Debt

Debt is money or goods owed to another. The Bible addresses borrowing, lending, interest, repayment, and the release of debts.

Owe no man anything

• Romans 13:8
  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
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• Proverbs 22:7
  The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.
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Repaying what is borrowed

• Psalm 37:21
  The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving.
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• Proverbs 3:27-28
  ²⁷Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act. ²⁸Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.Do not tell your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I will provide”— when you already have the means.
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• Exodus 22:14
  And if a man borrow ought of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good.If a man borrows an animal from his neighbor and it is injured or dies while its owner is not present, he must make full restitution.
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Lending to the poor

• Exodus 22:25
  If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.If you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest.
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• Deuteronomy 15:7-8
  ⁷If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother. ⁸But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him whatever he needs.
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• Luke 6:34-35
  ³⁴And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. ³⁵But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
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• Psalm 112:5
  A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.It is well with the man who is generous and lends freely, whose affairs are guided by justice.
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• Proverbs 19:17
  He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.
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Interest and usury

• Leviticus 25:35-37
  ³⁵And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.Now if your countryman becomes destitute and cannot support himself among you, then you are to help him as you would a foreigner or stranger, so that he can continue to live among you. ³⁶Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.Do not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you. ³⁷Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.You must not lend him your silver at interest or sell him your food for profit.
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• Deuteronomy 23:19-20
  ¹⁹Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:Do not charge your brother interest on money, food, or any other type of loan. ²⁰Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.You may charge a foreigner interest, but not your brother, so that the LORD your God may bless you in everything to which you put your hand in the land that you are entering to possess.
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• Psalm 15:5
  He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
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Surety for another

• Proverbs 6:1-5
  ¹My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge with a stranger, ²Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth, ³Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.then do this, my son, to free yourself, for you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go, humble yourself, and press your plea with your neighbor. ⁴Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids. ⁵Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
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• Proverbs 17:18
  A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend.A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.
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• Proverbs 22:26-27
  ²⁶Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.Do not be one who gives pledges, who puts up security for debts. ²⁷If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?
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Release of debts

• Deuteronomy 15:1-2
  ¹At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. ²And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord’s release.This is the manner of remission: Every creditor shall cancel what he has loaned to his neighbor. He is not to collect anything from his neighbor or brother, because the LORD’s time of release has been proclaimed.
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• Matthew 6:12
  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
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• Matthew 18:23-27
  ²³Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.As he began the settlements, a debtor was brought to him owing ten thousand talents. ²⁵But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.Since the man was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay his debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned. ²⁶The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.Then the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Have patience with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ ²⁷Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him.
  Show context · Read Matthew 18 →

See also

• Money
• Poverty
• Stewardship of creation
• Generosity
• Greed

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.