30 best Bible verses about greed to make you humble
Bible verses about greed warn against the love of money, emphasizing contentment, trust in God, and the pursuit of righteousness instead. Image: Alexander Grey | Unsplash
Religious and philosophical texts have often addressed the issue of greed, defined as an excessive craving for material gain. The Bible, held in high regard by billions of people, contains many passages discussing greed's negative effects. Bible verses about greed teach us how foolish it is to want more than we need and give us direction for leading a more noble and satisfying life.
How does greediness affect people’s lives?
Greed promotes competitiveness, envy, and selfishness. It encourages self-interest over others, undermining cooperation and empathy. Greed can make relationships transactional without genuine concern and mutual support.
Greed can also perpetuate unhappiness and discontent. Constantly wanting more creates a gap that can never be filled, leaving people seeking external validation and fulfillment.
This relentless pursuit of monetary gain often neglects spiritual, emotional, and relational well-being, leaving people feeling empty despite the material wealth.
What does the Bible say about greed?
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The Bible has several passages that address the topic of greed and its negative consequences. Here are a few notable verses:
1. 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.'"
This verse reminds believers that life's value does not come from material possessions or wealth. It advises against covetousness and encourages individuals to focus on things of greater importance.
2. 1 Timothy 6:10: "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."
This verse highlights the dangers of the love of money and the pursuit of wealth. It emphasizes that greed can lead people astray from their faith and cause them various troubles and problems.
3. 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."
This verse shows that pursuing money and wealth alone does not bring true satisfaction. It suggests that the love of money is ultimately futile and cannot provide lasting contentment or fulfillment.
4. Proverbs 28:25: "A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched."
This proverb contrasts the negative effects of greed with the benefits of trusting in the Lord. It implies that greed can lead to conflict and strife while placing trust in God can lead to true enrichment.
Other Bible verses about greed that will avoid you from conflicts
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Bible verses about greed can help you avoid destructive and unhealthy attitudes. It warns against the love of money and the excessive desire for wealth, emphasizing the importance of contentment, trust in God, and a focus on spiritual values rather than material possessions. Here are 30 Bible verses about greed:
1. 1 Peter 5:2-3: “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”
2. Proverbs 22:1: “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”
3. Proverbs 20:21: “An inheritance claimed too soon will not be blessed at the end.”
4. Hebrews 13:5: "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’"
Hebrews 13:5 (Photo taken from Bible Portal)
5. Mark 8:36: "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?"
6. Colossians 3:5: "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry."
7. Proverbs 15:27: "Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live."
8. Ephesians 5:5: "For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater —has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
Ephesians 5:5 (Photo taken from Bible Portal)
9. Proverbs 28:16: "A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days."
10. Psalm 10:3-4: "For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD. In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, 'There is no God.'"
11. Proverbs 11:28: "Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf."
12. Proverbs 21:26: "All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back."
13. Matthew 6:24: "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
Matthew 6:24 (Photo taken from Bible Portal)
14. Proverbs 23:4: "Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist."
15. Proverbs 15:27: "Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live."
16. Proverbs 22:16: "Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty."
17. James 4:3: "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions."
18. Proverbs 28:22: "The stingy are eager to get rich and are unaware that poverty awaits them."
Proverbs 28:22 (Photo taken from Bible Portal)
19. Proverbs 13:11: “Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.”
20. Psalm 49:16-17: "Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him."
21. 1 Corinthians 6:10: "Nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
22. Proverbs 11:4: "Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death."
23. Proverbs 1:19: "Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it."
Proverbs 1:19 (Photo taken from Bible Portal)
24. Psalm 62:10: "Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them."
25. Jeremiah 6:13: "For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely."
26. Micah 2:1-2: "Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their hand. They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance."
27. Isaiah 56:11: "They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, they seek their own gain."
Isaiah 56:11 (Photo taken from Bible Portal)
28. Proverbs 28:20: "A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished."
29. Proverbs 28:8: "Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit gathers it for him who is generous to the poor."
30. 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."
Bible verses about greed emphasize that it is not only an individual flaw but a social problem that can lead to oppression and injustice. Instead of putting one's faith in wealth, the Bible teaches that it is more important to be kind, to live a moral life, and to rely on God.
By adhering to these standards, believers can achieve true growth and satisfaction in life.
