Topical Bible

What Does the Bible Say About Jealousy and Envy?

Here are 13 Bible verses about Jealousy and Envy, ordered by how relevant readers found them, with the King James Version and the modern Berean Standard Bible side by side.

  1. #1James 3:14-16

    But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

    BSBBut if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.

  2. #2Proverbs 14:30

    A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.

    BSBA tranquil heart is life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

  3. #31 Corinthians 13:4

    Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

    BSBLove is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

  4. #4Proverbs 27:4

    Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?

    BSBWrath is cruel and anger is like a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?

  5. #5Galatians 5:19-21

    Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

    BSBThe acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

  6. #6Philippians 2:3

    Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

    BSBDo nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.

  7. #7James 3:16

    For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

    BSBFor where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.

  8. #81 Corinthians 3:3

    For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

    BSBfor you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?

  9. #9Romans 13:13

    Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

    BSBLet us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

  10. #101 Corinthians 13:1-13

    Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; …

    BSBIf I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and exult in the surrender of my body, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. …

  11. #11Ecclesiastes 4:4

    Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

    BSBI saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

  12. #12Song of Solomon 8:6

    Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

    BSBSet me as a seal over your heart, as a seal upon your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as unrelenting as Sheol. Its sparks are fiery flames, the fiercest blaze of all.

  13. #131 John 4:8

    He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

    BSBWhoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Verse rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY). Scripture: KJV & BSB (public domain).

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