Category
104 Bible Verses About Gambling
I want to talk to you about something I've been reflecting on: using our resources wisely. The Bible teaches us to take care of our families, and that really hits home for me. It makes me think twice about risking what I have on things like gambling, hoping for a quick win. While the Bible doesn't specifically call out gambling, it gives us a lot of guidance to figure out how God feels about it.
Luke 12:1515 really speaks to me: "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." That's a powerful reminder that true wealth isn't about how much stuff we have. It's about something deeper.
And then there's Luke 12:4242: "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?" This verse challenges me to be a good steward of everything I've been blessed with. It reminds me to manage my resources wisely, appreciating everything I've received, and not throwing it away on risky choices.
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile.
No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Dishonest wealth will dwindle, but what is earned through hard work will be multiplied.
and to aspire to live quietly, to attend to your own matters, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you.
“Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house or field, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.
Riches are worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness brings deliverance from death.
In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets.
He who is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble on his household, but he who hates bribes will live.
He who loves pleasure will become poor; the one who loves wine and oil will never be rich.
Precious treasures and oil are in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man consumes them.
Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself or giving gifts to the rich will surely lead to poverty.
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself.When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.
The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.A faithful man will abound with blessings, but one eager to be rich will not go unpunished.
There is a grievous evil I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner,or wealth lost in a failed venture, so when that man has a son there is nothing to pass on.As a man came from his mother’s womb, so he will depart again, naked as he arrived. He takes nothing for his labor to carry in his hands.
Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.
But you who forsake the Lord, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny, I will destine you for the sword, and you will all kneel down to be slaughtered, because I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen; you did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.”
Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.”
They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will seem unclean. Their silver and gold cannot save them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their appetites or fill their stomachs with wealth, for it became the stumbling block that brought their iniquity.
Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands.They covet fields and seize them; they take away houses. They deprive a man of his home, a fellow man of his inheritance.
Can I forget any longer, O house of the wicked, the treasures of wickedness and the short ephah, which is accursed?Can I excuse dishonest scales or bags of false weights?For the wealthy of the city are full of violence, and its residents speak lies; their tongues are deceitful in their mouths.
Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, to place his nest on high and escape the hand of disaster!
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”When the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions.To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey.The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and gained five more.Likewise, the one with the two talents gained two more.But the servant who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.After a long time the master of those servants returned to settle accounts with them.The servant who had received the five talents came and presented five more. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’The servant who had received the two talents also came and said, ‘Master, you entrusted me with two talents. See, I have gained two more.’His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’Finally, the servant who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what belongs to you.’‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed.Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest.Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents.For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The seeds that fell among the thorns are those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and their fruit does not mature.
And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor.And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with soresand longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried.In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side.So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to us.’‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said, ‘send Lazarus to my father’s house,for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also end up in this place of torment.’But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let your brothers listen to them.’‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone is sent to them from the dead, they will repent.’Then Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
On hearing this, Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”But when the ruler heard this, he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.Seeing the man’s sadness, Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!Indeed, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.To those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!”
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds for himself, but brought a portion and laid it at the apostles’ feet.Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land?
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money.“Give me this power as well,” he said, “so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”But Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts,
On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a portion of his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will be needed.
Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.
He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.
But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving.For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.
and to aspire to live quietly, to attend to your own matters, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you.Then you will behave properly toward outsiders, without being dependent on anyone.
not dependent on wine, not violent but gentle, peaceable, and free of the love of money.
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.For we brought nothing into the world, so we cannot carry anything out of it.But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy.Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share,treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
As God’s steward, an overseer must be above reproach—not self-absorbed, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money.
You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, knowing that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession.
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.
Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.”You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.”
Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you.Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes.Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days.
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but because it is God’s will; not out of greed, but out of eagerness;
In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.
If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
One pretends to be rich, but has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
So He said, “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to lay claim to his kingship and then return.Beforehand, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Conduct business with this until I return,’ he said. But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’When he returned from procuring his kingship, he summoned the servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what each one had earned.The first servant came forward and said, ‘Master, your mina has produced ten more minas.’His master replied, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you shall have authority over ten cities.’The second servant came and said, ‘Master, your mina has made five minas.’And to this one he said, ‘You shall have authority over five cities.’Then another servant came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have laid away in a piece of cloth.For I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man. You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.’His master replied, ‘You wicked servant, I will judge you by your own words. So you knew that I am a harsh man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?Why then did you not deposit my money in the bank, and upon my return I could have collected it with interest?’Then he told those standing by, ‘Take the mina from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’‘Master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’He replied, ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more; but the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
For you have spent enough time in the past carrying out the same desires as the Gentiles: living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry.Because of this, they consider it strange of you not to plunge with them into the same flood of reckless indiscretion, and they heap abuse on you.But they will have to give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
All a man’s labor is for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied. What advantage, then, has the wise man over the fool? What gain comes to the poor man who knows how to conduct himself before others?Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.So we aspire to please Him, whether we are here in this body or away from it.
He chose to suffer oppression with God’s people rather than to experience the fleeting enjoyment of sin.
Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.
Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.
So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.