What Does the Bible Say About Usury?
Here are 18 Bible verses about usury, ordered by how relevant readers found them, with the King James Version and the modern Berean Standard Bible side by side.
- #1Exodus 22:25
If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.
BSBIf you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest.
- #2Psalms 15:5
He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
BSBwho lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
- #3Proverbs 28:8
He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.
BSBHe who increases his wealth by interest and usury lays it up for one who is kind to the poor.
- #4Ezekiel 18:13
Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.
BSBHe engages in usury and takes excess interest. Will this son live? He will not! Since he has committed all these abominations, he will surely die; his blood will be on his own head.
- #5Deuteronomy 23:19
Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:
BSBDo not charge your brother interest on money, food, or any other type of loan.
- #6Ezekiel 22:12
In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord God.
BSBIn you they take bribes to shed blood. You engage in usury, take excess interest, and extort your neighbors. But Me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD.
- #7Leviticus 25:36
Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.
BSBDo not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you.
- #8Matthew 25:27
Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
BSBThen you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest.
- #9Ezekiel 18:8
He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,
BSBHe does not engage in usury or take excess interest, but he withholds his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between men.
- #10Ezekiel 18:17
That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.
BSBHe withholds his hand from harming the poor and takes no interest or usury. He keeps My ordinances and follows My statutes. Such a man will not die for his father’s iniquity. He will surely live.
- #11Deuteronomy 23:19-20
Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury: Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
BSBDo not charge your brother interest on money, food, or any other type of loan. You may charge a foreigner interest, but not your brother, so that the LORD your God may bless you in everything to which you put your hand in the land that you are entering to possess.
- #12Jeremiah 15:10
Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.
BSBWoe to me, my mother, that you have borne me, a man of strife and conflict in all the land. I have neither lent nor borrowed, yet everyone curses me.
- #13Leviticus 25:37
Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.
BSBYou must not lend him your silver at interest or sell him your food for profit.
- #14Deuteronomy 23:20
Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
BSBYou may charge a foreigner interest, but not your brother, so that the LORD your God may bless you in everything to which you put your hand in the land that you are entering to possess.
- #15Nehemiah 5:7
Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
BSBand after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them
- #16Leviticus 25:35-37
And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee. Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee. Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.
BSBNow if your countryman becomes destitute and cannot support himself among you, then you are to help him as you would a foreigner or stranger, so that he can continue to live among you. Do not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you. You must not lend him your silver at interest or sell him your food for profit.
- #17Proverbs 22:7
The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
BSBThe rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.
- #18Luke 19:23
Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
BSBWhy then did you not deposit my money in the bank, and upon my return I could have collected it with interest?’
Verse rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY). Scripture: KJV & BSB (public domain).