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Bible Verses about Helping The Poor

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Compiled by The BibleStudyTools Staff on 07/21/2023
Bible Verses about Helping The Poor

What does the Bible say about Helping the Poor?

These are a few examples in the Bible that talk about helping the poor. The Bible teaches that helping the poor is not just a good thing to do, but it is also a command from God. 

When we help the poor, we are not only helping them, but we are also honoring God. Christian trust in God to provide all that is necessary, living with faith and love to help our neighbors in need.

Top Bible Verses about Helping the Poor

Proverbs 19:17 - Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.

Proverbs 22:9 - Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.

Proverbs 14:31 - Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.

Deuteronomy 15:11 - For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’

Proverbs 28:27 - Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.

Galatians 2:10 - Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

Proverbs 14:21 - Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.

Acts 20:35 - In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Read more Bible verses about helping the poor in the collection of scriptures below:

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Galatians 2:10

10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.
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Matthew 19:21

21 Jesus answered, “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.”
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Luke 12:33-34

33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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Luke 12:33

33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
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Luke 14:12-14

12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.
13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
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Luke 6:20-21

20 Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
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2 Corinthians 8:9

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
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James 2:5

5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
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Mark 14:7

7 The poor you will always have with you,and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.
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Proverbs 19:17

17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.
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Proverbs 22:9

9 The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.
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Proverbs 14:31

31 Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
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Proverbs 28:27

27 Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.
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Deuteronomy 15:11

11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.
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Proverbs 21:13

13 Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered.
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Luke 6:38

38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
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Matthew 5:42

42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
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James 1:27

James 1:27
27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
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Leviticus 19:9-10

9 “ ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.
10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.
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1 John 3:17

17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?
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Deuteronomy 15:7-8

7 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.
8 Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need.
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Matthew 25:31-46

Every life is worth the same to GOD, PRICELESS! - Matthew 25:40
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.
32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
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Isaiah 25:4

4 You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall
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Acts 20:35

35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
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Proverbs 29:7

7 The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.
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Psalms 140:12

12 I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.
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Jeremiah 22:16

16 He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the LORD.
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1 Samuel 2:8

8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. “For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s; on them he has set the world.
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Luke 3:11

11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
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Leviticus 25:35

35 “ ‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you.
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Proverbs 22:22-23

22 Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court,
23 for the LORD will take up their case and will exact life for life.
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Leviticus 19:15

15 “ ‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
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Proverbs 31:8-9

8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.
9 Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
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Psalms 12:5

5 “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the LORD. “I will protect them from those who malign them.”
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Psalms 35:10

10 My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
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Ephesians 4:28

28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
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Ezekiel 16:49

49 “ ‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
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Isaiah 58:6-7

6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
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Proverbs 17:5

5 Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.
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1 John 3:17-18

17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?
18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
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Matthew 25:40

Every life is worth the same to GOD, PRICELESS! - Matthew 25:40
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
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Deuteronomy 15:10-11

10 Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.
11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.
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Isaiah 61:1

Isaiah 61:1a
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
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Galatians 6:2

2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
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Hebrews 13:16

16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
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Romans 12:13

13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
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Luke 3:10-11

10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.
11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
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Isaiah 41:17

17 “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
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Deuteronomy 15:7

7 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.
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Ezekiel 22:29

29 The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice.
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