12 Bible Verses about Envy

A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

Let us not be desirous of vain-glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

And they assembled themselves against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: why then do ye raise yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

But to Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and very many servants: And the Philistines envied him.

And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

Let not thy heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil-speakings,

Let us not be desirous of vain-glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou didst cast them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. read more.
As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou wilt despise their image.

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, even as to babes in Christ.

For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Then the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and said, What do we? for this man performeth many miracles.

(For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.)

(For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.)

A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.

Call now, if there is any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn? For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.

Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And he said to them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: read more.
For behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves stood around and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? and they hated him yet the more for his dreams and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more: and behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said to him, what is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer is coming. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit; and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him; and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,

For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.

A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.

And they assembled themselves against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: why then do ye raise yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.

But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spoke against those things which were uttered by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

But the Jews who believed not, moved with envy, took to them certain vile fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city in an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.

And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the earth, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.

And Sarai said to Abram, my wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee. But Abram said to Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had borne to Abraham, mocking. Wherefore, she said to Abraham, Cast out this bond-woman, and her son: for the son of this bond-woman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord, Moses, forbid them. And Moses said to him, Enviest thou for my sake? I would that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them.

Again, I considered all labor, and every right work, that for this a man is envied by his neighbor. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spoke against those things which were uttered by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

But the Jews who believed not, moved with envy, took to them certain vile fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city in an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will even do according to thy anger, and according to thy envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I have judged thee.

And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; and what can he have more but the kingdom?

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show by a good deportment his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, demoniacal. read more.
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, from which cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil-speakings, As new-born babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?

Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he obtained all this glory.

LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yes, the fire of thy enemies shall devour them.

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord, Moses, forbid them. And Moses said to him, Enviest thou for my sake? I would that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them. And Moses withdrew into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.

But to Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married: for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoke only by Moses? hath he not spoke also by us? And the LORD heard it. (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men who were upon the face of the earth.) read more.
And the LORD spoke suddenly to Moses, and to Aaron, and to Miriam, Come out ye three to the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. And he said, Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known to him in a vision, and will speak to him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all my house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: why then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.

(For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.)

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and very many servants: And the Philistines envied him.

And she said to her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to-night for thy son's mandrakes.

And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect to Abel, and to his offering: But to Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said to Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? read more.
If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And to thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he obtained all this glory.

Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.

And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.