68 Bible Verses about Poverty, Attitudes Towards

This is what you must do whenever there are poor Israelites in one of your cities in the land that Jehovah your God is giving you. Be generous to these poor people. Freely lend them as much as they need. Never be hardhearted and stingy with them.

When you mock the poor you disgrace your Maker. He who is glad at calamity will be punished.

Contribute to the needs of the holy ones and practice hospitality.

So then, as we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men, and especially toward those who are of the household of the faith.

If a brother or sister is without clothes and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them: Go in peace, be warmed and filled; and yet you do not give them food and clothing, what good is it?

Whoever has this world's goods and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his compassion from him, how does the love of God dwell in him?

Do not deny justice to a poor person at his trial.

If an Israelite becomes poor and cannot support himself, you should help him. He must live with you as a stranger without a permanent home. Do not collect interest or make any profit from him. Respect your God by respecting other Israelites' lives. Do not collect any interest on your money or on the food you give them.

Do not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of your aliens who is in your land in your towns. Pay him his wages on the workday day before the sunsets. He is poor and sets his heart on it. He will not complain against you to Jehovah and it becomes your sin.

Jehovah sent Nathan to David. Nathan came to him and said: There were two men in a certain city. One was rich and the other was poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle. But the poor man had only one little female lamb that he bought. He raised her, and she grew up in his home with his children. She would eat his food and drink from his cup. She rested in his arms and was like a daughter to him.read more.
Now, a visitor came to the rich man. The rich man thought it would be a pity to take one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler. So he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the traveler.

Why does the Almighty not keep time? Why do those who know him never see his days? The wicked remove landmarks. They seize flocks and pasture them. They drive away the donkey of the orphan. They take the widow's ox for a pledge.read more.
They force the needy to yield the road. The poor of the earth all hide themselves.

Do not rob the poor because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate.

The righteous considers the cause of the poor. The wicked do not get to know it.

Listen to the word of Jehovah, you officials, you people who come into these gates, and you, king of Judah, the one sitting on David's throne. This is what Jehovah says: Judge fairly, and do what is right. Rescue those who have been robbed from those who oppress them. Do not mistreat foreigners, orphans, or widows, and do not oppress them. Do not kill innocent people in this place.

Suppose this person has a son who robs and murders. The son does all these other things that his father never did. He eats at the illegal mountain worship sites. He dishonors his neighbor's wife. He oppresses the poor and needy. He robs. He does not return the security for a loan. He looks to idols for help. He does disgusting things.read more.
He lends money for interest and makes excessive profits. Will this person live? He will not live. He has done all these disgusting things. So he must die, and he will be responsible for his own death.

Jehovah said: I will not withdraw punishment for (three sins of Israel, even for four) the many transgressions of Israel! They sold the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes. They pant after the dust of the earth on the head of lowly (meek) persons. They reject the humble! A man and his father have sexual relations with the same maiden, to profane my holy name.

Do not oppress the widow. Do not oppress the fatherless. Do not oppress the stranger and do not oppress the poor. And you should not devise evil in your heart against your brother.

A man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes and a poor man in shabby clothes comes into your synagogue. You pay special attention to the one wearing the fine clothes, and say: Sit here in a good place. Then you say to the poor man: Stand there, or Sit under my footstool. Do not make distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts.

At the end of every third year bring the tithe of all your crops and store it in your towns. This food is for the Levites, since they own no property, and for the foreigners, orphans, and widows who live in your towns. They are to come and get all they need. Do this, and Jehovah your God will bless you in everything you do.

Let your land rest the seventh year. Do not harvest anything that grows on it. The poor may eat what grows there. The wild animals may have what is left. Do the same with your vineyards and your olive trees.

When you reap the harvest of your land, you should not reap to the very corners of your field. You should not gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not glean your vineyard. Do not gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard. Leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am Jehovah your God.

Do not even harvest the grain that grows by itself without being planted. Do not gather the grapes from your unpruned vines. It is a year of complete rest for the land. Even though the land has not been cultivated during that year, it will provide food for you, your slaves, your hired men, the foreigners living with you,

When you help the poor (needy) (lowly) (depressed) you lend to Jehovah. He will pay you back.

Defend the weak and fatherless. Protect the rights of the oppressed and the poor. Rescue the weak and needy. Help them escape the power of the wicked.

When the ear heard, it commended me, and when the eye saw, it approved. This is because I delivered the poor who cried, and the orphan who had no helper. The blessing of the wretched came upon me. I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.read more.
I put on righteousness and it clothed me. My justice was like a robe and a turban. I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy! I championed the cause of the stranger. I broke the fangs of the unrighteous. I made them drop their prey from their teeth.

He answered: He who has two coats let him give to him who has none. He who has food let him do likewise.

A disciple named Tabitha was at Joppa. Her name, when translated means Dorcas. This woman did many good works and gave gifts of mercy.

