63 Bible Verses about Complaints

Do all things without murmurings and doubts,

Not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content.

In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

And it came to pass that the people complained in an evil manner in the ears of the LORD, and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burnt among them and consumed in the uttermost parts of the camp.

And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I hear this evil congregation, which murmurs against me, the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they murmur against me?

And Moses said, This shall be when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat and in the morning bread to the full; for the LORD has heard your murmurings which ye have murmured against him; and what are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.

And the people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loathes this light bread.

Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured and perished by the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them as types, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.

And Moses said unto the LORD, Why hast thou afflicted thy slave and why have I not found grace in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all these people upon me? Have I conceived all these people? Have I begotten them, that thou should say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nurse carries a sucking child, unto the land which thou hast sworn unto their fathers? Where should I find flesh to give unto all these people? For they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh that we may eat.read more.
I am not able to bear all these people alone because it is too heavy for me. And if thou must deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found grace in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and desiring to die, he said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am not better than my fathers.

My soul is cut off in my life; therefore, I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; cause me to understand why thou dost contend with me.

Therefore, I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Am I a sea, or a dragon, that thou settest a watch over me? When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;read more.
then thou dost scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions. And my soul thought it better to be strangled and desired death more than my bones. I loathed life; I do not desire to live for ever; let me alone; for my days are vanity. What is man that thou should magnify him and that thou should set thine heart upon him and that thou should visit him every morning and try him every moment? For how long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone until I swallow down my spittle? If I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself? And why dost thou not take away my rebellion and pass over my iniquity? For now I shall sleep in the dust; and if thou shalt seek me in the morning, I shall not be found.

If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness and comfort myself; I am afraid of all my troubles; I know that thou wilt not hold me guiltless.

As for me, is my complaint to man? And if so, why should not my spirit be troubled?

Today I will also speak with bitterness; my stroke is heavier than my groaning.

Why dost thou strive against him? For he will not answer all of thy words.

Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer; preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

Verily, in vain have I cleansed my heart and washed my hands in innocency and been plagued all day long and chastened every morning: If I should say, I will speak as they do; behold, I should deny the generation of thy sons.read more.
I shall meditate that I might understand this; it is very hard for me to see. When I come into the sanctuary of God, then I shall understand their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places; in desolation thou shalt cause them to fall. How they are brought into desolation, as in a moment! They have come to an end; they are utterly consumed with terrors. As the dream of one who awakes; so, O Lord, when thou shalt rise up, thou shalt despise their appearances. Truly my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my kidneys.

I shall pour out my complaint before him; before him I shall tell of my trouble.

Righteous art thou, O LORD, even though I dispute with thee: even so, I will speak judgments with thee; Why does the way of the wicked prosper? All those that completely rebel against thee have peace. Thou hast planted them, and they have taken root: they grow, and they bring forth fruit; thou art near in their mouth and far from their kidneys. But thou, O LORD, dost know me; thou hast seen me and tried my heart toward thee; pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and mark them for the day of slaughter.read more.
How long shall the land be desolate, and the grass of all the field wither, for the wickedness of those that dwell therein? The cattle are lacking, and the birds, because they said, He shall not see our latter end.

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the LORD and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was this not what I said when I was yet in my country? Therefore I hastened to flee unto Tarshish, for I knew that thou art a gracious God and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy, and dost repent when thou art come to take punishment. Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me, for I would rather die than live.

And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why does your Master eat with publicans and sinners?

And the scribes and Pharisees, seeing him eat with publicans and sinners, said unto his disciples, How is it that he eats and drinks with publicans and sinners?

But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.

And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?

And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?

Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.

Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why do thy disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders but eat bread with unwashed hands?

Why does this fellow so blaspheme? Who can forgive sins but God only?

And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemes.

And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them.

The Jews then murmured of him because he said, I AM the bread which descended from the heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that he says, I descended from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.

And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, that their widows were neglected in the daily ministry.

So the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses and said, Why hast thou brought us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?

And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why hast thou dealt thus with us, to bring us forth out of Egypt? Is this not what we told thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.

Then the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

And the whole congregation of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness; and the sons of Israel said unto them, It would have been better if we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots and when we ate bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you; but if it is a question of words and names and of your law, look ye to it, for I will be no judge of such matters.

And the whole congregation of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness;

and ye murmured in your tents and said, Because the LORD hated us, he has brought us forth out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorite, to destroy us.

And when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, we will say unto them, Be merciful unto us for their sakes because in the war we did not take enough women for all of them; and you could not have given them to them, or ye should be guilty now.

Do not count thy handmaid for a daughter of Belial, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have waited until now to speak.

Therefore, I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Am I a sea, or a dragon, that thou settest a watch over me? When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;

If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness and comfort myself;

My soul is cut off in my life; therefore, I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

Attend unto me and hear me: I mourn in my complaint and make a noise

I remembered God and cried out; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.

Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.

that our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in nor going out; that there be no shout of alarm in our streets.

Mem Why does the living man have pain, the man in his sins?

But Martha was cumbered about in much serving and came to him and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.

And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own desires; and their mouth speaks arrogant things, admiring persons to take advantage.

Then the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against thee; pray unto the LORD that he take away these serpents from among us. And Moses prayed for the people.

