585 verses about Selfishness

Don’t take any gold, silver, or brass in your money belts.

Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them.

For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has.

The king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths, and of those who sat at the table with him, he commanded it to be given,

But you say, ‘Whoever may tell his father or his mother, “Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,”

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

“But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

He would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back that which was due.

Jesus said to his disciples, “Most certainly I say to you, a rich man will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven with difficulty.

When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household,

saying, ‘These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’

Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?’

He said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand, and one on your left hand, in your Kingdom.”

When the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two brothers.

It shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.

A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Leviticus 19:18

For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.

But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad, enlarge the fringes of their garments,

and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,

the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.

and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards,

The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

But the wise answered, saying, ‘What if there isn’t enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’

For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away.

for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink;

But when his disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?

For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.”

If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

For whoever has, to him will more be given, and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.”

He swore to her, “Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.”

She came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptizer on a platter.”

The king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests, he didn’t wish to refuse her.

But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban, that is to say, given to God”;’

then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother,

He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing among yourselves on the way?”

But they were silent, for they had disputed one with another on the way about who was the greatest.

He sat down, and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.”

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came near to him, saying, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we will ask.”

They said to him, “Grant to us that we may sit, one at your right hand, and one at your left hand, in your glory.”

When the ten heard it, they began to be indignant towards James and John.

But it shall not be so among you, but whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant.

Whoever of you wants to become first among you, shall be bondservant of all.

and the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts:

those who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

But there were some who were indignant among themselves, saying, “Why has this ointment been wasted?

For this might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor.” They grumbled against her.

Give to everyone who asks you, and don’t ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much.

Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?

For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits his own self?

There arose an argument among them about which of them was the greatest.

But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side.

and he from within will answer and say, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give it to you’?

Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces.

One of the multitude said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”

He reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I don’t have room to store my crops?’

He said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My lord delays his coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken,

He spoke a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the best seats, and said to them,

He also said to the one who had invited him, “When you make a dinner or a supper, don’t call your friends, nor your brothers, nor your kinsmen, nor rich neighbors, or perhaps they might also return the favor, and pay you back.

They all as one began to make excuses. “The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please have me excused.’

“Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go try them out. Please have me excused.’

“Another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I can’t come.’

“If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple.

So therefore whoever of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has, he can’t be my disciple.

The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ He divided his livelihood between them.

Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living.

When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need.

He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

He wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any.

But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger!

But he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.

I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from management, they may receive me into their houses.’

No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You aren’t able to serve God and Mammon.”

He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

“Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day.

He wouldn’t for a while, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God, nor respect man,

The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: ‘God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

Another came, saying, ‘Lord, behold, your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief,

‘For I tell you that to everyone who has, will more be given; but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.

There arose also a contention among them, which of them was considered to be greatest.

He must increase, but I must decrease.

Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled.

He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory, but he who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them.

The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn’t care for the sheep.

“Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and given to the poor?”

Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it.

He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life.

He listened to them, expecting to receive something from them.

and kept back part of the price, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away to Cyprus,

I coveted no one’s silver, or gold, or clothing.

Meanwhile, he also hoped that money would be given to him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore also he sent for him more often, and talked with him.