Poverty

Poverty and care for the poor are frequent subjects in the law, the Proverbs, the Gospels and the letters. This page lists those verses.

Care for the poor

• Deuteronomy 15:11
  For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.
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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.
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• Proverbs 14:31
  He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.
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• Proverbs 31:8-9
  ⁸Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. ⁹Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
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Jesus and the poor

• Luke 4:18
  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
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• Matthew 25:35-40
  ³⁵For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: ³⁶Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. ³⁷Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? ³⁸When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? ³⁹Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? ⁴⁰And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
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• Luke 14:13-14
  ¹³But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: ¹⁴And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
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In the letters

• James 2:15-16
  ¹⁵If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
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• Galatians 2:10
  Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
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• 1 John 3:17
  But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
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Work

• 2 Thessalonians 3:10
  For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
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• Proverbs 10:4
  He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
  Show context · Read Proverbs 10 →

See also

• Money
• Love

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.