832 verses about Poverty

Yahweh says: “For three transgressions of Israel, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have sold the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes;

They trample on the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and deny justice to the oppressed; and a man and his father use the same maiden, to profane my holy name;

and they lay themselves down beside every altar on clothes taken in pledge; and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.

“Indeed they don’t know to do right,” says Yahweh, “Who hoard plunder and loot in their palaces.”

Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husbands, “Bring us drinks!”

Therefore, because you trample on the poor, and take taxes from him of wheat: You have built houses of cut stone, but you will not dwell in them. You have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.

For I know how many your offenses, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn away the needy in the courts.

Who lie on beds of ivory, and stretch themselves on their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the middle of the stall;

who drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the best oils; but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

Hear this, you who desire to swallow up the needy, and cause the poor of the land to fail,

that we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes, and sell the sweepings with the wheat?’”

“If thieves came to you, if robbers by night—oh, what disaster awaits you—wouldn’t they only steal until they had enough? If grape pickers came to you, wouldn’t they leave some gleaning grapes?

Don’t enter into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity. Don’t look down on their affliction in the day of their calamity, neither seize their wealth on the day of their calamity.

They covet fields, and seize them; and houses, and take them away: and they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

Therefore you will have no one who divides the land by lot in Yahweh’s assembly.

But lately my people have risen up as an enemy. You strip the robe and clothing from those who pass by without a care, returning from battle.

Won’t all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases that which is not his, and who enriches himself by extortion! How long?’

For though the fig tree doesn’t flourish, nor fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive fails, the fields yield no food; the flocks are cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls:

But I will leave among you an afflicted and poor people, and they will take refuge in Yahweh’s name.

“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies waste?

You have sown much, and bring in little. You eat, but you don’t have enough. You drink, but you aren’t filled with drink. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm, and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes in it.”

I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on that which the ground produces, on men, on livestock, and on all the labor of the hands.”

Through all that time, when one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty, there were only twenty.

Don’t oppress the widow, nor the fatherless, the foreigner, nor the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart.’

For before those days there was no wages for man, nor any wages for an animal; neither was there any peace to him who went out or came in, because of the adversary. For I set all men everyone against his neighbor.

Their buyers slaughter them, and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be Yahweh, for I am rich;’ and their own shepherds don’t pity them.

It was broken in that day; and thus the poor of the flock that listened to me knew that it was Yahweh’s word.

Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings.

A third tenth I gave to them to whom it was appropriate, as Deborah my father’s mother had commanded me, because I was left an orphan by my father.

In the days of Enemessar, I did many alms deeds to my kindred: I gave my bread to the hungry,

and my garments to the naked. If I saw any of my race dead, and cast forth on the wall of Ninevah, I buried him.

And all my goods were forcibly taken away, and there was nothing left to me, save my wife Anna and my son Tobias.

I saw abundance of meat, and I said to my son, “Go and bring whatever poor man you find of our kindred, who is mindful of the Lord. Behold, I wait for you.”

Then he came, and said, “Father, one of our race is strangled, and has been cast out in the marketplace.”

Give alms from your possessions. When you give alms, don’t let your eye be envious. Don’t turn away your face from any poor man, and the face of God won’t be turned away from you.

As your possessions are, give alms of it according to your abundance. If you have little, don’t be afraid to give alms according to that little;

for you lay up a good treasure for yourself against the day of necessity;

because alms-giving delivers from death, and doesn’t allow you to come into darkness.

Give of your bread to the hungry, and of your garments to those who are naked. Give alms from all your abundance. Don’t let your eye be envious when you give alms.

And fear not, my child, because we are made poor. You have much wealth, if you fear God, and depart from all sin, and do that which is pleasing in his sight.”

He took camels and asses and mules for their baggage, an exceedingly great multitude, and sheep and oxen and goats without number for their provision,

The cisterns were emptied, and they had no water to drink their fill for one day; for they rationed drink by measure.

Their young children were discouraged. The women and the young men fainted for thirst. They fell down in the streets of the city, and in the passages of the gates. There was no longer any strength in them.

Since their food failed them, and all their water was scant, they took counsel to lay hands upon their cattle, and determined to consume all those things which God charged them by his laws that they should not eat.

Let us oppress the righteous poor; Let us not spare the widow, Nor reverence the hairs of the old man gray for length of years.

For the man of low estate may be pardoned in mercy, But mighty men will be searched out mightily.

Water will quench a flaming fire; And almsgiving will make atonement for sins.

My son, deprive not the poor of his living, And make not the needy eyes to wait long.

Make not a hungry soul sorrowful; Neither provoke a man in his distress.

To a heart that is provoked add not more trouble; And defer not to give to him that is in need.

