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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 a root of all evil, by which some, because they desire it, have gone astray from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.
He who hurries for wealth is a man with an evil eye, but he does not know that poverty will come upon him.
Whoever loves money is not satisfied with money, and whoever loves wealth is not satisfied with profit. This also is vanity!
“No one is able to serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You are not able to serve God and money.
Wealth gained from haste will dwindle, but he who gathers little by little will increase it.
and to aspire to live a quiet life, and to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, just as we commanded you,
All things are permitted for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are permitted for me, but I will not be controlled by anything.
“You shall not covet the house of your neighbor; you will not covet the wife of your neighbor or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
“ ‘You shall not exploit your neighbor, and you shall not rob him; a hired worker’s wage you shall not withhold overnight until morning.
‘And you shall not covet the wife of your neighbor, and you shall not crave the house of your neighbor, his field or his slave or his slave woman or his ox and his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’
Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are pleasing, whatever things are commendable, if there is any excellence of character and if anything praiseworthy, think about these things.
He who trusts in his wealth is he who will fall, but like a green leaf the righteous will flourish.
Therefore in all things, whatever you want that people should do to you, thus also you do to them. For this is the law and the prophets.
He who makes trouble for his house is he who is greedy for unjust gain, but he who hates bribes will live.
A man of want is he who loves pleasure; he who loves wine and oil will not become rich.
Precious treasure and oil are in the house of the wise, but the foolish person will devour them.
A reputation is to be chosen rather than great riches; favor is better than silver and gold.
He who oppresses the poor in order to enrich himself, or gives to the rich, will come to poverty.
Do not tire in order to become rich; out of your understanding, may you desist.Your eyes will alight on it, but there is nothing to it, for suddenly it will make for itself wings like an eagle and it will be exhausted in the heavens.
Better to be poor and walking in one’s integrity than to be crooked of ways when one is rich.
He who tills his ground will have plenty bread, but he who follows fantasies will have plenty of poverty.By the rebellion of a land, her rulers increase, but by a person of intelligence who knows justice, it will last.A man of faithfulness has abundant blessings, but he who hurries to become rich will not go unpunished.
There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded by its owner to his harm.That wealth was lost in a bad venture. Although he has borne a child, he has nothing to leave to him.Just as he came from his mother’s womb naked, he will depart just as he came; he will take nothing with him for his toil.
Why do you weigh out money for what is not food, and your labor for what cannot satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and let your soul take pleasure in rich food.
But you who forsake Yahweh, forgetting my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune, and who pour out a jug of mixed wine for Destiny,and I will remit you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because I called, but you did not answer; I spoke, but you did not listen, but you did the evil in my eyes, and you chose that in which I do not delight.”
Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is one who amasses wealth without justice. In the middle of his days it will leave him, and at his end he will prove to be a fool.”
Their silver they will discard on the streets, and filth will be their gold; their silver and their gold will not be able to rescue them on the day of the wrath of Yahweh. They will not satisfy their hunger and their stomachs they will not fill, for their guilt will be their stumbling block.
Woe to those who plan wickedness and evil deeds upon their beds! In the light of the morning they did it, because they have power in their hands.Arise and go, for this is no resting place, on account of uncleanness that destroys with painful destruction.If a man walks about in a spirit of deception and lies, saying “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” then he would be a preacher for this people!I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely gather together the remainder of Israel. I will set them like sheep of Bozrah. Like a herd in the midst of their pasture they will be in tumult from people.The one who breaks out before them goes up; they break through and pass the gate, going out through it. Their king passes before them, Yahweh at their head.They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and they take them away. They oppress a man and his house; a man and his inheritance.
Is there any longer a man in the house of the wicked treasures of wickedness, and the ephah of scarcity which is accursed?Shall I regard as pure the one with scales of wickedness, and with a bag of deceitful weights?Because her rich are full of violence, and her inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
Woe to him who obtains profit from evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be saved from the hand of misfortune!
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and consuming insect destroy and where thieves break in and steal,Therefore whenever you practice charitable giving, do not sound a trumpet in front of you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, in order that they may be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full!but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor consuming insect destroy and where thieves do not break in or steal.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
For what will a person be benefited if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what will a person give in exchange for his life?
Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give the proceeds to the poor—and you will have treasure in heaven—and come, follow me.”But when the young man heard the statement, he went away sorrowful, because he was one who had many possessions.And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I say to you that with difficulty a rich person will enter into the kingdom of heaven!And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich person into the kingdom of God.”
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence!
