'Need' in the Bible

So Laban asked, "What should I give you?" "You don't need to give me a thing," Jacob replied, "but if you agree to this one condition, I will continue to care for your flocks and protect them:

Please take my present that was brought to you, for God has been generous to me and I have all I need." When Jacob urged him, he took it.

He said to them, "The Lord will need to be with you if I release you and your dependents! Watch out! Trouble is right in front of you!

whenever a prophet speaks in my name and the prediction is not fulfilled, then I have not spoken it; the prophet has presumed to speak it, so you need not fear him."

When a man is newly married, he need not go into the army nor be obligated in any way; he must be free to stay at home for a full year and bring joy to the wife he has married.

So Boaz said to Ruth, "Listen carefully, my dear! Do not leave to gather grain in another field. You need not go beyond the limits of this field. You may go along beside my female workers.

Then Saul said to David, "Here's my oldest daughter, Merab. I want to give her to you in marriage. Only be a brave warrior for me and fight the battles of the Lord." For Saul thought, "There's no need for me to raise my hand against him. Let it be the hand of the Philistines!"

Amasa did not protect himself from the knife in Joab's other hand, and Joab stabbed him in the abdomen, causing Amasa's intestines to spill out on the ground. There was no need to stab him again; the first blow was fatal. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bicri.

Hiram then sent this message to Solomon: "I received the message you sent to me. I will give you all the cedars and evergreens you need.

My servants will bring the timber down from Lebanon to the sea. I will send it by sea in raft-like bundles to the place you designate. There I will separate the logs and you can carry them away. In exchange you will supply the food I need for my royal court."

May the Lord our God be constantly aware of these requests of mine I have presented to him, so that he might vindicate his servant and his people Israel as the need arises.

The priests should receive the silver they need from the treasurers and repair any damage to the temple they discover."

Gedaliah took an oath so as to give them and their troops some assurance of safety. He said, "You don't need to be afraid to submit to the Babylonian officials. Settle down in the land and submit to the king of Babylon. Then things will go well for you."

So the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the items used in its service."

we will get all the timber you need from Lebanon and bring it in raft-like bundles by sea to Joppa. You can then haul it on up to Jerusalem."

The musicians, the descendants of Asaph, manned their posts, as prescribed by David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king's prophet. The guards at the various gates did not need to leave their posts, for their fellow Levites made preparations for them.

So in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah, all Israel was contributing the portions for the singers and gatekeepers, according to the daily need. They also set aside the portion for the Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.

You will laugh at destruction and famine and need not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

I do not need to take a bull from your household or goats from your sheepfolds.

But as for me, God's presence is all I need. I have made the sovereign Lord my shelter, as I declare all the things you have done.

You need not fear the terrors of the night, the arrow that flies by day,

The trees of the Lord receive all the rain they need, the cedars of Lebanon which he planted,

and listened to me. As long as I live, I will call to him when I need help.

I will abundantly supply what she needs; I will give her poor all the food they need.

Do not withhold good from those who need it, when you have the ability to help.

and your poverty will come like a robber, and your need like an armed man.

People do not despise a thief when he steals to fulfill his need when he is hungry.

and your poverty will come like a bandit, and your need like an armed robber."

The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle and sinful people their plans. They should return to the Lord, and he will show mercy to them, and to their God, for he will freely forgive them.

You are like a wild female donkey brought up in the wilderness. In her lust she sniffs the wind to get the scent of a male. No one can hold her back when she is in heat. None of the males need wear themselves out chasing after her. At mating time she is easy to find.

Why must I continually suffer such painful anguish? Why must I endure the sting of their insults like an incurable wound? Will you let me down when I need you like a brook one goes to for water, but that cannot be relied on?"

They will be like a tree planted near a stream whose roots spread out toward the water. It has nothing to fear when the heat comes. Its leaves are always green. It has no need to be concerned in a year of drought. It does not stop bearing fruit.

Then some people said, "Come on! Let us consider how to deal with Jeremiah! There will still be priests to instruct us, wise men to give us advice, and prophets to declare God's word. Come on! Let's bring charges against him and get rid of him! Then we will not need to pay attention to anything he says."

I will install rulers over them who will care for them. Then they will no longer need to fear or be terrified. None of them will turn up missing. I, the Lord, promise it!

