585 verses about Selfishness

though he spare it, and will not let it go, but keep it still within his mouth;

For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor. He has violently taken away a house, and he shall not build it up.

“Because he knew no quietness within him, he shall not save anything of that in which he delights.

There was nothing left that he didn’t devour, therefore his prosperity shall not endure.

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?’

“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.

You haven’t given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.

There are those who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,

The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, ‘No eye shall see me.’ He disguises his face.

“If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it

If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;

“If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him

So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.’

That you ask, ‘What advantage will it be to you? What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’

For the wicked boasts of his heart’s cravings. He blesses the greedy, and condemns Yahweh.

His ways are prosperous at all times. He is haughty, and your laws are far from his sight. As for all his adversaries, he sneers at them.

He says in his heart, “I shall not be shaken. For generations I shall have no trouble.”

who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail. Our lips are our own. Who is lord over us?”

They close up their callous hearts. With their mouth they speak proudly.

For he flatters himself in his own eyes, too much to detect and hate his sin.

Better is a little that the righteous has, than the abundance of many wicked.

You have done these things, and I kept silent. You thought that I was just like you. I will rebuke you, and accuse you in front of your eyes.

They didn’t turn from their cravings. Their food was yet in their mouths,

but gave in to craving in the desert, and tested God in the wasteland.

He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.

They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron, Yahweh’s saint.

Turn my heart toward your statutes, not toward selfish gain.

Their heart is as callous as the fat, but I delight in your law.

So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.

Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.

Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you,” when you have it by you.

If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. If you mock, you alone will bear it.

As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.

The merciful man does good to his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.

There is one who scatters, and increases yet more. There is one who withholds more than is appropriate, but gains poverty.

People curse someone who withholds grain, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

The slothful man doesn’t roast his game, but the possessions of diligent men are prized.

The righteous one eats to the satisfying of his soul, but the belly of the wicked goes hungry.

Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.

Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.

An unfriendly man pursues selfishness, and defies all sound judgment.

A fool has no delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own opinion.

The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, like an unscalable wall in his own imagination.

The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly.

Many will entreat the favor of a ruler, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.

All the relatives of the poor shun him: how much more do his friends avoid him! He pursues them with pleas, but they are gone.

“It’s no good, it’s no good,” says the buyer; but when he is gone his way, then he boasts.

The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.

Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he will also cry out, but shall not be heard.

He who loves pleasure shall be a poor man. He who loves wine and oil shall not be rich.

The proud and haughty man, “scoffer” is his name; he works in the arrogance of pride.

The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.

There are those who covet greedily all day long; but the righteous give and don’t withhold.

A wicked man hardens his face; but as for the upright, he establishes his ways.

A good name is more desirable than great riches, and loving favor is better than silver and gold.

The rich rule over the poor. The borrower is servant to the lender.

Drive out the mocker, and strife will go out; yes, quarrels and insults will stop.

Whoever oppresses the poor for his own increase and whoever gives to the rich, both come to poverty.

Don’t exploit the poor, because he is poor; and don’t crush the needy in court;

Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and don’t crave his delicacies:

for as he thinks about the cost, so he is. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”

As clouds and wind without rain, so is he who boasts of gifts deceptively.

It is not good to eat much honey; nor is it honorable to seek one’s own honor.

The sluggard buries his hand in the dish. He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer with discretion.

Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him.

A full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to a hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.

Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; and a man’s eyes are never satisfied.

A needy man who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain which leaves no crops.

He who increases his wealth by excessive interest gathers it for one who has pity on the poor.

A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment. One who hates ill-gotten gain will have long days.

A stingy man hurries after riches, and doesn’t know that poverty waits for him.

Whoever robs his father or his mother, and says, “It’s not wrong.” He is a partner with a destroyer.

One who is greedy stirs up strife; but one who trusts in Yahweh will prosper.

There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! Their eyelids are lifted up.

There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and their jaws like knives, to devour the poor from the earth, and the needy from among men.

“The leach has two daughters: ‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied; four that don’t say, ‘Enough:’

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth: therefore enjoy pleasure”; and behold, this also was vanity.

Whatever my eyes desired, I didn’t keep from them. I didn’t withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.

Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.

a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and chasing after wind.

There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then, do I labor, and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business.

There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was—yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.

All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?

Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.

Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn’t know how to go to the city.

Your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves. Everyone loves bribes, and follows after rewards. They don’t judge the fatherless, neither does the cause of the widow come to them.