57 Bible Verses about Suffering, Hardship

The rich man's wealth is his strong city; the ruin of the poor is their poverty.

For the poor shall never cease out of the land. Therefore, I command you saying, You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor, and to your needy, in your land.

Behold, like wild asses in the desert, they go forth to their work, rising early for a prey. The wilderness yields food for them and for their children. They reap his fodder in the field; and they gather the grapes of the wicked. They lodge the naked without clothing, and give no covering in the cold.read more.
They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for lack of shelter. They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge from the poor. They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaves from the hungry. They press out oil between their walls; they tread their winepresses, and still suffer thirst.

For you have the poor with you always, but you do not always have Me.

For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you desire you may do them good. But you do not have Me always.

For you have the poor with you always; but you do not always have Me.

They wandered in the wilderness, in a desert by the way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.

And the seven years of plenty that was in the land of Egypt ended. And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said. And the famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. And Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.read more.
And the famine was over all the face of the earth. And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine was severe on the land of Egypt. And all the earth came into Egypt to buy, to Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the earth.

And Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, because it was bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. And 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 to them, O that we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

And all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the command of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim. And there was no water for the people to drink. And the people wrangled with Moses and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said to them, Why do you wrangle with me? Why do you tempt Jehovah? And the people thirsted there for water. And the people murmured against Moses and said, Why is this, that You brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our sons and our cattle with thirst?

And the mixed multitude in their midst lusted with great lust. And the sons of Israel also turned and wept, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic. But now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all besides this manna before our eyes.

And it happened after a while, the torrent dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. And the Word of Jehovah came to him, saying, Arise, go to Zarephath which belongs to Sidon, and live there. Behold, I have commanded a widow to keep you there.read more.
And he arose and went to Zarephath, and came in to the entrance of the city, and, behold, the widow was gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, Please, bring me a little water in a vessel so that I may drink. And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, Please, bring me a piece of bread in your hand. And she said, As Jehovah your God lives, I do not have a cake, but only a handful of meal in a pitcher and a little oil in a jar. And behold, I am gathering two sticks, so that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, so that we may eat it and die.

And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews. For certain ones said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain for them, so that we may eat and live. Some also said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses. Let us buy grain because of the famine.read more.
And some said, We have borrowed money on our lands and vineyards for the king's tax. Yet now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our sons like their sons. And, lo, we bring our sons and our daughters into bondage, to be slaves, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage. And there is no power for our hand, for other men have our lands and vineyards.

And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterwards hungry.

forty days, being tempted by the Devil. And in those days He ate nothing. And they being ended, He afterward was hungry.

And to Adam He said, Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it! The ground is cursed for your sake. In pain shall you eat of it all the days of your life. It shall also bring forth thorns and thistles to you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.

I was with you these twenty years. Your ewes and she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams of your flock I have not eaten. That which was mangled I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it. You required it at my hand, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. I was there; in the day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night. And my sleep departed from my eyes.read more.
And I have been twenty years in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six for your flocks. And you have changed my wages ten times. Unless the God of my fathers, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac had been with me, surely you would have sent me away now empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.

And they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy. And now lighten the heavy service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.

For, brothers, you remember our labor and toil. For laboring night and day in order not to put a burden on any one of you, we preached the gospel of God to you.

From the host of tyrannies they cry out; they cry out because of the arm of the multitude.

And they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built treasure cities for Pharaoh, Pithon and Raamses.

And it happened after many days the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.

And you shall lay upon them the number of bricks which they have made before now. You shall not take away from it. For they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go sacrifice to our God. Let more work be laid upon the men, and let them labor in it. And do not let them regard vain words.

And a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, saying, Your servant my husband is dead. And you know that your servant feared Jehovah. And the lender has come to take my two children to himself for slaves.

For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, I will now arise, says Jehovah. I will set in safety, he pants for it.

Have mercy on me, O Jehovah, for I am in trouble; my eye has become old with grief, my soul and my belly. For my life is ending with grief, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones have wasted away. I was a reproach among all my foes, but especially among my neighbors, and a fear to my friends; those who saw me outside fled from me.read more.
I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind; I am like a broken vessel. For I have heard the slander of many; fear is on every side; because of their plottings together against me, they planned to take away my life.

For so has Jehovah of Hosts said, Cut down trees and cast a mound against Jerusalem! She is the city to be visited; there is nothing but oppression in her midst.

Make it heard at the palaces of Ashdod, and the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say: Gather yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great uproars in its midst, and the oppressed in its midst.

Behold, the hire of the laborers reaping your fields cry out, being kept back by you. And the cries of those who have reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts.

