This list gives you Bible verses about tithing, the practice of returning a tenth of what you earn to God, along with short reflections on how these passages apply to real money decisions. It is for anyone who wants to understand what Scripture says about giving, whether you are new to the idea or have practiced it for years. Most of these verses come from the Old Testament law and the prophets, and they are read alongside New Testament teaching on generosity, which asks for a willing heart rather than a fixed formula.
Verses on Returning the First Part to God
The earliest examples of tithing in Scripture show people giving a portion of their increase to God as an act of worship and trust. These passages set the pattern: the first and best belongs to the Lord, and gratitude comes before the rest is spent.
Genesis 14:20
And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Abram gave him a tenth of all.
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Abram gave a tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek after a victory he did not win by his own strength. When you receive a bonus or an unexpected provision, set aside a portion before you make any other plans, and thank God for the blessing as you do it.
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 describes the tenth as belonging to the Lord, holy to him. Try naming it that way: when your paycheck arrives, decide in advance that this portion is already God’s, so you are not tempted to treat it as spendable money.
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 wealth and your firstfruits is tied to the promise of provision. Keep a simple record of your giving across a few months, and notice how God meets needs over time, even when the numbers feel tight in the moment.
Verses on Trust When Money Feels Tight
Giving a tenth is hardest when the budget is already stretched. These verses speak to fear about provision and invite you to give from trust rather than from surplus.
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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God invites his people to test him in this matter and see whether he opens the windows of heaven. When you feel anxious about bills, pray over the envelope or transfer before you pay anything else, and ask God to be faithful to his word.
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 praises a widow who gave two small coins because she gave all she had to live on. Her example reminds you that God looks at what is given from the heart, not only at the amount, so bring your real offering with honesty.
Philippians 4:19
My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
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Paul writes that God will supply every need according to his riches in Christ Jesus, a promise written to a church that had also been generous. Keep this verse near your checkbook, and read it aloud before you give when fear starts to speak.
Verses on Generosity Beyond the Tenth
Tithing is a floor for many believers, not a ceiling. The New Testament encourages cheerful, sacrificial, and ongoing generosity that flows from grace rather than obligation.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7
6 Remember this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 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 says that whoever sows generously will also reap generously, and that God loves a cheerful giver. Before you give, ask whether you are giving freely or grudgingly, and let joy rather than guilt set the tone.
Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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Jesus says where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Look at your monthly spending honestly, and notice whether your giving reflects what you say matters most to you.
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 the Lord Jesus that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Pick one practical act of generosity this week that goes beyond your regular tithe, such as covering a meal for a neighbor, and see how it changes your outlook.
Verses on Justice and Care for Others
Scripture links giving to God with care for the vulnerable. These verses remind you that generosity includes how you treat people who have little, not only what you put in the offering plate.
Deuteronomy 14:28-29
28 At the end of every three years you shall bring all the tithe of your increase in the same year, and shall store it within your gates. 29 The Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the foreigner living among you, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.
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Israel was instructed to set aside a tithe every third year for the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow. Ask yourself who in your community depends on the generosity of others, and consider directing part of your giving toward them.
Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
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The prophet says the Lord requires you to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Let this verse shape how you give, so that your offering supports justice and kindness rather than becoming a substitute for them.
James 2:15-16
15 And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, 16 and one of you tells them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled”; and yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it?
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James asks what good it does if a brother or sister lacks clothing and daily food and you only say go in peace. When you see a real need, respond with practical help along with your prayers.
Proverbs 19:17
He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD; he will reward him.
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Proverbs says that whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay. Keep a small fund for needs you encounter in daily life, so that generosity is ready when a neighbor is in trouble.
How to Use These Verses
Write the verses you find most meaningful on a card or in a note on your phone, and place them where you handle money, such as near your bills, your bank app, or the place where you keep your offering envelopes. Reading one verse each time you give turns a routine transaction into a moment of worship.
Read through a few of these passages at the start of each month before you plan your budget. Pray over them as you decide what to give, asking God to show you where to be faithful and where to trust him with the rest.
A Short Prayer for Tithing
Lord, you have given me every good thing I have, and I want to honor you with the first and best of what you provide. Help me give from trust rather than fear, and from joy rather than obligation. Show me where my heart is tied to money, and loosen my grip on what is yours to begin with.
Teach me to be generous beyond my tenth where you lead, and to care for those in need with the same open hands. Keep me faithful in small things and steady when the numbers are hard. Thank you for your faithfulness, which has never failed me. Amen.