For it is like a man going on a journey. He summoned his own slaves and handed over his property to them.And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each one according to his own ability, and he went on a journey immediately.The one who had received the five talents went out and traded with them and gained five more.In the same way the one who had the two gained two more.But the one who had received the one went away and dug up the ground and hid his master’s money.Now after a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.Now five of them were foolish and five were wise.And the one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents. See, I have gained five more talents!’His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge over many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’And the one who had the two talents also came up and said, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents. See, I have gained two talents more!’His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge over many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’And the one who had received the one talent came up also and said, ‘Master, because I knew you, that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering from where you did not scatter seed.And because I was afraid, I went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours!’But his master answered and said to him, ‘Evil and lazy slave! You knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather from where I did not scatter seed.Then you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and when I returned I would have gotten back what was mine with interest!Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.For when the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take olive oil with them.And throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness—in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’
And the seed that fell into the thorn plants—these are the ones who hear and as they go along are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, and they do not bear fruit to maturity.
And he said to them, “Watch out and guard yourselves from all greediness, because not even when someone has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”
Sell your possessions and give charitable gifts. Make for yourselves money bags that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven where thief does not approach or moth destroy.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
No domestic slave is able to serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and will despise the other. You are not able to serve God and money.”
Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him.
“Now a certain man was rich, and dressed in purple cloth and fine linen, feasting sumptuously every day.And he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give the account of your management, because you can no longer manage.’And a certain poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, lay at his gate,and was longing to be filled with what fell from the table of the rich man. But even the dogs came and licked his sores.Now it happened that the poor man died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried.And in Hades he lifted up his eyes as he was in torment and saw Abraham from a distance, and Lazarus at his side.And he called out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he could dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am suffering pain in this flame!’But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you received your good things during your life, and Lazarus likewise bad things. But now he is comforted here, but you are suffering pain.And in addition to all these things, a great chasm has been established between us and you, so that those who want to cross over from here to you are not able to do so, nor can they cross over from there to us.’So he said, ‘Then I ask you, father, that you send him to my father’s house,for I have five brothers, so that he could warn them, in order that they also should not come to this place of torment!’But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must listen to them.’And the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do, because my master is taking away the management from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg.And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent!’But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
And when he heard this, Jesus said to him, “You still lack one thing: Sell all that you have, and distribute the proceeds to the poor—and you will have treasure in heaven—and come, follow me.”But when he heard these things he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.And Jesus took notice of him and said, “How difficult it is for those who possess wealth to enter into the kingdom of God!For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.
And he made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the temple courts, both the sheep and the oxen, and he poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.And to the ones selling the doves he said, “Take these things away from here! Do not make my Father’s house a marketplace!”
Now a certain man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,And immediately she fell down at his feet and died. So when the young men came in, they found her dead, and carried her out and buried her with her husband.And great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard about these things.Now many signs and wonders were being performed among the people through the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico.And none of the rest dared to join them, but the people spoke highly of them.And even more believers in the Lord were being added, large numbers of both men and women,so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and put them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow would fall on some of them.And the people of the towns around Jerusalem also came together, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, who were all being healed.Now the high priest rose up and all those who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy.And they laid hands on the apostles and put them in the public prison.But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison and led them out and said,and he kept back for himself some of the proceeds, and his wife was aware of it. And he brought a certain part and placed it at the feet of the apostles.“Go and stand in the temple courts and proclaim to the people all the words of this life.”And when they heard this, they entered at daybreak into the temple courts and began teaching. Now when the high priest and those with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin—even the whole council of elders of the sons of Israel—and sent to the prison to have them brought.But the officers who came did not find them in the prison, and they returned and reported,saying, “We found the prison locked with all security and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!”Now when both the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed concerning them, as to what this might be.But someone came and reported to them, “Behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple courts and teaching the people!”Then the captain went with the officers and brought them, not with force (for they were afraid of the people, lest they be stoned by them).And when they had brought them, they made them stand in the Sanhedrin, and the high priest put a question to them,saying, “We strictly commanded you not to teach in this name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching! And you are intending to bring upon us the blood of this man!”But Peter and the apostles answered and said, “It is necessary to obey God rather than men!But Peter said, “Ananias, for what reason has Satan filled your heart, that you lied to the Holy Spirit and kept back for yourself some of the proceeds of the piece of land?
Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money,saying, “Give to me also this power, so that whomever I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit!”And devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him.But Peter said to him, “May your silver be destroyed along with you, because you thought you could acquire the gift of God by means of money!
But now I have written to you not to associate with any so-called brother, if he is a sexually immoral person or a greedy person or an idolater or an abusive person or a drunkard or a swindler—with such a person not even to eat.
Therefore, whether you eat or you drink or whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God.
On the first day of the week, each one of you put aside something, saving up to whatever extent he has prospered, in order that whenever I come, at that time collections do not take place.
Each one should give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or from compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
The one who steals must steal no longer, but instead must labor, working with his own hands what is good, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need.