Reject not a suppliant in his affliction; And turn not away your face from a poor man.

Turn not away your eye from one that asks of you, And give none occasion to a man to curse you:

Incline your ear to a poor man, And answer him with peaceful words in meekness.

If you shall be brought low, he will be against you, And will hide himself from your face.

Be not faint-hearted in your prayer; And neglect not to give alms.

Also to the poor man stretch out your hand, That your blessing may be perfected.

Lend not to a man that is mightier than yourself; And if you lend, be as one that has lost.

Be not surety above your power: And if you be surety, take thought as one that will have to pay.

The Lord plucked up the roots of nations, And planted the lowly in their stead.

The rich man, and the honorable, and the poor, Their glorying is the fear of the Lord.

It is not right to dishonor a poor man that has understanding; And it is not fitting to glorify a man that is a sinner.

Better is he that labores, and abounds in all things, Than he that glorifieth himself, and lacketh bread.

A poor man is glorified for his knowledge; And a rich man is glorified for his riches.

But he that is glorified in poverty, how much more in riches? And he that is inglorious in riches, how much more in poverty?

The wisdom of the lowly will lift up his head, And make him to sit in the midst of great men.

Many kings have sat down upon the ground; And one that was never thought of has worn a diadem.

Many mighty men have been greatly disgraced; And men of renown have been delivered into other men’s hands.

There is one that toileth, and labores, and makes haste, And is so much the more behind.

There is one that is sluggish, and has need of help, Lacking in strength, and that abounds in poverty; And the eyes of the Lord looked upon him for good, And he set him up from his low estate,

Good things and evil, life and death, Poverty and riches, are from the Lord.

There is that waxes rich by his wariness and pinching, And this is the portion of his reward:

Marvel not at the works of a sinner; But trust the Lord, and abide in your labor: For it is an easy thing in the sight of the Lord swiftly on the sudden to make a poor man rich.

Say not, What use is there of me? And what from henceforth will my good things be?

Give to the godly man, And help not the sinner.

Do good to one that is lowly, And give not to an ungodly man: Keep back his bread, and give it not to him, Lest he overmaster you thereby: For you will receive twice as much evil For all the good you will have done to him.

Take not up a burden above your strength; And have no fellowship with one that is mightier and richer than yourself. What fellowship shall the earthen pot have with the kettle? This will strike, and that will be dashed in pieces.

The rich man does a wrong, and he threatens withal: The poor is wronged, and he will entreat withal.

If you be profitable, he will make merchandise of you; And if you be in lack, he will forsake you.

If you have substance, he will live with you; And he will make you bare, and will not be sorry.

What peace is there between the hyena and the dog? And what peace between the rich man and the poor?

Wild asses are the prey of lions in the wilderness; So poor men are pasture for the rich.

Lowliness is an abomination to a proud man; So a poor man is an abomination to the rich.

A rich man when he is shaken is held up of his friends; But one of low degree being down is thrust away also by his friends.

When a rich man is fallen, there are many helpers; He speaks things not to be spoken, and men justify him: A man of low degree falls, and men rebuke him withal; He utters wisdom, and no place is allowed him.

A rich man speaks, and all keep silence; And what he says they extol to the clouds: A poor man speaks, and they say, Who is this? And if he stumble, they will help to overthrow him.

Riches are good that have no sin; And poverty is evil in the mouth of the ungodly.

Riches are not comely for a niggard; And what should an envious man do with money?

He that gathers by taking from his own soul gathers for others; And others will revel in his goods.

With him the alms of a man is as a signet; And he will keep the bounty of a man as the apple of the eye.

In the days of fulness remember the time of hunger, And poverty and lack in the days of wealth.

Be not made a beggar by banqueting upon borrowing, When you have nothing in your purse.

A workman that is a drunkard will not become rich: He that despises small things will fall by little and little.

There is a prosperity that a man finds in misfortunes; And there is a gain that turns to loss.

There is that is hindered from sinning through lack; And when he takes rest, he will not be troubled.

He that tils his land will raise his heap high; And he that pleases great men will get pardon for iniquity.

Wisdom that is hid, and treasure that is out of sight, What profit is in them both?

Supplication from a poor man’s mouth reaches to the ears of God, And his judgement comes speedily.

He that builds his house with other men’s money Is like one that gathers himself stones against winter.

Gain trust with your neighbor in his poverty, That in his prosperity you may have gladness: Abide stedfast to him in the time of his affliction, That you may be heir with him in his inheritance.

But three sorts of men my soul hates, And I am greatly offended at their life: A poor man that is haughty, and a rich man that is a liar, And an old man that is an adulterer lacking understanding.