And we labored in the work. And half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared. Also at the same time I said to the people, Let everyone with his servant stay inside Jerusalem, so that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labor in the day. And none, I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us put off our clothes except that everyone had his vessel of water.

And Moses told his father-in-law all that Jehovah had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how Jehovah delivered them.

And the king said to Abiathar the priest, Go to Anathoth, to your fields, for you are worthy of death. But I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because you have been afflicted in all that in which my father was afflicted.

And three of the mighty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam. And the Philistine army camped in the Valley of the Giants. And David was then in the stronghold, and the Philistines garrison was then at Bethlehem. And David longed and said, Oh that someone would give me drink from the water of the well of Bethlehem, which was by the gate!read more.
And the three broke through the Philistine army and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David. But David would not drink it, but poured it out to Jehovah. And he said, May my God forbid me to do this thing. Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in danger? For they brought it with their lives. And he was not willing to drink it. These three mighty ones did these things.

But when the fourteenth night came, we being carried about in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors thought that they drew near some country. And sounding they found it twenty fathoms; and moving a little further, and sounding again, they found it fifteen fathoms. And fearing that we would fall on rocks, and casting four anchors out of the stern, they wished day to come.read more.
But the sailors seeking to flee out of the ship, and lowering the boat into the sea, pretending to be about to cast out anchors from the prow, Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Unless these remain in the ship, you cannot be saved. Then the soldiers cut the ropes of the boat, and let her fall. And until day was about to come, Paul begged all to take food, saying, This is the fourteenth day that you continued waiting without food, having taken nothing. Therefore I beg you to take some food, for this is for your deliverance. For not a hair of your head shall perish. And saying these things, and taking bread, he gave thanks to God before all, and breaking, he began to eat. And all becoming cheered, they also took food. And we were, all the souls in the ship, two hundred and seventy-six. And being filled with food, they lightened the ship, throwing the wheat into the sea. And when day came, they did not recognize the land. But they discovered a certain bay with a beach, into which they were minded, if they were able, to drive the ship. And casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea; at the same time they loosened the rudder bands and hoisted up the foresail to the wind and held to the shore. And coming on a place between two seas, they drove the vessel. And indeed the prow sticking fast, it remained unmovable. But the stern was broken with the violence of the waves. And the mind of the soldiers was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out and escape. But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, kept them from their purpose and commanded those who could swim, to throw themselves overboard, to go out on the land. And the rest went, some on boards and others on some of the things from the ship. And so it happened that all were saved on the land.

Because you did not serve Jehovah your God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies which Jehovah shall send against you, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in the lack of all things. And he shall put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you.

He led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground, where there was no water, who brought you forth water out of the rock of flint,

And the Egyptians ill-treated us, and afflicted us, and laid hard bondage on us. And when we cried to Jehovah, the God of our fathers, Jehovah heard our voice and looked on our afflictions and our labor and our oppression.

A Song of degrees. O Jehovah, remember David and all his afflictions,

but in everything commending ourselves as God's servants, in much patience, in troubles, in emergencies, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in riots, in labors, in watchings, in fastings;

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, for your sakes He became poor, in order that you might be made rich through His poverty.

And preaching the gospel to that city, and having made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and Iconium and Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples, calling on them to continue in the faith and that through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God.

Even until this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.

For, brothers, we would not have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength; so much so that we despaired even of life. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, so that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;

Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as beside myself,) I am more! I have been in labors more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more, in deaths many times. Five times from the Jews I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the deep.read more.
I have been in travels often; in dangers from waters; in dangers from robbers; in dangers from my race; in dangers from the heathen; in dangers in the city; in dangers in the wilderness; in dangers on the sea; in dangers among false brothers. I have been in hardship and toil; often in watchings; in hunger and thirst; often in fastings; in cold and nakedness; besides the things outside conspiring against me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I do not burn?

Not that I speak according to need, for I have learned to be content in whatever state I am. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound. In everything and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.read more.
Yet you did well in sharing my troubles.

Therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

For you both sympathized with my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance.

They were stoned, they were sawed in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth.

If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons, for what son is he whom the father does not chasten?

And you have borne, and have patience, and for My name's sake you have labored and have not fainted.

But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, so that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;

And you will be hated of all men for My name's sake, but the one who endures to the end shall be kept safe.

And you will be hated by all for My name's sake, but he enduring to the end, that one will be kept safe.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because having been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Behold, we count blessed those who endure. You have heard of the patience of Job, and you have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is full of pity and of tender mercy.

For this is a grace, if for conscience toward God anyone endures grief, suffering wrongfully.