49 Bible Verses about Waste

In a short time the younger son sold his share of the property. He left home with the money and traveled to a far away country where he wasted his money in reckless living. He spent everything! When a famine spread over that country he was left with nothing. He went to work for a citizen of that country who sent him to his farm to take care of the pigs.read more.
He wanted to eat the Carob bean pods the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything to eat.

The wise have wealth and luxury but a fool spends all he gets.

He who loves wisdom makes his father rejoice. But he who keeps company with fornicators wastes his wealth.

Jesus told his disciples: There was a rich man who had a servant who managed his property. The rich man learned that the manager was accused of wasting his master's money.

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver are rusted. Their corrosion will be for a testimony against you, and will eat your flesh like fire. You stored up your treasure in the last days.read more.
Behold, the wages of the laborers who harvested your fields, which are held back by you, cry out: and the cries of them that reaped have entered into the ears of Jehovah of Hosts. You lived in luxury on the earth, and take your pleasure; you nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, and you have killed the righteous one. He does not resist you.

You have spent enough time in the past doing what unbelievers like to do. Your lives were spent in indecency, lusts, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and the disgusting worship of idols (false gods). They think it strange that you do not run with them in wild and reckless living and they speak evil about you. They will give account to him that is ready to judge the living and the dead.

Hear me now my son. Do not depart from the words of my mouth. Keep far away from her. Do not go near the door of her house. You will give your honor (majesty) to others and your years to the cruel one.read more.
Strangers will be filled with your financial strength. Strangers will benefit from your hard work. You mourn at last, when your flesh and your body are consumed. You say: How I have hated instruction! My heart despised reproof. I did not obey the voice of my teachers. I did not listen to my instructors! I was very near total ruin in the midst of the congregation.

When they were filled he told the disciples to gather up the broken pieces left over so nothing would be wasted. They gathered twelve baskets of leftovers after everyone had eaten.

They that regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

Jesus said to them: The light will be with you for a little while. Walk while you have the light, that darkness does not overtake you. He who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the light, exert active faith in the light, that you may become sons of light. Jesus said this and then he departed and hid himself from them.

Working together with him we plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain (to no purpose) (in emptiness).

Now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and poor fundamental things? Do you want to slave for them all over again? You observe days and months, seasons and years. I fear for you, that I have labored for you to no purpose (and failed).

If we continue to (practice) (deliberately persist in) sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins. But there remains a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fiery indignation, which will devour God's enemies. He that despised Moses' Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses.read more.
What about those who despise the Son of God? Those who treat as a cheap thing the blood of God's covenant that purified them from sin? Those who insult the Spirit of grace? Think how much worse the punishment they deserve will be!

For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

It is like a man going to another country. He called his servants and put them in charge of his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one. He assigned according to the servants' ability. Then he went on his journey. Right away the servant who received the five talents traded with them and made another five talents.read more.
In like manner, he who received the two gained another two. He who received the one dug a hole in the ground and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants came back to settle with them. The servant who received five talents brought another five talents. He said: 'Lord, here are your five talents, plus the five I gained.' His lord said: 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, so I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' The one who received two talents said: 'Lord you gave me two talents and I gained another two talents.' His lord said: 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful over a few things. I will appoint you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' The servant who received one talent said: 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man. You reap where you did not sow and gather where you did not scatter. I was afraid, so I hid your talent in the earth. See, you have what is yours.' But his lord answered: 'You wicked and lazy servant. You knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter. You should have put my money in the bank. I should have received my money back plus interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. More will be given to every one who has and he will have abundance. He who does not have will have every thing taken away. Throw the worthless servant into outer darkness. There will be crying and grinding of teeth.'

He said: A nobleman traveled to a country far away to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. He called ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds, and said do business with this until I return. His citizens hated him. They sent a spokesman to him saying we do not want this man to rule us.read more.
He received the kingdom and went back to check on his servants. He wanted to know what they had gained by trading with the money he gave them. The first reported: Your pound has made ten pounds more. He said: Well done, you good servant. You were faithful in very little. Now you shall have authority over ten cities. The second said: Your pound, Lord, has made five pounds. He replied: You should be over five cities. Another reported: Lord, here is your pound. I kept it stored in a napkin. I feared you because you are an austere man. You take up what you do not lay down and you reap that which you did not sow. He said to him: Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I am an austere man, taking up that which I did not lay down, and reaping that which I did not sow. Why did you not put my money in the bank? That way I could collect interest when I returned. The nobleman said: Take away the pound he was given and give it to him that has the ten pounds. They said: Lord he has ten pounds! I say to you, that every one who has more shall be given. The man who does not have what little he has shall be taken away from him. Bring my enemies that do not want me to rule over them and kill them in front of me.

Make the most of your time (redeem or ransom back time), because the days are evil.

We must work the works of him that sent me while it is day. When the night comes no man can work.

So then, as we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men, and especially toward those who are of the household of the faith.

Behave with wisdom toward those who are outside, making the most of the time.

Do not give holy things to the dogs (impure persons) (false prophets) (Matthew 7:15). Do not throw your pearls before swine (the most unclean). They will trample them under their feet and turn and tear you to pieces.

Correct a scoffer and get dishonor for yourself. Rebuke a wicked man and receive insults.

Do not speak to a fool for he will despise your wise words.

