Personal and business finance is a fast-growing arm of the YouTube University and the Podcast Academy.
I've heard a lot of individuals through those channels share their wisdom on building wealth, but I wanted to know what the Proverbs says about it.
Below is a list of over 80 Bible verses on wealth and money from the Book of Proverbs (all from the ESV).
Here are some themes:
- Diligence is the path to wealth
- 10:4, 12:11, 12:27, 13:4, 13:11, 14:4, 14:23, 19:15, 20:4, 28:19
- Avoid gaining wealth wickedly
- 1:19, 10:2, 10:16, 11:18, 15:16, 21:6
- Generosity brings blessing
- 11:24, 11:25, 11:26, 14:31,19:17, 21:26, 28:27
- There are things (wisdom, righteousness, a good name, etc...) more valuable than wealth and money
- 3:14-16, 8:10-11, 8:18-21, 11:4, 15:16, 22:1, 23:4-5, 31:10-11
Proverbs 1:19
Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors
Proverbs 3:9-10
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 3:14-16
For the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor
Proverbs 6:10-11
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man
Proverbs 8:10-11
Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her
Proverbs 8:18-21
Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield better 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 10:2
Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death
Proverbs 10:3
The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but He thwarts the way of the wicked
Proverbs 10:4
A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich
Proverbs 10:15
A rich man's wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin
Proverbs 10:16
The wage of the righteous leads to life, the gain of the wicked to sin
Proverbs 10:22
The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it
Proverbs 11:4
Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death
Proverbs 11:7
When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too
Proverbs 11:16
A gracious woman gets honor, and violent men get riches
Proverbs 11:18
The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward
Proverbs 11:24
One gives freely yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want
Proverbs 11:25
Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered
Proverbs 11:26
The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it
Proverbs 11:28
Whoever trusts in his riches fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf
Proverbs 12:9
Better to be lowly and have a servant than to play the great man and lack bread
Proverbs 12:11
Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense
Proverbs 12:12
Whoever is wicked covers the spoil of the evildoers, but the root of the righteous bears fruit
Proverbs 12:27
Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth
Proverbs 13:4
The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied
Proverbs 13:7
One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth
Proverbs 13:8
The ransom of a man's life is his wealth, but a poor man hears no threat
Proverbs 13:11
Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it
Proverbs 13:22
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous
Proverbs 14:4
Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundance crops come by the strength of the ox
Proverbs 14:20
The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends
Proverbs 14:23
In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty
Proverbs 14:24
The crown of the wise is their wealth, but the folly of fools brings folly
Proverbs 14:31
Whoever oppresses the poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him
Proverbs 15:6
In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked
Proverbs 15:16
Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it
Proverbs 16:8
Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice
Proverbs 16:16
How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver
Proverbs 16:19
It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud
Proverbs 17:16
Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense?
Proverbs 18:11
A rich man's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination
Proverbs 18:23
The poor use entreaties, but the rich answer roughly
Proverbs 19:1
Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool
Proverbs 19:4
Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend
Proverbs 19:6
Many seek the favor of a generous man, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts
Proverbs 19:7
All a poor man's brothers hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues them with words but does not have them
Proverbs 19:14
House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord
Proverbs 19:15
Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger
Proverbs 19:17
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed
Proverbs 20:4
The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing
Proverbs 20:15
There is gold and abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel
Proverbs 20:21
An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end
Proverbs 21:5
The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty
Proverbs 21:6
The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death
Proverbs 21:17
Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich
Proverbs 21:20
Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it
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 22:2
The rich and poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all
Proverbs 22:4
The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life
Proverbs 22:7
The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender
Proverbs 22:9
Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor
Proverbs 22:16
Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty
Proverbs 22:26-27
Be not one of those who gives pledges, who put security for debts. If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?
Proverbs 23:4-5
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 23:21
For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them in rags
Proverbs 24:4
By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches
Proverbs 24:33-34
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man
Proverbs 27:18
Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who guards his master will be honored
Proverbs 27:23-27
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 28:6
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways
Proverbs 28:8
Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit gathers it for him who is generous to the poor
Proverbs 28:11
A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has understanding will find him out
Proverbs 28:19
Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty
Proverbs 28:20
A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished
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
Proverbs 28:27
Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse
Proverbs 29:3
He who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth
Proverbs 30:7-9
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 31:10-11
An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain