Proverbs 10:2

10:2 Treasures gained by wickedness ¹  do not profit,

but righteousness ²  delivers from mortal danger. ³ 

Proverbs 11:4

11:4 Wealth does not profit in the day of wrath, ⁴ 

but righteousness delivers from mortal danger. ⁵ 

Isaiah 2:20

2:20 At that time ⁶  men will throw

their silver and gold idols,

which they made for themselves to worship, ⁷ 

into the caves where rodents and bats live, ⁸ 

Zephaniah 1:18

1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them

in the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.

The whole earth ⁹  will be consumed by his fiery wrath. ¹⁰ 

Indeed, ¹¹  he will bring terrifying destruction ¹²  on all who live on the earth.” ¹³ 

James 5:3

5:3 Your gold and silver have rusted and their rust will be a witness against you. It will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have hoarded treasure! ¹⁴ 

¹ tn Heb “treasures of wickedness” (so KJV, ASV); NASB “Ill-gotten gains”; TEV “Wealth that you get by dishonesty.”

² sn The term “righteousness” here means honesty (cf. TEV). Wealth has limited value even if gained honestly; but honesty delivers from mortal danger.

³ tn Heb “death.” This could refer to literal death, but it is probably figurative here for mortal danger or ruin.

⁴ sn The “day of wrath” refers to divine punishment in this life (R. N. Whybray, Proverbs [CBC], 67; e.g., also Job 21:30; Ezek 7:19; Zeph 1:18). Righteousness and not wealth is more valuable in anticipating judgment.

⁵ tn Heb “from death.”

⁶ tn Or “in that day” (KJV).

⁷ tn Or “bow down to.”

⁸ tn Heb “to the shrews and to the bats.” On the meaning of חֲפַרְפָּרָה (khafarparah, “shrew”), see HALOT 341 s.v. חֲפַרְפָּרָה. The BHS text as it stands (לַחְפֹּר פֵּרוֹת, perot lakhpor), makes no sense. Based on Theodotion’s transliteration and a similar reading in the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a, most scholars suggest that the MT mistakenly divided a noun (a hapax legomenon) that should be translated “moles,” “shrews,” or “rodents.”

⁹ tn Or “land” (cf. NEB). This same word also occurs at the end of the present verse.

¹⁰ tn Or “passion”; traditionally, “jealousy.”

¹¹ tn Or “for.”

¹² tn Heb “complete destruction, even terror, he will make.”

¹³ tn It is not certain where the Lord’s words end and the prophet’s words begin. It is possible that Zephaniah begins speaking in the middle of v. 17 or at the beginning of v. 18 (note the third person pronouns referring to the Lord).

¹⁴ tn Or “hoarded up treasure for the last days”; Grk “in the last days.”