18 Bible Verses about Cynicism

And they say unto Moses, 'Because there are no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in a wilderness? what is this thou hast done to us -- to bring us out from Egypt? Is not this the word which we spake unto thee in Egypt, saying, Cease from us, and we serve the Egyptians; for better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in a wilderness?'

and the sons of Israel say unto them, 'Oh that we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt, in our sitting by the flesh-pot, in our eating bread to satiety -- for ye have brought us out unto this wilderness to put all this assembly to death with hunger.'

and the people strive with Moses, and speak, saying, 'And oh that we had expired when our brethren expired before Jehovah!

and Jezebel sendeth a messenger unto Elijah, saying, 'Thus doth the gods, and thus do they add, surely about this time to-morrow, I make thy life as the life of one of them.' And he feareth, and riseth, and goeth for his life, and cometh in to Beer-Sheba, that is Judah's, and leaveth his young man there, and he himself hath gone into the wilderness a day's Journey, and cometh and sitteth under a certain retem-tree, and desireth his soul to die, and saith, 'Enough, now, O Jehovah, take my soul, for I am not better than my fathers.'

After this hath Job opened his mouth, and revileth his day. And Job answereth and saith: -- Let the day perish in which I am born, And the night that hath said: 'A man-child hath been conceived.'read more.
That day -- let it be darkness, Let not God require it from above, Nor let light shine upon it.

Why giveth He to the miserable light, and life to the bitter soul? Who are waiting for death, and it is not, And they seek it above hid treasures.

And thou hast affrighted me with dreams, And from visions thou terrifiest me, And my soul chooseth strangling, Death rather than my bones. I have wasted away -- not to the age do I live. Cease from me, for my days are vanity.

And why from the womb Hast Thou brought me forth? I expire, and the eye doth not see me. As I had not been, I am, From the belly to the grave I am brought,

Woe to me, my mother, For thou hast borne me a man of strife, And a man of contention to all the land, I have not lent on usury, Nor have they lent on usury to me -- All of them are reviling me.

Cursed is the day in which I was born, The day that my mother bare me, Let it not be blessed! Cursed is the man who bore tidings to my father, saying, 'Born to thee hath been a child -- a male,' Making him very glad! Then hath that man been as the cities, That Jehovah overthrew, and repented not, And he hath heard a cry at morning, And a shout at time of noon.read more.
Because he hath not put me to death from the womb, And my mother is to me -- my grave, And her womb a pregnancy age-during. Why is this? from the womb I have come out, To see labour and sorrow, Yea, consumed in shame are my days!

And now, O Jehovah, take, I pray Thee, my soul from me, for better is my death than my life.'

And it cometh to pass, about the rising of the sun, that God appointeth a cutting east wind, and the sun smiteth on the head of Jonah, and he wrappeth himself up, and asketh his soul to die, and saith, 'Better is my death than my life.'

if after the manner of a man with wild beasts I fought in Ephesus, what the advantage to me if the dead do not rise? let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die!

Hungry is his sorrow, And calamity is ready at his side.

And Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite answereth and saith: -- Young I am in days, and ye are age Therefore I have feared, And am afraid of shewing you my opinion. I said: Days do speak, And multitude of years teach wisdom. Surely a spirit is in man, And the breath of the Mighty One Doth cause them to understand.read more.
The multitude are not wise, Nor do the aged understand judgment.

As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, So honour is not comely for a fool. As a bird by wandering, as a swallow by flying, So reviling without cause doth not come. A whip is for a horse, a bridle for an ass, And a rod for the back of fools.read more.
Answer not a fool according to his folly, Lest thou be like to him -- even thou. Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes. He is cutting off feet, he is drinking injury, Who is sending things by the hand of a fool. Weak have been the two legs of the lame, And a parable in the mouth of fools. As one who is binding a stone in a sling, So is he who is giving honour to a fool. A thorn hath gone up into the hand of a drunkard, And a parable in the mouth of fools. Great is the Former of all, And He is rewarding a fool, And is rewarding transgressors. As a dog hath returned to its vomit, A fool is repeating his folly.

But all this I have laid unto my heart, so as to clear up the whole of this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God, neither love nor hatred doth man know, the whole is before them. The whole is as to the whole; one event is to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, and to him who is sacrificing, and to him who is not sacrificing; as is the good, so is the sinner, he who is swearing as he who is fearing an oath.

And, having watched him, they sent forth liers in wait, feigning themselves to be righteous, that they might take hold of his word, to deliver him up to the rule and to the authority of the governor, and they questioned him, saying, 'Teacher, we have known that thou dost say and teach rightly, and dost not accept a person, but in truth the way of God dost teach; Is it lawful to us to give tribute to Caesar or not?'read more.
And he, having perceived their craftiness, said unto them, 'Why me do ye tempt? shew me a denary; of whom hath it an image and superscription?' and they answering said, 'Of Caesar:' and he said to them, 'Give back, therefore, the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God;' and they were not able to take hold on his saying before the people, and having wondered at his answer, they were silent.