Bible Verses About Covetousness

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.

But Jesus replied, “A certain man prepared a great banquet and invited many guests.

When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’

Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. Please excuse me.’

Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, so I cannot come.’

The servant returned and reported all this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’

‘Sir,’ the servant replied, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’

So the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.

For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will taste my banquet.’”

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.”

Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.

Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”

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?

Did it not belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How could you conceive such a deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God!”

On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great fear came over all who heard what had happened.

Then the young men stepped forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

About three hours later his wife also came in, unaware of what had happened.

“Tell me,” said Peter, “is this the price you and your husband got for the land?” “Yes,” she answered, “that is the price.”

“How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?” Peter replied. “Look, the feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

At that instant she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.