When the seventh year, the year when payments on debts are canceled, is near, you might be stingy toward poor Israelites and give them nothing. Be careful not to think these worthless thoughts. The poor will complain to Jehovah about you, and you will be condemned for your sin. Give the poor what they need, because then Jehovah will make you successful in everything you do. There will always be some Israelites who are poor and needy. That is why I am commanding you to be generous with them.

This food is for the Levites, since they own no property, and for the foreigners, orphans, and widows who live in your towns. They are to come and get all they need. Do this, and Jehovah your God will bless you in everything you do.

At mealtime Boaz said to her: Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar. So she sat beside the reapers. He served her roasted grain. She ate and was satisfied and had some left over.

He gives freely to poor. His righteousness continues forever. His head is raised in honor.

He left in the land of Judah some of the poorest people, who owned no property, and he gave them vineyards and fields.

Zacchaeus stood before Jesus and said: Lord, I now give half of all my possessions to the poor. If I have defrauded any one I will give back four times the amount taken.

He was a devout man who respected God with his entire household. He gave many gifts of mercy to the people and prayed to God always.

Let each man do according as he has purposed in his heart: not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.

Do not loudly announce it when you give to the poor. The hypocrites do this in the houses of worship and on the streets. They do this to be praised by men. Believe me, they have already been paid in full.

Jesus called his disciples and said: I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.

It was one of those days when there was a great crowd of people. They had nothing to eat so he called his disciples. Jesus said: I am concerned for these people because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat. If I send them away to their houses with no food they will be weak and faint. Some of them have a long way to go.

The Spirit of Jehovah is upon me. He anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind. To set at liberty those who are bruised. To proclaim the acceptable year of Jehovah. (Isaiah 61:1)

Some thought Judas was going to shop for food for the feast or give something to the poor. Judas was in charge of the moneybox.

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. God was with him.

All those who believed stayed together. They held all things in common. They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all men, as every man had need.

The congregation that believed was of one heart and mind. No one claimed his or her own possessions for everything was common property. The apostles witnessed about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power. Grace (God's loving kindness) was upon them all. There was no needy person among them for as many as possessed land or houses sold them, and brought the money from the things that were sold.read more.
They gave it to the apostles. Distribution was made to every man according as he had need.

The disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers in Judea. They sent it to the elders through Barnabas and Saul.

In all things I gave you an example. You by laboring should help the weak. Remember the words of the Lord Jesus: It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Now after many years I came to bring offerings and gifts of mercy to my nation.

Now I go to Jerusalem to minister to the holy ones. It pleased those of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor holy ones in Jerusalem. It pleased them to do so and they are debtors for this. If the nations have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in physical things.

I do not say this for the ease of others and for your affliction but by equality: your abundance being a supply at this present time for their want, that their abundance also may become a supply for your want; that there may be equality: as it is written, He that gathered much had nothing over; and he that gathered little had no lack.

They wanted us to remember the poor. I was eager (zealous) to do this very thing.

([Psalm of David]) Blessed (happy) is the one who has concern for helpless people. Jehovah will rescue (save) him in times of trouble.

He who gives to the poor will not lack. But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.

Jesus then replied: If you wish to be complete, go sell your possessions and give the money to the poor. You will have wealth in heaven. Then follow me!

The King will say to those on his right hand: 'Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.'

Whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ's, most assuredly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.

Do not forget (neglect) to do good and to communicate (fellowship) (share), for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

He executes justice for the orphan and the widow. He shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing.

You have seen trouble and grief and placed them under your control. The victim entrusts himself to you. You alone have been the helper of orphans.

Jehovah protects the strangers. He supports the fatherless and the widow, but he overthrows the way of the wicked.

Do not remove the old landmark (boundry). And do not enter the field of the fatherless.

They deprive the poor of justice. They take away the rights of the needy among my people. They prey on widows and rob orphans.

Enjoy yourselves in the presence of Jehovah your God along with your sons, daughters, male and female slaves, the Levites who live in your cities, the foreigners, orphans, and widows who live among you. Enjoy yourselves at the place Jehovah your God will choose as a dwelling for his name.

Then Boaz said: On the day when you take this field, you will have to take with it Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, so that you may keep the name of the dead living in his heritage.

The widow of a member of a group of prophets said to Elisha: My husband has died! As you know, he was a man who respected God. A man to whom he owed money came to take away my two sons as slaves in payment for my husband's debt.

You have sent widows away empty-handed. You crush the arms of the orphans.

I will approach you people for judgment! I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, the adulterers and those acting fraudulently with the wages of the worker, the widow and the fatherless. I will be a speedy witness against those who swear falsely and take advantage of the stranger, and do not show me reverence, said Jehovah of Hosts.

The number of disciples increased at that time. A murmuring arose on the part of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.

Honor widows that are truly widows.

Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for the fatherless persons and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself without spot from the world.