Alms is simply the offering of money, food, or other donations given to the
poor or needy.
God incorporated the concept of alms into the Law when He ordered land owners to
leave to the poor the corners of their fields (Leviticus 19:9-10).
Proverbs 3:27-28 "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it, When you have it with you."
Proverbs 28:27 "He who gives to the poor will not lack, But he who hides his eyes will have many curses"
Matthew 6:1-4 "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly."
Luke 11:41 "But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you."
Luke 12:33 "Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth."
Acts 10:2 "A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway."
Acts 10:4 "And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God."
Acts 10:31 "And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God." [Cornelius's faithful alms giving caught the attention of God who sent Peter to share the gospel with him.]
Galatians 2:9-10 "…James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do."
Galatians 6:9-10 "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith."Tobit 4:7-11 "Give alms of thy substance; and when thou givest alms, let not thine eye by envious: turn not away thy face from any poor man, and the face of God shall not be turned away from thee. As thy substance is, give alms of it according to thine abundance: if thou have little, be not afraid to give alms according to that little; for thou layest up a good treasure for thyself against the day of necessity: because alms delivereth from death, and suffereth not to come into darkness. Alms is a good gift in the sight of the Most High for all that give it,"
Tobit 4:16 "Give of thy bread to the hungry, and of thy garments to them that are naked: of all thine abundance give alms,"
Tobit 12:8-10 "Good is prayer with fastings and alms, and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with unrighteousness. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold: alms doth deliver from death, and it shall purge away all sin. They that do alms and righteousness shall be filled with life," Tobit 12:8-10."Good is prayer with fastings and alms, and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with unrighteousness. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold: alms doth deliver from death, and it shall purge away all sin. They that do alms and righteousness shall be filled with life,"
The Book of Sirach or Ecclesiasticus 12:3 "For there is no good for him that is always occupied in evil, and that giveth no alms: for the Highest hateth sinners, and hath mercy on the penitent."
The Book of Sirach or Ecclesiasticus 29:12 "Help the poor because of the commandment: and send him not away empty handed because of his poverty."
People today are often reluctant to give money directly to the poor because could be used for drugs, alcohol, or other indulgences. The best thing a person can do is to provide food, clothing, or medical help.