27 Bible Verses About Pride (NIV & KJV)

Pride is one of the most subtle and dangerous sins in all of Scripture. It quietly exalts self, takes credit for what God has given, and blinds the heart to its need for grace. Again and again, the Bible warns that pride leads to downfall, while humility opens the door to honor and favor from God.

These Bible verses about pride expose its destructive nature and reveal why God so strongly resists it. From the proverbs of Solomon to the letters of the apostles, Scripture consistently shows that "pride goeth before destruction" and that the Lord lifts up those who walk humbly.

This collection of Bible Scriptures is for anyone seeking to guard their heart against arrogance and to embrace the lowliness of mind that pleases God.

⚠️ Pride Leads to Destruction

Scripture repeatedly warns that a proud and haughty spirit brings ruin and a fall.

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”— Proverbs 16:18 (NIV)“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”— Proverbs 16:18 (KJV)

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”— Proverbs 11:2 (NIV)“When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.”— Proverbs 11:2 (KJV)

“Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.”— Proverbs 29:23 (NIV)“A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.”— Proverbs 29:23 (KJV)

“Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.”— Proverbs 18:12 (NIV)“Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.”— Proverbs 18:12 (KJV)

“To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.”— Proverbs 8:13 (NIV)“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”— Proverbs 8:13 (KJV)

🚫 God Resists the Proud

The Lord sets Himself against the proud and shows His favor to the humble instead.

“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.””— James 4:6 (NIV)“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”— James 4:6 (KJV)

“In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.””— 1 Peter 5:5 (NIV)“Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”— 1 Peter 5:5 (KJV)

“The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.”— Proverbs 16:5 (NIV)“Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.”— Proverbs 16:5 (KJV)

“Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar.”— Psalm 138:6 (NIV)“Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.”— Psalm 138:6 (KJV)

“Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate.”— Psalm 101:5 (NIV)“Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.”— Psalm 101:5 (KJV)

👁️ The Folly of a Proud Heart

Pride deceives the mind and produces strife, contention, and foolishness.

“Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”— Proverbs 13:10 (NIV)“Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.”— Proverbs 13:10 (KJV)

“The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’”— Obadiah 1:3 (NIV)“The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?”— Obadiah 1:3 (KJV)

“The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.”— Proverbs 28:25 (NIV)“He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.”— Proverbs 28:25 (KJV)

“Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them.”— Proverbs 26:12 (NIV)“Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.”— Proverbs 26:12 (KJV)

“those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful;”— Proverbs 30:13 (NIV)“There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.”— Proverbs 30:13 (KJV)

📉 Pride Brought Low

Scripture shows how God humbles the proud and abases those who exalt themselves.

“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”— Matthew 23:12 (NIV)“And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”— Matthew 23:12 (KJV)

“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.””— Luke 14:11 (NIV)“For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”— Luke 14:11 (KJV)

“The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.”— Isaiah 2:11 (NIV)“The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.”— Isaiah 2:11 (KJV)

“He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.”— Luke 1:51 (NIV)“He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.”— Luke 1:51 (KJV)

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”— Daniel 4:37 (NIV)“Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.”— Daniel 4:37 (KJV)

🙏 The Call to Humility

In place of pride, God calls His people to a lowly, contrite, and grateful spirit.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,”— Philippians 2:3 (NIV)“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”— Philippians 2:3 (KJV)

“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”— Romans 12:16 (NIV)“Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.”— Romans 12:16 (KJV)

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”— Romans 12:3 (NIV)“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”— Romans 12:3 (KJV)

“This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches,”— Jeremiah 9:23 (NIV)“Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:”— Jeremiah 9:23 (KJV)

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”— James 4:10 (NIV)“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”— James 4:10 (KJV)

“Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.”— Proverbs 22:4 (NIV)“By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.”— Proverbs 22:4 (KJV)

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”— Proverbs 11:2 (NIV)“When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.”— Proverbs 11:2 (KJV)

What Does the Bible Say About Pride?

The Bible treats pride as a serious sin that lies at the root of much rebellion against God. Scripture declares that "pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18), and that "every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD" (Proverbs 16:5). Pride exalts self, takes the glory that belongs to God, and refuses to acknowledge our dependence on Him. Because of this, "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble" (James 4:6).

The remedy for pride is humility, a sober estimate of ourselves that gives God His rightful place and esteems others above our own interests. The Bible promises that those who humble themselves will be exalted in due time, while those who lift themselves up will be brought low. Guarding against pride is a daily discipline of the heart, replacing self-exaltation with thankfulness, dependence, and a willingness to serve.

Turning away from pride frees us to walk humbly and joyfully with God. To grow in this area, explore these Bible verses about humility, these Bible verses about wisdom, and these Bible verses about anger.