12 Bible Verses about Envy

Do not fret because of evildoers; do not be envious of doers of wickedness.

Love is patient, love is kind, love is not jealous, [it] does not boast, [it] does not become conceited,

Let us live decently, as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and licentiousness, not in strife and jealousy.

We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Do not envy a man of violence, and do not choose any of his ways,

They were assembled in front of Moses and Aaron, and they said to them, "{You take too much upon yourselves}! All of the community is holy, every one of them, and Yahweh [is] in their midst, so why do you raise yourselves over the assembly of Yahweh?"

Then the [other] administrators and satraps {began to seek} to find pretext against Daniel {in connection with the kingdom}, but they were not able to find any pretext and {corruption} {because} he was trustworthy, and no negligence or {corruption} {could be found in him}.

but to Cain and to his offering he did not look with favor. And Cain became very angry, and his face fell.

And he possessed sheep and cattle and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him.

And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter [in mind].

Do not fret because of evildoers; do not be envious of doers of wickedness. For like the grass they will dry up quickly, and like green vegetation they will wither.

Do not envy men of evil, and do not desire to be with them. For their minds will devise violence, and their lips will speak mischief.

Do not envy a man of violence, and do not choose any of his ways,

May your heart not envy the sinners, but [live] in fear of Yahweh {all day}.

Let us live decently, as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and licentiousness, not in strife and jealousy.

Therefore, ridding yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,

We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Do not fret because of evildoers; do not be envious of doers of wickedness.

because I envied the boastful [when] I saw [the] well-being of [the] wicked.

until I went into the sanctuary of God. [Then] I understood their fate. Surely you set them on slippery places. You cause them to fall onto ruin. How they become a desolation in a moment! They come to a complete end by terrors. read more.
Like a dream upon awakening, when [you] wake up, O Lord, you will despise their fleeting form.

And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual [people], but as to fleshly [people], as to infants in Christ.

for you are still fleshly. For where [there is] jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and do you not live like [unregenerate] people?

So the chief priests and the Pharisees called together the Sanhedrin and said, "What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs!

(For he realized that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.)

(For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy.

A heart of tranquility [is] life [to the] flesh, but causes bones of passion to rot.

"Call now, is there [anyone] answering you? And to which of [the] holy ones will you turn? For vexation will slay the fool, and jealousy will kill [the] simple.

envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, [things] which I am telling you [in advance], just as I said before, that the ones who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Or do you think that in vain the scripture says, "The spirit which he caused to dwell in us desires jealously"?

When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and were not able to speak peaceably to him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told [it] to his brothers. And {they hated him even more}. And he said to them, "Listen now to this dream that I dreamed. read more.
Now behold, we were binding sheaves in the midst of the field and, behold, my sheaf stood up and it remained standing. Then behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf." Then his brothers said to him, "Will you really rule over us?" And {they hated him even more} on account of his dream and because of his words. Then he dreamed yet another dream and told it to his brothers. And he said, "Behold, I dreamed a dream again, and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." And he told [it] to his father and to his brothers. And his father rebuked him and said to him, "What [is] this dream that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the ground to you?" And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter [in mind].

And each said to his brothers, "Look, this master of dreams is coming. Now then, come, let us kill him and throw him in one of the pits. Then we will say a wild animal devoured him. Then we will see what his dreams become."

And the patriarchs, [because they] were jealous of Joseph, sold [him] into Egypt. And God was with him,

For vexation will slay the fool, and jealousy will kill [the] simple.

A heart of tranquility [is] life [to the] flesh, but causes bones of passion to rot.

They were assembled in front of Moses and Aaron, and they said to them, "{You take too much upon yourselves}! All of the community is holy, every one of them, and Yahweh [is] in their midst, so why do you raise yourselves over the assembly of Yahweh?"

And they were jealous of Moses in the camp, [and] of Aaron, the holy one of Yahweh. [The] earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and it covered over the gang of Abiram. Also fire burned in their assembly; [the] flame devoured [the] wicked.

But [when] the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting what was being said by Paul [by] reviling [him].

But the Jews were filled with jealousy and, taking along some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace and forming a mob, threw the city into an uproar. And attacking Jason's house, they were looking for them to bring [them] out to the popular assembly.

Saul {was threatened by David still more}, so Saul {became a perpetual enemy of David}.

{Saul became very angry}, and {this saying displeased him}, and he thought, "They have attributed to David ten thousands, but to me they have attributed thousands! {What more can he have but the kingdom}?" So Saul was watching David [with suspicion] from that day onward.

For {as long as} the son of Jesse [is] alive on the earth, you and your kingdom will not be established! So then, send and bring him to me, for {he will surely die}!"

And Sarai said to Abram, "may my harm [be] upon you. {I had my servant sleep with you}, and [when] she saw that she had conceived, {she no longer respected me}. May Yahweh judge between me and you!" And Abram said to Sarai, "Look, your servant [is] {under your authority}. Do to her that which [is] good in your eyes." And Sarai mistreated her, and she fled from her presence.