So do not listen to your prophets or to those who claim to predict the future by divination, by dreams, by consulting the dead, or by practicing magic. They keep telling you, 'You do not need to be subject to the king of Babylon.'

Do not listen to the prophets who are telling you that you do not need to serve the king of Babylon. For they are prophesying lies to you.

"People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know me. For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me," says the Lord. "For I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done."

But ever since we stopped sacrificing and pouring out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven, we have been in great need. Our people have died in wars or of starvation."

They will not need to take wood from the field or cut down trees from the forests, because they will make fires with the weapons. They will take the loot from those who looted them and seize the plunder of those who plundered them, declares the sovereign Lord.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, "We do not need to give you a reply concerning this.

The Lord has removed the judgment against you; he has turned back your enemy. Israel's king, the Lord, is in your midst! You no longer need to fear disaster.

If you do not listen and take seriously the need to honor my name," says the Lord who rules over all, "I will send judgment on you and turn your blessings into curses -- indeed, I have already done so because you are not taking it to heart.

But John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?"

Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

When Jesus heard this he said, "Those who are healthy don't need a physician, but those who are sick do.

But he replied, "They don't need to go. You give them something to eat."

he does not need to honor his father.' You have nullified the word of God on account of your tradition.

Then the high priest tore his clothes and declared, "He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Now you have heard the blasphemy!

When Jesus heard this he said to them, "Those who are healthy don't need a physician, but those who are sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry --

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "Why do we still need witnesses?

Jesus answered them, "Those who are well don't need a physician, but those who are sick do.

But give from your heart to those in need, and then everything will be clean for you.

For all the nations of the world pursue these things, and your Father knows that you need them.

I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.

Then after he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need.

Then they said, "Why do we need further testimony? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!"

He did not need anyone to testify about man, for he knew what was in man.

Now we know that you know everything and do not need anyone to ask you anything. Because of this we believe that you have come from God."

and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need.

and placing them at the apostles' feet. The proceeds were distributed to each, as anyone had need.

so that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and provide her with whatever help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many, including me.

The eye cannot say to the hand, "I do not need you," nor in turn can the head say to the foot, "I do not need you."

but our presentable members do not need this. Instead, God has blended together the body, giving greater honor to the lesser member,

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? We don't need letters of recommendation to you or from you as some other people do, do we?

At the present time, your abundance will meet their need, so that one day their abundance may also meet your need, and thus there may be equality,

When I was with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia fully supplied my needs. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.

The one who steals must steal no longer; rather he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need.

You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, that it may give grace to those who hear.

But for now I have considered it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. For he is my brother, coworker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to me in my need.

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance.

I have experienced times of need and times of abundance. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment, whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing.

For even in Thessalonica on more than one occasion you sent something for my need.

For I have received everything, and I have plenty. I have all I need because I received from Epaphroditus what you sent -- a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, very pleasing to God.

And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

For from you the message of the Lord has echoed forth not just in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place reports of your faith in God have spread, so that we do not need to say anything.

Now on the topic of brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.

In this way you will live a decent life before outsiders and not be in need.

Now on the topic of times and seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you.

Honor widows who are truly in need.

But the widow who is truly in need, and completely on her own, has set her hope on God and continues in her pleas and prayers night and day.

If a believing woman has widows in her family, let her help them. The church should not be burdened, so that it may help the widows who are truly in need.

Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who does not need to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth accurately.

Make every effort to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; make sure they have what they need.

Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.

For though you should in fact be teachers by this time, you need someone to teach you the beginning elements of God's utterances. You have gone back to needing milk, not solid food.

So if perfection had in fact been possible through the Levitical priesthood -- for on that basis the people received the law -- what further need would there have been for another priest to arise, said to be in the order of Melchizedek and not in Aaron's order?

He has no need to do every day what those priests do, to offer sacrifices first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people, since he did this in offering himself once for all.

"And there will be no need at all for each one to teach his countryman or each one to teach his brother saying, 'Know the Lord,' since they will all know me, from the least to the greatest.

For you need endurance in order to do God's will and so receive what is promised.

Now as for you, the anointing that you received from him resides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things, it is true and is not a lie. Just as it has taught you, you reside in him.

But whoever has the world's possessions and sees his fellow Christian in need and shuts off his compassion against him, how can the love of God reside in such a person?

Because you say, "I am rich and have acquired great wealth, and need nothing," but do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked,

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb.

Night will be no more, and they will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever.