27 Bible Verses about Coveting

For you know very well that no immoral or impure person, or anyone who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of God.

Now their experiences serve as examples for us so that we won't set our hearts on evil as they did. Let's stop being idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to play."

So put to death your worldly impulses: sexual sin, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry).

For the wicked one boasts about his own desire; he blesses the greedy and despises the LORD.

because it's from within, from the human heart, that evil thoughts come, as well as sexual immorality, stealing, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, cheating, shameless lust, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. All these things come from inside and make a person unclean."

But people who want to get rich keep toppling into temptation and are trapped by many stupid and harmful desires that plunge them into destruction and ruin. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and caused themselves a lot of pain.

Nothing good comes from ill-gotten wealth, but righteousness delivers from death.

Whoever oppresses the poor to enrich himself and whoever gives gifts to the wealthy will yield only loss.

The faithful man will prosper with blessings, but whoever is in a hurry to get rich will not escape punishment.

Keep deception and lies far away from me, and give me neither poverty nor wealth. Feed me with food that I need for today, so that I don't become overfed and deny you by saying, "Who is the LORD?" or so that I don't become poor and steal, and then misuse the name of my God.

Now the Pharisees, who love money, had been listening to all this and began to ridicule Jesus.

"Why wasn't this perfume sold for 300 denarii and the money given to the destitute?" He said this, not because he cared about the destitute, but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the moneybag and would steal what was put into it.

"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but on the inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

But the Lord told him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but on the inside you are full of greed and evil.

In their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. The ancient verdict against them is still in force, and their destruction is not delayed.

Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for God has said, "I will never leave you or abandon you."

Be shepherds of God's flock that is among you, watching over it, not because you must but because you want to, and not greedily but eagerly, as God desires.

You are to look for capable men among the people, men who fear God, men of integrity who hate dishonest gain. You are to set these men over them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

Do not let sexual sin, impurity of any kind, or greed even be mentioned among you, as is proper for saints.

This is a trustworthy saying: The one who would an elder be, a noble task desires he. Therefore, an elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, stable, sensible, respectable, hospitable to strangers, and teachable. He must not drink excessively or be a violent person, but instead be gentle. He must not be argumentative or love money.

You must realize, however, that in the last days difficult times will come. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

Where do those fights and quarrels among you come from? They come from your selfish desires that are at war in your bodies, don't they? You want something but do not get it, so you commit murder. You covet something but cannot obtain it, so you quarrel and fight. You do not get things because you do not ask for them!

Those who are greedy for unjust gain bring trouble into their homes, but the person who hates bribes will live.

An arrogant man stirs up dissension, but anyone who trusts in the LORD prospers.

A king brings stability to a land through justice, but a man who takes bribes brings it to ruin.

Therefore, I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to visit you ahead of me, to make arrangements in advance for this gift you promised, and to have it ready as something given generously and not forced.