he Bible contains various passages that discuss money, business, and markets. While not directly referencing modern financial systems or practices, these passages offer timeless principles on finance, commerce, and ethics. Here are 20 examples:
| Concept | Bible Location | Bible Verse |
|---|---|---|
| Honest business practices | Leviticus 19:35-36 | “Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight, or quantity. Use honest scales and honest weights.” |
| Diversification of investments | Ecclesiastes 11:2 | “Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.” |
| Diligence in work | Proverbs 22:29 | “Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank.” |
| Avoiding debt | Proverbs 22:7 | “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” |
| Saving for the future | Proverbs 6:6-8 | “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” |
| Generosity to the poor | Proverbs 19:17 | “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” |
| Avoiding co-signing loans | Proverbs 11:15 | “Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe.” |
| Paying fair wages | James 5:4 | “Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you.” |
| Tithing | Malachi 3:10 | “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.” |
| Avoiding the love of money | 1 Timothy 6:10 | “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” |
| Planning for the future | Proverbs 21:5 | “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” |
| Responsibility in stewardship | Luke 16:10-11 | “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” |
| Financial wisdom | Proverbs 13:11 | “Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.” |
| The value of hard work | Proverbs 14:23 | “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” |
| Avoiding get-rich-quick schemes | Proverbs 28:20 | “A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.” |
| Contentment with provision | Philippians 4:12 | “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” |
| Integrity in business | Proverbs 16:11 | “Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord; all the weights in the bag are of his making.” |
| Concept | Bible Location | Bible Verse |
|---|---|---|
| Avoiding bribery | Exodus 23:8 | “Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.” |
| Financial partnerships | Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 | “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” |
| The value of good counsel | Proverbs 15:22 | “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” |
| Lending without interest | Exodus 22:25 | “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest.” |
| Honoring contracts | Psalm 15:4 | “Who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind.” |
| Rest and work balance | Exodus 20:8-10 | “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God.” |
| Seeking God’s guidance | Proverbs 3:5-6 | “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” |
| The danger of unjust gain | Proverbs 1:19 | “Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it.” |
| Honest weights and measures | Deuteronomy 25:13-15 | “Do not have two differing weights in your bag—one heavy, one light. You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” |
| Helping others in need | Deuteronomy 15:7-8 | “If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need.” |
| The parable of the talents | Matthew 25:14-30 | “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property…” |
| Paying taxes | Matthew 22:21 | “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” |
| The dangers of debt | Romans 13:8 | “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” |
| The value of skilled labor | Proverbs 10:4 | “Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.” |
| Leaving an inheritance | Proverbs 13:22 | “A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.” |
| The consequences of laziness | Proverbs 24:30-34 | “I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense…” |
| Concept | Bible Location | Bible Verse |
|---|---|---|
| Avoiding oppression | Leviticus 25:17 | “Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God.” |
| Providing for one’s family | 1 Timothy 5:8 | “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” |
| The danger of dishonest gain | Proverbs 20:21 | “An inheritance claimed too soon will not be blessed at the end.” |
| The importance of generosity | Acts 20:35 | “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” |
| The power of networking | Proverbs 27:17 | “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” |
| The virtue of patience | Proverbs 19:2 | “Desire without knowledge is not good—how much more will hasty feet miss the way!” |
| Long-term financial planning | Proverbs 27:23-24 | “Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds… for riches do not endure forever.” |
| Investing in education | Proverbs 4:7 | “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” |
| The value of a good reputation | Proverbs 22:1 | “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” |
| The danger of greed | Ecclesiastes 5:10 | “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.” |
| The importance of wise counsel | Proverbs 12:15 | “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.” |
| The benefits of diligence | Proverbs 12:24 | “Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.” |
| Avoiding overwork | Psalm 127:2 | “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves.” |
| The danger of dishonesty | Proverbs 21:6 | “A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.” |
| The importance of gratitude | 1 Thessalonians 5:18 | “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” |
| The benefits of contentment | Hebrews 13:5 | “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have…” |
| The importance of kindness | Proverbs 11:25 | “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” |
| The value of sharing | Acts 4:32-35 | “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.” |
| The benefits of perseverance | Galatians 6:9 | “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” |
