishonest, you will follow gold. If you are upright, it will follow you. What does "it will follow you" mean? That you will rule it and not be made its servant, because you will possess it, rather than being possessed by it.
He said therefore: A certain nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.13 And calling his ten servants, he gave them ten pounds, and said to them: Trade till I come.†14 But his citizens hated him: and they sent an embassage after him, saying: We will not have this man to reign over us.15 And it came to pass, that he returned, having received the kingdom: and he commanded his servants to be called, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.16 And the first came, saying: Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.17 And he said to him: Well done, thou good servant, because thou hast been faithful in a little, thou shalt have power over ten cities.18 And the second came, saying: Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.19 And he said to him: Be thou also over five cities.20 And another came, saying: Lord, behold here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin;†21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up what thou didst not lay down, and thou reapest that which thou didst not sow.22 He saith to him: Out of thy own mouth I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up what I laid not down, and reaping that which I did not sow:23 And why then didst thou not give my money into the bank, that at my coming, I might have exacted it with usury?24 And he said to them that stood by: Take the pound away from him, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.25 And they said to him: Lord, he hath ten pounds.26 But I say to you, that to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall abound: and from him that hath not, even that which he hath, shall be taken from him.
After our Saviour had instructed them in the things belonging to His first coming, He proceeds to set forth His second coming with majesty and great glory, saying, And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom.
About CSB. A personal translation of the New Testament, rendered directly from the public-domain Greek in a literary style — not a scholarly critical edition, and not for liturgical or doctrinal authority. It is one reader's work, offered for enjoyment; where it matters, weigh it against an established translation. (Placeholder text — final wording to come.)