41 Bible Verses About Greed

The Bible talks a lot about our relationship with possessions and money and other such things. It is important that those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus live with the generous, sacrificial heart of Christ. This means we must not be stingy and hold on to all we have out of greed and fear of scarcity.

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What Does the Bible Say About Greed?

Old Testament

Exodus 20:17
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.

Psalm 119:36
Incline my heart to your testimonies,
and not to selfish gain!

Proverbs 1:17–19
For in vain is a net spread
in the sight of any bird,
but these men lie in wait for their own blood;
they set an ambush for their own lives.
Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;
it takes away the life of its possessors.

Proverbs 11:28
Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,
but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.

Proverbs 13:11
Wealth gained hastily will dwindle,
but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.

Proverbs 14:21
Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner,
but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.

Proverbs 15:27
Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household,
but he who hates bribes will live.

Proverbs 20:21
An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning
will not be blessed in the end.

Proverbs 21:26
All day long he craves and craves,
but the righteous gives and does not hold back.

Proverbs 22:1
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favor is better than silver or gold.

Proverbs 22:9
Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed,
for he shares his bread with the poor.

Proverbs 23:4
Do not toil to acquire wealth;
be discerning enough to desist.

Proverbs 28:22
A stingy man hastens after wealth
and does not know that poverty will come upon him.

Proverbs 28:25
A greedy man stirs up strife,
but the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched.

Ecclesiastes 5:10
He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 5:15
As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand.

New Testament

Matthew 6:19–20
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters, for 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 God and money.

Mark 8:36
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

Luke 12:15
And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’

Romans 13:6
For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.

1 Corinthians 5:11
But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

1 Corinthians 6:9–10
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

2 Corinthians 9:7
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Ephesians 5:3
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.

Colossians 3:5
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

1 Timothy 6:9–10
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

1 Timothy 6:17–19
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Hebrews 13:5
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’

James 5:1–5
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.