This list gives you Scripture about tithing, the practice of setting aside a tenth of what you earn as an act of worship and trust. It is for anyone who wants to understand what the Bible says about giving, whether you are just beginning to tithe or have wondered whether it still applies. The verses below share a common thread: they treat giving as a response to God’s generosity rather than a payment that earns his favor.
Verses on Giving the First Portion
The Old Testament law gave Israel clear instructions about the tenth, but the principle behind it reaches further than a rule. These verses show that God asked his people to put him first in their income, trusting that he would provide for what remained.
Proverbs 3:9-10
9 Honor the LORD with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase: 10 so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
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Honoring the Lord with your firstfruits means giving before you spend. Try writing your giving amount on the same line as your rent or groceries, so God’s share is planned rather than leftover.
Malachi 3:10
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says the LORD of Armies, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there will not be room enough for.
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This verse invites you to test God’s faithfulness by giving. Pay attention over time to how he provides, and note the moments when your needs were met in unexpected ways.
Leviticus 27:30
“‘All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the LORD’s. It is holy to the LORD.
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This verse establishes the tenth as holy, belonging to the Lord from the start. When your next paycheck arrives, set aside the tenth before anything else and treat it as already dedicated.
Verses on Generosity Beyond the Tenth
Tithing is a starting point, not a ceiling. The New Testament widens the picture, describing giving as a matter of the heart, done cheerfully and in proportion to what God has given you.
2 Corinthians 9:7
Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.
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Paul emphasizes a cheerful giver over a reluctant one. Before you give, pause and ask whether you are doing it out of obligation or gratitude, and let your answer shape how you give.
Luke 21:1-4
1 He looked up, and saw the rich people who were putting their gifts into the treasury. 2 He saw a certain poor widow casting in two small brass coins. 3 He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them, 4 for all these put in gifts for God from their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.”
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Jesus notices the widow’s small offering and values it above the large gifts of the wealthy. Remember that God sees the proportion of your gift as well as its size, so do not compare your giving to anyone else’s.
Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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Jesus says where your treasure is, your heart will be also. Notice how your giving shifts your attention, and use that awareness to guide your next decision about money.
Verses on Trusting God With Your Money
Many people find tithing hardest when money feels tight. These passages speak directly to that tension, reminding you that God owns everything and that generosity flows from trust rather than surplus.
Haggai 1:5-7
5 Now therefore this is what the LORD of Armies says: Consider your ways. 6 You have sown much, and bring in little. You eat, but you don’t have enough. You drink, but you aren’t filled with drink. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm, and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes in it.” 7 This is what the LORD of Armies says: “Consider your ways.
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Haggai warns that neglecting God’s house left the people anxious and unsatisfied. Consider whether your financial worry has grown in the places where you have held back from honoring God.
Deuteronomy 8:17-18
17 And lest you say in your heart, “My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth.” 18 But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth; that he may establish his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as it is today.
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Moses reminds Israel that the power to gain wealth comes from God. When you feel that your income is entirely your own achievement, read this passage aloud and thank God for the ability to earn.
Psalm 24:1
The earth is the LORD’s, with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell therein.
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The earth and everything in it belong to the Lord. Before you write a check or send a transfer, say this verse out loud to remember that you are returning a portion of what already belongs to God.
Verses on Giving Cheerfully and Living Open-Handed
The final group focuses on the posture of the giver. These verses describe a life that holds possessions loosely and finds joy in sharing what has been received.
Acts 20:35
In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
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Paul recalls the words of Jesus that giving brings more blessing than receiving. Look for one small way this week to give something away and notice how it changes your mood.
1 Timothy 6:17-18
17 Charge those who are rich in this present world that they not be haughty, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy; 18 that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to share…
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Paul instructs the wealthy to be rich in good works and generous with what they have. Whatever your income, ask God how he would have you be generous in your community this month.
Hebrews 13:16
But don’t forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
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The writer reminds believers that God is pleased with doing good and sharing. Consider giving time or help alongside money, since the Bible counts these as worship too.
Proverbs 11:24-25
24 There is one who scatters, and increases yet more. There is one who withholds more than is appropriate, but gains poverty. 25 The liberal soul shall be made fat. He who waters shall be watered also himself.
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Proverbs observes that the generous person gains rather than loses. Reflect on a time when you gave freely and felt more abundant rather than less, and thank God for that experience.
Romans 12:8
Or he who exhorts, to his exhorting: he who gives, let him do it with generosity; he who rules, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
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Paul lists generosity among the gifts God gives his people for building up the church. Ask God to show you whether generosity is one of the ways he has equipped you to serve others.
How to Use These Verses
Write the verses you find most helpful on a card and keep it in your wallet, on the refrigerator, or beside your budget. Reading one before you open your bank app or sit down to pay bills turns a financial task into a moment of worship.
Pick one verse each week to pray over as you set aside your giving. Ask God to show you where the verse applies to your spending, your saving, and your generosity, and write down what you sense him saying.
A Short Prayer for Tithing
Lord, everything I have comes from you, and I thank you for the work you have given me and the income that supports my family. Help me to honor you first with the money I receive, setting aside your portion before I spend on anything else. When fear tells me there will not be enough, remind me of your faithfulness through every season I have lived. Make my giving cheerful and generous, and let it reflect the grace you have shown me. Amen.
