Scripture Library · Stewardship and money · KJV

Bible Verses About Money and Stewardship (KJV) + A Prayer for Contentment

Jesus talked about money often, because “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” These 16 passages from the King James Bible cover earning, spending, giving, saving and debt, and they all start from the same place: “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof.”

16 Bible verses about money and stewardship

How should I earn, spend, give and save?

Matthew 6:19-24KJV

19Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Store treasure in heaven; you cannot serve both God and money.Read in context →

1 Timothy 6:6-10KJV

6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Godliness with contentment is great gain; the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.Read in context →

1 Timothy 6:17-19KJV

17Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

The rich are to be generous and to hope in God, not in uncertain riches.Read in context →

Proverbs 3:9-10KJV

9Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

Honour the Lord with your wealth and with the first of your increase.Read in context →

Malachi 3:8-10KJV

8Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Bring the tithe into the storehouse and see if God will not pour out blessing.Read in context →

2 Corinthians 9:6-8KJV

6But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

Whoever sows generously reaps generously; God loves a cheerful giver.Read in context →

Luke 16:10-13KJV

10He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 11If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own? 13No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Whoever is faithful in little is faithful in much.Read in context →

Matthew 25:14-30KJV

14For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. 19After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. Keep reading →

The parable of the talents: servants entrusted with their master's money.Read in context →

Proverbs 22:7KJV

7The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

The borrower is servant to the lender.Read in context →

Proverbs 21:5KJV

5The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.

The plans of the diligent lead to plenty; haste leads to want.Read in context →

Proverbs 13:11KJV

11Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.

Wealth gained hastily dwindles; whoever gathers little by little increases it.Read in context →

Luke 12:15-21KJV

15And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 16And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

The rich fool stores up for himself and is not rich toward God.Read in context →

Hebrews 13:5KJV

5Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Keep your life free from love of money and be content with what you have.Read in context →

Philippians 4:11-13, 19KJV

11Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. … 19But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Paul has learned contentment in plenty and in need; God supplies every need.Read in context →

Mark 12:41-44KJV

41And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. 42And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 43And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 44For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

The widow's two small coins: she gave more than all the rest.Read in context →

Psalm 24:1KJV

1The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it.Read in context →

A prayer for money and contentment

Pray it slowly, in your own words if you like.

Lord, everything I have is Yours. My income, my home, my time and my abilities are all on loan from You. Help me to hold them with open hands.

Guard my heart from the love of money and from worry about not having enough. Teach me the secret Paul learned, to be content in plenty and in want, because You supply all my needs.

Make me faithful in little things and generous like the widow who gave all she had. Give me wisdom to plan, to stay out of debt, and to give cheerfully. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

What the Bible says about money

Is money the root of all evil?

The verse is often misquoted. 1 Timothy 6:10 says “the love of money is the root of all evil.” Money itself is a tool. The danger is when it becomes what we trust, chase or serve. Jesus said plainly, “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).

What does the Bible say about tithing and giving?

Malachi 3:8-10 calls God’s people to bring the tithe into the storehouse, and Proverbs 3:9 says to honor the Lord with the firstfruits. The New Testament emphasizes generous, willing giving: “for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

What does the Bible say about debt?

Proverbs 22:7 warns that “the borrower is servant to the lender.” Scripture does not forbid every loan, but it encourages us to avoid the bondage of debt, plan diligently (Proverbs 21:5), and grow wealth slowly and honestly (Proverbs 13:11).

What is biblical stewardship?

Stewardship means managing what belongs to someone else. Psalm 24:1 says the earth is the Lord’s, and the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) shows that God expects us to use what He gives faithfully, whether it is a little or a lot.

More Bible verses by topic

Looking for Scripture on something else? The Scripture Library gathers 255 passages around the struggles and questions people actually bring to God.

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (public domain).