55 Bible Verses about Poverty, Causes Of

Most Relevant Verses

Genesis 3:17-19

Then to Adam the Lord God said, “Because you have listened [attentively] to the voice of your wife, and have eaten [fruit] from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’;

The ground is [now] under a curse because of you;
In sorrow and toil you shall eat [the fruit] of it
All the days of your life.

“Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;
And you shall eat the plants of the field.

“By the sweat of your face
You will eat bread
Until you return to the ground,
For from it you were taken;
For you are dust,
And to dust you shall return.”

Genesis 2:9-14

And [in that garden] the Lord God caused to grow from the ground every tree that is desirable and pleasing to the sight and good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the [experiential] knowledge (recognition) of [the difference between] good and evil. Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four [branching] rivers. The first [river] is named Pishon; it flows around the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. read more.
The gold of that land is good; bdellium (a fragrant, valuable resin) and the onyx stone are found there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the entire land of Cush [in Mesopotamia]. The third river is named Hiddekel (Tigris); it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

Deuteronomy 28:47-48

“Because you did not serve the Lord your God with a heart full of joy and gladness for the abundance of all things [with which He blessed you], you will therefore serve your enemies whom the Lord sends against you, in hunger and in thirst, in nakedness and in lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke [of slavery] on your neck until He has destroyed you.

Isaiah 3:1

Listen carefully, the Lord God of hosts is removing from Jerusalem and from Judah
Both supply and support, the whole supply of bread
And the whole supply of water;

Amos 4:6


“I also gave you cleanness of teeth [because of the famine] in all your cities
And lack of bread in all your places,
Yet you have not returned to Me [in repentance],” says the Lord.

Amos 5:11


Therefore, because you impose heavy rent on the poor
And demand a tribute (food-tax) of grain from them,
Though you have built [luxurious] houses of square stone,
You will not live in them;
You have planted beautiful vineyards, but you will not drink their wine.

Proverbs 6:10-11


“Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to lie down and rest”—

So your poverty will come like an approaching prowler who walks [slowly, but surely]
And your need [will come] like an armed man [making you helpless].

Proverbs 24:33-34


“Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest [and daydream],”

Then your poverty will come as a robber,
And your want like an armed man.

Proverbs 6:26


For on account of a prostitute one is reduced to a piece of bread [to be eaten up],
And the immoral woman hunts [with a hook] the precious life [of a man].

Proverbs 28:19


He who cultivates his land will have plenty of bread,
But he who follows worthless people and frivolous pursuits will have plenty of poverty.

Luke 15:14

Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to do without and be in need.

Proverbs 13:18


Poverty and shame will come to him who refuses instruction and discipline,
But he who accepts and learns from reproof or censure is honored.

Proverbs 22:26-27


Do not be among those who give pledges [involving themselves in others’ finances],
Or among those who become guarantors for others’ debts.

If you have nothing with which to pay [another’s debt when he defaults],
Why should his creditor take your bed from under you?

Matthew 18:23-25

“Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the accounting, one who owed him 10,000 talents was brought to him. But because he could not repay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and his children and everything that he possessed, and payment to be made.

Proverbs 11:24


There is the one who [generously] scatters [abroad], and yet increases all the more;
And there is the one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want and poverty.

Proverbs 28:22


He who has an evil and envious eye hurries to be rich
And does not know that poverty will come upon him.

Acts 20:35

In everything I showed you [by example] that by working hard in this way you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed [and brings greater joy] to give than to receive.’”

Haggai 1:9

You look for much [harvest], but it comes to little; and even when you bring that home, I blow it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house, which lies in ruins while each of you runs to his own house [eager to enjoy it].

Judges 6:6

So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the Israelites cried out to the Lord [for help].

Job 20:19


“For he has oppressed and neglected the poor;
He has violently taken away houses which he did not build.

Proverbs 13:23


Abundant food is in the fallow (uncultivated) ground of the poor,
But [without protection] it is swept away by injustice.

Isaiah 1:7


Your land lies desolate [because of your disobedience],
Your cities are burned with fire,
Your fields—strangers are devouring them in your very presence;
It is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

Genesis 45:11

There I will provide for you and sustain you, so that you and your household and all that are yours may not become impoverished, for there are still five years of famine to come.”’

Genesis 47:20-21

So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every Egyptian sold his field because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh’s. And as for the people, he relocated them [temporarily] to cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other.

Job 1:13-21

Now there was a day when Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them, and the Sabeans attacked and swooped down on them and took away the animals. They also killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” read more.
While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, “The fire of God (lightning) has fallen from the heavens and has burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and have taken them away and have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and suddenly, a great wind came from across the desert, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” Then Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head [in mourning for the children], and he fell to the ground and worshiped [God]. He said,

“Naked (without possessions) I came [into this world] from my mother’s womb,
And naked I will return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 8:7-9

For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you will eat bread without shortage, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper.

Psalm 34:9-10


O [reverently] fear the Lord, you His saints (believers, holy ones);
For to those who fear Him there is no want.

The young lions lack [food] and grow hungry,
But they who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.

2 Kings 4:1

Now one of the wives of a man of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha [for help], saying “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant [reverently] feared the Lord; but the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves [in payment for a loan].”

Luke 16:20

And a poor man named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, covered with sores.

Romans 15:26

For [Gentile believers in] Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints (Jewish believers) in Jerusalem.

Luke 16:3

The manager [of the estate] said to himself, ‘What will I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig [for a living], and I am ashamed to beg.

Proverbs 30:8-9


Keep deception and lies far from me;
Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Feed me with the food that is my portion,

So that I will not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or that I will not be poor and steal,
And so profane the name of my God.

Psalm 119:71


It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.

Mark 12:44

For they all contributed from their surplus, but she, from her poverty, put in all she had, all she had to live on.”

Luke 21:4

for they all put in gifts from their abundance; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

2 Corinthians 8:2

for during an ordeal of severe distress, their abundant joy and their deep poverty [together] overflowed in the wealth of their lavish generosity.

Revelation 2:9

‘I know your suffering and your poverty (but you are rich), and how you are blasphemed and slandered by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan [they are Jews only by blood, and do not believe and truly honor the God whom they claim to worship].

Matthew 19:21-22

Jesus answered him, “If you wish to be perfect [that is, have the spiritual maturity that accompanies godly character with no moral or ethical deficiencies], go and sell what you have and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me [becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk].” But when the young man heard this, he left grieving and distressed, for he owned much property and had many possessions [which he treasured more than his relationship with God].

Hebrews 10:34

For you showed sympathy and deep concern for those who were imprisoned, and you joyfully accepted the [unjust] seizure of your belongings and the confiscation of your property, conscious of the fact that you have a better possession and a lasting one [prepared for you in heaven].

Bible Theasaurus

Never miss a post