But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or greediness, must not even be named among you (as is fitting for saints),because we are members of his body.“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”(This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.)Only you also, each one of you, must thus love his own wife as himself, and the wife must respect her husband.and obscenity, and foolish talk, or coarse jesting (which are not proper), but rather thanksgiving.For this you know for certain, that every sexually immoral person, or unclean person, or greedy person (who is an idolater), does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Therefore put to death what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustful passion, evil desire, and greediness, which is idolatry,
and to aspire to live a quiet life, and to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, just as we commanded you,so that you may live decently toward those outside, and may have need of nothing.
Command those who are rich in this present age not to be proud and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of riches, but in God, who provides us all things richly for enjoyment,to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, sharing freely,storing up for themselves a good foundation for the future, in order that they may take hold of what is truly life.
For it is necessary for the overseer to be blameless as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain,
For you both sympathized with the prisoners and put up with the seizure of your belongings with joy because you knew that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession.
Your lifestyle must be free from the love of money, being content with what you have. For he himself has said, “I will never desert you, and I will never abandon you.”
Listen, my dear brothers! Did not God choose the poor of the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?But you have dishonored the poor! Are not the rich exploiting you and they themselves dragging you into the courts?
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there, and carry on business and make a profit,”you who do not know what will happen tomorrow, what your life will be like. For you are a smoky vapor that appears for a short time and then disappears.Instead you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
Come now, you rich people, weep and cry aloud over the miseries that are coming upon you!Brothers, take as an example of perseverance and endurance the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.Behold, we consider blessed those who have endured. You have heard about the patient endurance of Job, and you saw the outcome from the Lord, that the Lord is compassionate and merciful.Now above all, my brothers, do not swear either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no, no, in order that you may not fall under judgment.Is anyone among you suffering misfortune? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praise.Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the elders of the church and they should pray over him, anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord.And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins he will be forgiven.Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous person accomplishes much.Elijah was a human being with the same nature as us, and he prayed fervently for it not to rain, and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.And he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the earth produced its fruit.My brothers, if anyone among you should wander away from the truth and someone turns him back,Your wealth has rotted, and your clothing has become moth-eaten.he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from the error of his way will save that person’s soul from death, and will cover over a great number of sins.Your gold and silver have become corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you, and it will consume your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days.
shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not by compulsion but willingly, in accordance with God, and not greedily but eagerly,
And in greediness they will exploit you with false words, whose condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him,because everything that is in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance of material possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world.And the world is passing away, and its desire, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.
But whoever has the world’s material possessions and observes his brother in need and shuts his heart against him, how does the love of God reside in him?
Because you are saying, “I am rich, and have become rich, and I have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and pitiable and poor and blind and naked,I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire, in order that you may become rich, and white clothing, in order that you may be clothed and the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed, and eye salve to smear on your eyes, in order that you may see.
There is one who acts rich but has nothing; another who pretends to be poor but has wealth.
Therefore he said, “A certain nobleman traveled to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.And summoning ten of his own slaves, he gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business until I come back.’But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to be king over us!’And it happened that when he returned after receiving the kingdom, he ordered these slaves to whom he had given the money to be summoned to him, so that he could know what they had gained by trading.So the first arrived, saying, ‘Sir, your mina has made ten minas more!’And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very small thing, have authority over ten cities.’And the second came, saying, ‘Sir, your mina has made five minas.’So he said to this one also, ‘And you be over five cities.’And there was a man named Zacchaeus, and he was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.And another came, saying, ‘Sir, behold your mina, which I had put away for safekeeping in a piece of cloth.For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man—you withdraw what you did not deposit, and you reap what you did not sow!’He said to him, ‘By your own words I will judge you, wicked slave! You knew that I am a severe man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.And why did you not give my money to the bank, and I, when I returned, would have collected it with interest?’And to the bystanders he said, ‘Take away from him the mina and give it to the one who has the ten minas!’And they said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten minas.’‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
And what was sown into the thorn plants—this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of this world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unproductive.
For the time that has passed was sufficient to do what the Gentiles desire to do, having lived in licentiousness, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries,with respect to which they are surprised when you do not run with them into the same flood of dissipation, and so they revile you.They will give an account to the one who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
Therefore, let us no longer pass judgment on one another, but rather decide this: not to place a cause for stumbling or a temptation before a brother.
And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may approve what is the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God.
All of a man’s toil is for his mouth— yet his appetite is never satisfied.So do the wise really have an advantage over fools? Can the poor really gain anything by knowing how to act in front of others?Better to be content with what your eyes see than for your soul to constantly crave more. This also is vanity and chasing wind!
choosing instead to be mistreated with the people of God rather than to experience the transitory enjoyment of sin,
Thus are the ways of all who are greedy for gain— it will take the life of its possessors.
The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world preserves it for eternal life.If anyone serves me, he must follow me, and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
And the king will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, in as much as you did it to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.’
Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers, for what participation is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
Getting wisdom: how much better than gold! And getting understanding: it is chosen over silver.
And he said to them, “You are the ones who justify themselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts! For what is considered exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.