Tomorrow’s sermon from Proverbs will look at the path of wisdom in our finances. Here’s a list of verses from Proverbs dealing with various issues from this topic.
Key Proverbs on Money and Wealth
Honor the LORD with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.
(Proverbs 3:9-10 ESV)
The wage of the righteous leads to life,
the gain of the wicked to sin.
(Proverbs 10:16 ESV)
The blessing of the LORD makes rich,
and he adds no sorrow with it.
(Proverbs 10:22 ESV)
Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
but righteousness delivers from death.
(Proverbs 11:4 ESV)
Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,
but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.
(Proverbs 11:28 ESV)
Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
(Proverbs 14:4 ESV)
The rich and the poor meet together;
the LORD is the maker of them all.
(Proverbs 22:2 ESV)
Two things I ask of you;
deny them not to me before I die:
Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
lest I be full and deny you
and say, “Who is the LORD?”
or lest I be poor and steal
and profane the name of my God.
(Proverbs 30:7-9 ESV)
Wisdom and Wealth
The crown of the wise is their wealth,
but the folly of fools brings folly.
(Proverbs 14:24 ESV)
Better is a little with the fear of the LORD
than great treasure and trouble with it.
(Proverbs 15:16 ESV)
Better is a little with righteousness
than great revenues with injustice.
(Proverbs 16:8 ESV)
Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man;
he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.
(Proverbs 21:17 ESV)
The reward for humility and fear of the LORD
is riches and honor and life.
(Proverbs 22:4 ESV)
The Rich and the Poor
A rich man’s wealth is his strong city;
the poverty of the poor is their ruin.
(Proverbs 10:15 ESV)
One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;
another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
The ransom of a man’s life is his wealth,
but a poor man hears no threat.
(Proverbs 13:7-8 ESV)
The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,
but the rich has many friends.
(Proverbs 14:20 ESV)
A rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
and like a high wall in his imagination.
(Proverbs 18:11 ESV)
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.
(Proverbs 28:6 ESV)
A rich man is wise in his own eyes,
but a poor man who has understanding will find him out.
(Proverbs 28:11 ESV)
Greed & Unjust Gain
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 1:17-19 ESV)
Wealth gained hastily will dwindle,
but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
(Proverbs 13:11 ESV)
Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household,
but he who hates bribes will live.
(Proverbs 15:27 ESV)
Unequal weights are an abomination to the LORD,
and false scales are not good.
(Proverbs 20:23 ESV)
Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,
or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.
(Proverbs 22:16 ESV)
Do not rob the poor, because he is poor,
or crush the afflicted at the gate,
for the LORD will plead their cause
and rob of life those who rob them.
(Proverbs 22:22-23 ESV)
Do not toil to acquire wealth;
be discerning enough to desist.
When your eyes light on it, it is gone,
for suddenly it sprouts wings,
flying like an eagle toward heaven.
(Proverbs 23:4-5 ESV)
Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit
gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.
(Proverbs 28:8 ESV)
A stingy man hastens after wealth
and does not know that poverty will come upon him.
(Proverbs 28:22 ESV)
A greedy man stirs up strife,
but the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched.
(Proverbs 28:25 ESV)
Giving and Generosity
One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
and one who waters will himself be watered.
(Proverbs 11:24-25 ESV)
Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner,
but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.
(Proverbs 14:21 ESV)
Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,
but he who is generous to the needy honors him.
(Proverbs 14:31 ESV)
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD,
and he will repay him for his deed.
(Proverbs 19:17 ESV)
Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed,
for he shares his bread with the poor.
(Proverbs 22:9 ESV)
Whoever gives to the poor will not want,
but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.
(Proverbs 28:27 ESV)
Debt & Lending
Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm,
but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.
(Proverbs 11:15 ESV)
One who lacks sense gives a pledge
and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.
(Proverbs 17:18 ESV)
The rich rules over the poor,
and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
(Proverbs 22:7 ESV)
Be not one of those who give pledges,
who put up security for debts.
If you have nothing with which to pay,
why should your bed be taken from under you?
(Proverbs 22:26-27 ESV)
Financial Planning and Stewardship
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
(Proverbs 13:22 ESV)
An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning
will not be blessed in the end.
(Proverbs 20:21 ESV)
Know well the condition of your flocks,
and give attention to your herds,
for riches do not last forever;
and does a crown endure to all generations?
When the grass is gone and the new growth appears
and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,
the lambs will provide your clothing,
and the goats the price of a field.
There will be enough goats’ milk for your food,
for the food of your household
and maintenance for your girls.
(Proverbs 27:23-27 ESV)
Righteous Values
Riches and honor are with me,
enduring wealth and righteousness.
My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,
and my yield than choice silver.
I walk in the way of righteousness,
in the paths of justice,
granting an inheritance to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.
(Proverbs 8:18-21 ESV)
Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
but righteousness delivers from death.
(Proverbs 10:2 ESV)
Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
but righteousness delivers from death.
(Proverbs 11:4 ESV)
The wicked earns deceptive wages,
but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.
(Proverbs 11:18 ESV)
The desire of the sluggard kills him,
for his hands refuse to labor.
All day long he craves and craves,
but the righteous gives and does not hold back.
(Proverbs 21:25-26 ESV)
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favor is better than silver or gold.
(Proverbs 22:1 ESV)