What Does the Bible Say About Riches?
Here are 9 Bible verses about riches, ordered by how relevant readers found them, with the King James Version and the modern Berean Standard Bible side by side.
- #1Luke 12:15
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
BSBAnd He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
- #21 Timothy 6:17-19
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
BSBInstruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
- #3Hebrews 13:5
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
BSBKeep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
- #4Philippians 4:19
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
BSBAnd my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
- #5Matthew 6:19-21
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
BSBDo not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
- #6Matthew 6:24
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
BSBNo one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
- #71 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
BSBFor the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
- #8Proverbs 10:22
The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
BSBThe blessing of the LORD enriches, and He adds no sorrow to it.
- #9Mark 4:19
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
BSBbut the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
Verse rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY). Scripture: KJV & BSB (public domain).
Riches in Torrey's Topical Textbook
- The true riches: Eph 3:8; 1Co 1:30; Col 2:3; 1Pe 2:7
- God gives: 1Sa 2:7; Ec 5:19
- To God belongs this world's riches: Hag 2:8
- God gives power to obtain: De 8:18
- The blessing of the Lord brings: Pr 10:22
- Give worldly power: Pr 22:7
- DESCRIBED AS
- Temporary: Pr 27:24
- Uncertain: 1Ti 6:17
- Unsatisfying: Ec 4:8; 5:10
- Corruptible: Jas 5:2; 1Pe 1:18
- Fleeting: Pr 23:5; Re 18:16,17
- Deceitful: Mt 13:22
- Liable to be stolen: Mt 6:19
- Perishable: Jer 48:36
- Thick clay: Hab 2:6
- Often an obstruction to the reception of the gospel: Mr 10:23-25
- Deceitfulness of, chokes the word: Mt 13:22
- The love of, the root of all evil: 1Ti 6:10
- OFTEN LEAD TO
- Pride: Eze 28:5; Ho 12:8
- Forgetting God: De 8:13,14
- Denying God: Pr 30:8,9
- Forsaking God: De 32:15
- Rebelling against God: Ne 9:25,26
- Rejecting Christ: Mt 19:22; 10:22
- Self-sufficiency: Pr 28:11
- Anxiety: Ec 5:12
- An overbearing spirit: Pr 18:23
- Violence: Mic 6:12
- Oppression: Jas 2:6
- Fraud: Jas 5:4
- Sensual indulgence: Lu 16:19; Jas 5:5
- Life consists not in abundance of: Lu 12:15
- Be not over-anxious for: Pr 30:8
- Labour not for: Pr 23:4
- THEY WHO COVET
- Fall into temptation and a snare: 1Ti 6:9
- Fall into hurtful lusts: 1Ti 6:9
- Err from the faith: 1Ti 6:10
- Use unlawful means to acquire: Pr 28:20
- Bring trouble on themselves: 1Ti 6:10
- Bring trouble on their families: Pr 15:27
- Profit not in the day of wrath: Pr 11:4
- Cannot secure prosperity: Jas 1:11
- Cannot redeem the soul: Ps 49:6-9; 1Pe 1:18
- Cannot deliver in the day of God's wrath: Zep 1:18; Re 6:15-17
- THEY WHO POSSESS, SHOULD
- Ascribe them to God: 1Ch 29:12
- Not trust in them: Job 31:24; 1Ti 6:17
- Not set the heart on them: Ps 62:10
- Not boast of obtaining them: De 8:17
- Not glory in them: Jer 9:23
- Not hoard them up: Mt 6:19
- Devote them to God's service: 1Ch 29:3; Mr 12:42-44
- Give of them to the poor: Mt 19:21; 1Jo 3:17
- Use them in promoting the salvation of others: Lu 16:9
- Be liberal in all things: 1Ti 6:18
- Esteem it a privilege to be allowed to give: 1Ch 29:14
- Not to be high-minded: 1Ti 6:17
- When converted, rejoice in being humbled: Jas 1:9,10
- Heavenly treasures superior to: Mt 6:19,20
- Of the wicked laid up for the just: Pr 13:22
- THE WICKED
- Often increase in: Ps 73:12
- Often spend their day in: Job 21:13
- Swallow down: Job 20:15
- Trust in the abundance of: Ps 52:7
- Heap up: Job 27:16; Ps 39:6; Ec 2:26
- Keep, to their hurt: Ec 5:13
- Boast themselves in: Ps 49:6; 52:7
- Profit not by: Pr 11:4; 13:7; Ec 5:11
- Have trouble with: Pr 15:6; 1Ti 6:9,10
- Must leave, to others: Ps 49:10
- Vanity of heaping up: Ps 39:6; Ec 5:10,11
- Guilt of trusting in: Job 31:24,28; Eze 28:4,5,8
- Guilt of rejoicing in: Job 31:25,28
- DENUNCIATIONS AGAINST THOSE WHO
- Get, by vanity: Pr 13:11; 21:6
- Get, unlawfully: Jer 17:11
- Increase, by oppression: Pr 22:16; Hab 2:6-8; Mic 2:2,3
- Hoard up: Ec 5:13,14; Jas 5:3
- Trust in: Pr 11:28
- Receive their consolation: Lu 6:24
- Abuse: Jas 5:1,5
- Spend, upon their appetite: Job 20:15-17
- Folly and danger of trusting to-Illustrated: Lu 12:16-21
- Danger of misusing-Illustrated: Lu 16:19-25
- Examples of saints possessing
- Abram: Ge 13:2
- Lot: Ge 13:5,6
- Isaac: Ge 26:13,14
- Jacob: Ge 32:5,10
- Joseph: Ge 45:8,13
- Boaz: Ru 2:1
- Barzillai: 2Sa 19:32
- Shunammite: 2Ki 4:8
- David: 1Ch 29:28
- Jehoshaphat: 2Ch 17:5
- Hezekiah: 2Ch 32:27-29
- Job: Job 1:3
- Joseph of Arimathea: Mt 27:57
- Zacchaeus: Lu 19:2
- Dorcas: Ac 9:36
- Examples of those truly rich: Mt 5:8; 8:10; 13:45,46; Lu 10:42; Joh 1:45; Php 3:8; Jas 2:5; 1Pe 2:7; Re 3:18
- Examples of wicked men possessing
- Laban: Ge 30:30
- Esau: Ge 36:7
- Nabal: 1Sa 25:2
- Haman: Es 5:11
- Ammonites: Jer 49:4
- People of Tyre: Eze 28:5
- Young man: Mt 19:22