'Wealth' in the Bible

Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what belonged to our father he has made all this wealth.”

Surely all the wealth which God has taken away from our father belongs to us and our children; now then, do whatever God has said to you.”

and they captured and looted all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives, even all that was in the houses.

Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’

But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.

All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem.

Then Menahem exacted the money from Israel, even from all the mighty men of wealth, from each man fifty shekels of silver to pay the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria returned and did not remain there in the land.

God said to Solomon, “Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king,

wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed nor those who will come after you.”

He made cities for himself and acquired flocks and herds in abundance, for God had given him very great wealth.

“His harvest the hungry devourAnd take it to a place of thorns,And the schemer is eager for their wealth.

“Have I said, ‘Give me something,’Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,’

“He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure;And his grain will not bend down to the ground.

“His sons favor the poor,And his hands give back his wealth.

If I have gloated because my wealth was great,And because my hand had secured so much;

Even those who trust in their wealthAnd boast in the abundance of their riches?

For he sees that even wise men die;The stupid and the senseless alike perishAnd leave their wealth to others.

Behold, these are the wicked;And always at ease, they have increased in wealth.

Wealth and riches are in his house,And his righteousness endures forever.

We will find all kinds of precious wealth,We will fill our houses with spoil;

Honor the Lord from your wealthAnd from the first of all your produce;

“Riches and honor are with me,Enduring wealth and righteousness.

To endow those who love me with wealth,That I may fill their treasuries.

The rich man’s wealth is his fortress,The ruin of the poor is their poverty.

There is one who pretends to be rich, but has nothing;Another pretends to be poor, but has great wealth.

Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles,But the one who gathers by labor increases it.

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

Great wealth is in the house of the righteous,But trouble is in the income of the wicked.

A rich man’s wealth is his strong city,And like a high wall in his own imagination.

Wealth adds many friends,But a poor man is separated from his friend.

House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers,But a prudent wife is from the Lord.

Do not weary yourself to gain wealth,Cease from your consideration of it.

When you set your eyes on it, it is gone.For wealth certainly makes itself wingsLike an eagle that flies toward the heavens.

He who increases his wealth by interest and usuryGathers it for him who is gracious to the poor.

A man with an evil eye hastens after wealthAnd does not know that want will come upon him.

A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad,But he who keeps company with harlots wastes his wealth.

I said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”

Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction.

I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all.

for before the boy knows how to cry out ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”

Now what will you do in the day of punishment,And in the devastation which will come from afar?To whom will you flee for help?And where will you leave your wealth?

And He will be the stability of your times,A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge;The fear of the Lord is his treasure.

“I will give you the treasures of darknessAnd hidden wealth of secret places,So that you may know that it is I,The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

“Then you will see and be radiant,And your heart will thrill and rejoice;Because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you,The wealth of the nations will come to you.

“Your gates will be open continually;They will not be closed day or night,So that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations,With their kings led in procession.

But you will be called the priests of the Lord;You will be spoken of as ministers of our God.You will eat the wealth of nations,And in their riches you will boast.

“Your wealth and your treasuresI will give for booty without cost,Even for all your sinsAnd within all your borders.

O mountain of Mine in the countryside,I will give over your wealth and all your treasures for booty,Your high places for sin throughout your borders.

I will also give over all the wealth of this city, all its produce and all its costly things; even all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give over to the hand of their enemies, and they will plunder them, take them away and bring them to Babylon.

Violence has grown into a rod of wickedness. None of them shall remain, none of their people, none of their wealth, nor anything eminent among them.

“Tarshish was your customer because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth; with silver, iron, tin and lead they paid for your wares.

Damascus was your customer because of the abundance of your goods, because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth, because of the wine of Helbon and white wool.

“Your wealth, your wares, your merchandise,Your sailors and your pilots,Your repairers of seams, your dealers in merchandiseAnd all your men of war who are in you,With all your company that is in your midst,Will fall into the heart of the seasOn the day of your overthrow.

‘When your wares went out from the seas,You satisfied many peoples;With the abundance of your wealth and your merchandiseYou enriched the kings of earth.

Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And he will carry off her wealth and capture her spoil and seize her plunder; and it will be wages for his army.

“A sword will come upon Egypt,And anguish will be in Ethiopia;When the slain fall in Egypt,They take away her wealth,And her foundations are torn down.

And Ephraim said, “Surely I have become rich,I have found wealth for myself;In all my labors they will find in meNo iniquity, which would be sin.”

“On the day that you stood aloof,On the day that strangers carried off his wealth,And foreigners entered his gateAnd cast lots for Jerusalem—You too were as one of them.

“Do not enter the gate of My peopleIn the day of their disaster.Yes, you, do not gloat over their calamityIn the day of their disaster.And do not loot their wealthIn the day of their disaster.

“Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion,For your horn I will make ironAnd your hoofs I will make bronze,That you may pulverize many peoples,That you may devote to the Lord their unjust gainAnd their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

Plunder the silver!Plunder the gold!For there is no limit to the treasure—Wealth from every kind of desirable object.

“Moreover, their wealth will become plunderAnd their houses desolate;Yes, they will build houses but not inhabit them,And plant vineyards but not drink their wine.”

I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts.

Behold, the Lord will dispossess herAnd cast her wealth into the sea;And she will be consumed with fire.

Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered, gold and silver and garments in great abundance.