“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.”
In plain words: A good person plans far ahead and leaves something good behind for their grandchildren. Wealth that wrongdoers pile up often ends up with people who do right.
What Proverbs 13:22 means.
God’s vision for money stretches across generations. Building wealth to pass on is a mark of goodness, not greed.
Common questions about Proverbs 13:22
What is an inheritance, and do I have to be rich to leave one?
An inheritance is what you pass on to the people who come after you. Money is one kind, but it is not the only kind. This verse shows a person who thinks beyond their own life, all the way to their grandchildren. The Bible also talks about passing on faith, wisdom and a good example, like in [[Psalm 78:4-7]]. So you do not need to be rich. A small savings, a lesson learned the hard way, or a life of honest work can all be left to your family. What matters is that you care about the people who come after you.
Apply it today: Write down one thing besides money that you hope your family will inherit from you.
What does the second half mean, that a sinner's wealth is passed to the righteous?
The verse is a wise saying about how life often goes. It is not a promise for every single case. Wealth that people gain by cheating or by hurting others does not always last. Another proverb says that someone who grows rich by treating others unfairly is storing it up for someone who is kind to the poor, in [[Proverbs 28:8]]. The point is simple. Doing right is the steadier road, and dishonest gain is a shaky place to build a future. A sinner is anyone who lives against God's ways.
Apply it today: Choose one place where you could be more honest in how you earn or handle money, and fix it today.
Is it wrong or greedy to want to save money for my family?
No. Greed means loving money so much that you always want more and it rules your heart. [[1 Timothy 6:10]] warns about that love of money, not about money itself. The Bible says it is good and loving to provide for your own family, in [[1 Timothy 5:8]]. Saving and planning can be a way of caring for people. Jesus also reminds us to keep our deepest treasure in what lasts, and that is God Himself. When God comes first, money becomes a tool to love people with, not a master.
Apply it today: Ask yourself who you want your savings to help one day, and say their names out loud.
Ask anything about it.
Every question gets a clear answer in seconds, and a way to live it today.
Live it today.
Think past this month. Name one asset you can start building for your family this year, and start, even if it’s small.
Pray it back.
Lord, I’m building for my children’s children. Give me the wisdom and the discipline to leave an inheritance.
Carry it all day.
Put today’s verse on your lock screen, so every time you pick up your phone, the Word is the first thing you see.
On iPhone: open the image, tap Share, then Use as Wallpaper. On Android: open it and set it as your lock screen.
One verse every morning at 7 a.m. your time. Leave any time.