And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, for thou didst bring this people out of the midst of them with thy might; and the inhabitants of this land will say, for they have already heard that thou, oh LORD, wast among this people, that thou, O LORD, art seen face to face, and that thy cloud was over them, and that thou didst go before them by day time in a pillar of a cloud and in a pillar of fire by night; and that thou hast caused all this people to die as one man; and the Gentiles who have heard of thy fame will speak, saying,read more.
Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore unto them; therefore, he has slain them in the wilderness. And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, The LORD is longsuffering and of great mercy, letting go of iniquity and transgression and absolving, but by no means absolving the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons unto the third and fourth generations. Pardon now the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even until now. Then the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word. But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD. Because all those men who saw my glory and my signs which I have done in Egypt and in the wilderness and have tempted me now these ten times and have not hearkened to my voice, surely they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of those that provoked me see it. But my slave Caleb, because there was another spirit in him, and he proved to follow after me, I will bring him into the land that he entered into, and his seed shall receive it by inheritance, and even the Amalekite and the Canaanite who dwell in the valley. Turn around tomorrow and go into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea. And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I hear this evil congregation, which murmurs against me, the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they murmur against me? Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, according as ye have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you. Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against me; doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I swore to make you dwell therein, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, whom ye said should be a prey, I will bring them in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. But as for you, your carcasses, they shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall be shepherded in the wilderness forty years and bear your fornications until your carcasses are wasted in the wilderness. After the number of the days in which ye spied out the land, even forty days, each day for a year, ye shall bear your iniquities forty years, and ye shall know my reason for annulling my promise. I, the LORD, have spoken, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation that are gathered together against me; in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die. And the men, whom Moses had sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing up a slander upon the land, even those men that brought an evil report of the land, died by the plague before the LORD. But Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, remained alive of the men that went to spy out the land. And Moses told these things unto all the sons of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.

But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD. And it came to pass when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron that they looked toward the tabernacle of the testimony; and, behold, the cloud had covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the testimony.read more.
And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Depart from among this congregation, and I will consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take the censer and put fire in it from off the altar and put incense upon it and go quickly unto the congregation and reconcile them; for the wrath has gone out from before the face of the LORD; the plague is begun. Then Aaron took his censer as Moses said and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people; and he put on incense and reconciled the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. Now those that died in that plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those that died concerning the matter of Korah. And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, when the plague was stayed.

And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore the name of it was called Marah. Then the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, which when he had cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There he gave them statutes and rights, and there he proved them

Then came the sons of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month; and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there. And there was no water for the congregation; and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying, Oh, that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!read more.
And why have ye caused the congregation of the LORD to come into this wilderness that we and our beasts should die here? And why have ye made us to come up out of Egypt to bring us in unto this evil place? It is not a place to plant seed or of figs or of vines or of pomegranates; there is not even any water to drink. And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the congregation unto the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, and they fell upon their faces; and the glory of the LORD appeared upon them. And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Take the rod and gather the congregation together, thou and Aaron, thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, and it shall give forth its water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. Then Moses took the rod from before the LORD as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? Then Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice; and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore, ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. These are the waters of Meribah; over which the sons of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

And the people chided with Moses and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? Why do ye tempt the LORD? So the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses and said, Why hast thou brought us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst? Then Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.read more.
And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people and take with thee of the elders of Israel and thy rod, with which thou didst smite the river take in thine hand and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb, and thou shalt smite the rock, and water shall come out of it that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah because of the chiding of the sons of Israel and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?

Then all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, and the whole congregation said unto them, Oh, that we might die in the land of Egypt or that we might die in this wilderness! And why has the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? Would it not be better for us to return into Egypt?read more.
And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.

And Moses said unto the LORD, Why hast thou afflicted thy slave and why have I not found grace in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all these people upon me? Have I conceived all these people? Have I begotten them, that thou should say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nurse carries a sucking child, unto the land which thou hast sworn unto their fathers? Where should I find flesh to give unto all these people? For they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh that we may eat.read more.
I am not able to bear all these people alone because it is too heavy for me. And if thou must deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found grace in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness. Then the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be elders of the people, and their princes; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the testimony that they may stand there with thee. And I will come down and talk with thee there, and I will take of the spirit which is in thee and will put it upon them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. But thou shalt say unto the people, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh, for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was better with us in Egypt. Therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. Ye shall not eat one day nor two days nor five days neither ten days nor twenty days, But even a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and it becomes loathsome unto you, because ye have despised the LORD who is among you and have wept before him, saying, Why have we come forth out of Egypt? Then Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen, and thou hast said, I will give them flesh that they may eat a whole month! Shall sheep and oxen be slain for them, to suffice them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them? Then the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD's hand waxed short? Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not. And Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and set them round about the tabernacle. Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke unto him and took of the spirit that was in him and gave it unto the seventy elders, and it came to pass that when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied and did not cease. But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad and the name of the other Medad, upon whom the spirit also rested; and they were of those that were written, but they had not gone unto the tabernacle; and they began to prophesy in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad prophesy in the camp. Then Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Art thou jealous for my sake? It would be good that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them! And Moses withdrew into the camp, he and the elders of Israel. And there went forth a wind from the LORD and brought quail from the sea and left them upon the camp, a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp and almost two cubits high upon the face of the earth. Then the people stood up all that day and all that night and all the next day, and they gathered the quail; he that gathered least gathered ten heaps, and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague. And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah because there they buried the people that lusted. From Kibrothhattaavah he moved the people unto Hazeroth, and they abode at Hazeroth.

And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to go around the land of Edom, and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loathes this light bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died.read more.
Then the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against thee; pray unto the LORD that he take away these serpents from among us. And Moses prayed for the people.