And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne Abraham, mocking. Then she said to Abraham, "Drive out this slave woman and her son, for the son of this slave woman will not be heir with my son, with Isaac."

for you are still fleshly. For where [there is] jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and do you not live like [unregenerate] people?

And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from time of his youth, answered, "Moses, my lord, stop them." But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that he give all Yahweh's people prophets, that Yahweh put his spirit on them!"

I also realized that all [of the] toil and all [of] the skillful work that is done--it [is] envy between one man and {another}. This also [is] vanity and chasing wind!

But [when] the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting what was being said by Paul [by] reviling [him].

But the Jews were filled with jealousy and, taking along some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace and forming a mob, threw the city into an uproar. And attacking Jason's house, they were looking for them to bring [them] out to the popular assembly.

And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter [in mind].

Therefore, {as I live}," {declares} the Lord Yahweh, "so I will deal [with you] according to your anger and according to your jealousy that you did, because of your hatred against them, and I will make myself known among them when I judge you.

{Saul became very angry}, and {this saying displeased him}, and he thought, "They have attributed to David ten thousands, but to me they have attributed thousands! {What more can he have but the kingdom}?"

Who [is] wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good behavior his works, with the humility of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but [is] earthly, unspiritual, demonic. read more.
For where [there is] jealousy and selfish ambition, there [is] disorder and every evil practice.

he is conceited, understanding nothing, but having a morbid interest concerning controversies and disputes about words, from which come envy, strife, slanders, evil suspicions,

Therefore, ridding yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn infants long for the unadulterated spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to salvation,

Cruel [is] wrath and overwhelming [is] anger, but who will stand before jealousy?

Then Daniel {began distinguishing himself} above the administrators and the satraps {because} an exceptional spirit [was] in him, and [so] the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom. Then the [other] administrators and satraps {began to seek} to find pretext against Daniel {in connection with the kingdom}, but they were not able to find any pretext and {corruption} {because} he was trustworthy, and no negligence or {corruption} {could be found in him}.

Now he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, "Jacob has taken all that our father has," and "From that which [was] our father's he has gained all this wealth."

Yahweh, [though] your hand reaches high, they do not see [it]. Let them see, and let them be ashamed of [the] zeal of people. Indeed, let the fire of your enemies consume them.

being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greediness, malice, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malevolence. [They are] gossipers,

And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from time of his youth, answered, "Moses, my lord, stop them." But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that he give all Yahweh's people prophets, that Yahweh put his spirit on them!" Then Moses and the elders of Israel were gathered to the camp.

But all this {fails to satisfy me} {when} I see Mordecai the Jew setting at the gate of the king."

but to Cain and to his offering he did not look with favor. And Cain became very angry, and his face fell.

And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he took (because he took a Cushite wife); and they said, "Has Yahweh spoken only through Moses? Has not Yahweh also spoken through us?" And Yahweh heard it. Now the man, Moses, [was] more humble than any other person on the face of the earth, read more.
and Yahweh said suddenly to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, "Go out, you three, to the tent of assembly." So the three of them when out. And Yahweh went down in a column of cloud and stood [at] the doorway of the tent, and he called Aaron and Miriam, and the two of them went, and he said, "Please hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I, Yahweh, will make myself known to him in a vision. I will speak to him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses; in all my house he [is] faithful. I will speak to him mouth to mouth, [in] clearness, not in riddles; and he will look at the form of Yahweh. Why were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?" {And Yahweh became very angry} with them, and he went [away]. And the cloud departed from on the tent, and behold, Miriam [was] infected with {a skin disease} white like snow; when Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, [she was] afflicted with a skin disease.

(For he realized that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.)

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth.

For where [there is] jealousy and selfish ambition, there [is] disorder and every evil practice.

For we also were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, enslaved to various desires and pleasures, spending our lives in wickedness and envy, despicable, hating one another.

Or do you think that in vain the scripture says, "The spirit which he caused to dwell in us desires jealously"?

And he possessed sheep and cattle and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him.

And she said to her, "[Is] your taking my husband [such] a small [thing] that you will also take the mandrakes of my son?" Then Rachel said, "Then he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes."

and Abel also brought [an offering] from {the choicest firstlings of his flock}. And Yahweh looked with favor to Abel and to his offering, but to Cain and to his offering he did not look with favor. And Cain became very angry, and his face fell. And Yahweh said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why is your face fallen? read more.
If you do well {will I not accept you}? But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. And its desire [is] for you, but you must rule over it." Then Cain said to his brother Abel, ["Let us go out into the field."] And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

Now he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, "Jacob has taken all that our father has," and "From that which [was] our father's he has gained all this wealth."

But all this {fails to satisfy me} {when} I see Mordecai the Jew setting at the gate of the king."

When Rachel saw that she could not bear children to Jacob, Rachel envied her sister. And she said to Jacob, "Give me children--if not, I will die!"

Then the [other] administrators and satraps {began to seek} to find pretext against Daniel {in connection with the kingdom}, but they were not able to find any pretext and {corruption} {because} he was trustworthy, and no negligence or {corruption} {could be found in him}.

And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter [in mind].