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God. They are foolishness to him! He cannot know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

One day while Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from hunting. He was hungry. He said to Jacob: I am starving! Give me some of that red stuff. (That is why he was named Edom.) Jacob answered: I will give it to you if you give me your birthright as the firstborn son.read more.
Esau said: All right! I am about to die. What good are rights as firstborn to me? Jacob answered: First make a vow that you will give me your birthright. Esau made the vow and gave his rights as firstborn to Jacob. Jacob gave him some bread and some of the soup. He ate and drank and then got up and left. Esau did not care about his birthright.

Let no one become immoral or unspiritual like Esau. He sold his birthright for a single meal!

When Delilah realized that he told her the truth, she sent a message to the Philistine kings: Come back one more time. He told me the truth. They came and brought the money with them. Delilah lulled Samson to sleep in her lap and called a man, who cut off Samson's seven locks of hair. Then she tormented him, for he had lost his strength. She shouted: Samson! The Philistines are coming! He woke up and thought: I will get loose and go free, as always. He did not know that Jehovah had left him.read more.
The Philistines captured him and put his eyes out. They took him to Gaza, chained him with copper chains. They put him to work grinding at the mill in the prison.

David went to Saul and worked for him. Saul liked him so much that he put David in charge of carrying his weapons.

Then David chanted with a lament (dirge) (requiem) over Saul and Jonathan his son. He told them to teach the sons of Judah the song of the bow. It is written in the book of Jashar: Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!read more.
Do not tell the news in Gath. Do not announce the victory in the streets of Ashkelon. The daughters of the Philistines will be glad. The daughters of godless men will celebrate. Let no rain or dew fall on the mountains of Gilboa. Let its fields be barren! For the shields of the mighty lie there in disgrace. The shield of Saul is no longer polished with oil. Jonathan's bow was deadly. The sword of Saul was without mercy. He struck down the mighty and killed the enemy. It was easy to love Saul and Jonathan. Together in life, together in death, they were faster than eagles and stronger than lions. Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul. He clothed you in scarlet with luxury. The brave soldiers have fallen. They were killed in battle. Jonathan lies dead in the hills. I grieve for you, my brother Jonathan. You were dear to me! How wonderful was your love for me. It was better than the love of women. The mighty have fallen, their weapons abandoned and useless.

Judas, his betrayer, heard he was to be put to death. Out of regret, he took the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and those in authority. He said: I have done wrong in giving a righteous man to you. He left the silver in the Temple. Then he went away and hanged himself.

Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper. A woman came to him having an alabaster vase containing very precious ointment. She poured it upon his head while he was eating. The disciples saw it and were indignant. To what purpose is this waste?read more.
This ointment could have been sold for much and the money given to the poor. Jesus was aware of this and said: Why do you trouble the woman? Her expression to me was good. The poor are always with you, but I am not always with you. She poured this ointment on my body to prepare me for burial. I tell you, Everywhere this good news is preached in the entire world, this good deed done by this woman will be spoken of in memory of her.

He was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper. While he was dining a woman with an alabaster vase filled with costly perfume, of pure nard (spikenard), brake it open and poured it over his head. Some were very indignant over this. They asked, What was the purpose of this waste of ointment? This ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii. And the money could have been given to the poor. They scolded her.read more.
Jesus said: Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She did a good thing to me. You always have the poor with you and you can do them good. You do not always have me. She did what she could! She anointed my body beforehand for burying. Truly I tell you everywhere the good news is preached through out the whole world, that which this woman has done will be spoken of for a memorial of her.

Six days before the Passover Jesus traveled to Bethany. This was where Lazarus lived. He was the man Jesus raised from the dead. Jesus ate supper there. He and Lazarus sat at the meal while Martha served. Mary took a pound of very precious ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus. She wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the odor of the ointment.read more.
Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would betray him said: Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred danarii, and given to the poor? He did not say this because he cared for the poor. He was a thief. He had the moneybox and took away what was put in it. Jesus therefore replied: Let her alone that she may preserve it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.

So man wastes away like something rotten, like a garment eaten by moths.

His flesh wastes away to nothing, and his bones, once hidden, now stick out.

When I kept silent about my sins, my body wasted away and I groaned all day long.

Those killed by the sword are better off than those who died of starvation. For these die slowly and waste away from lack of food from the field.

We do not give up! Though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.

I am going to give a command,' declares Jehovah. 'I will bring that army back to this city to attack it, capture it, and burn it down. I will destroy the cities of Judah so that no one will live there.'

I will make your cities deserted and ruin your sacred places. I will no longer accept the soothing aroma from your sacrifices. I will make your land so deserted that your enemies will be shocked as they settle in it. I will scatter you among the nations. War will follow you. Your country will be in ruins. Your cities will be deserted.

Jehovah will make you an example for your people to see what happens when the curse of this oath comes true: Jehovah will make your uterus drop and your stomach swell. Then the priest will administer the oath and the curse by saying:

Jehovah will strike you with infectious diseases, with swelling and fever. He will send drought and scorching winds to destroy your crops. These disasters will be with you until you die.

All its land is brimstone and salt. It is a burning waste, unsown and unproductive. No grass grows on it. Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which Jehovah overthrew in his anger and in his wrath.

They will be wasted by famine, and consumed by plague and bitter destruction. I will send teeth of wild animals on them, with the venom of crawling things (reptiles) of the dust.

He rescued them many times, but they continued to plot rebellion against him and to sink deeper because of their sin.

Jehovah lays the earth waste, annihilates it, disfigures its surface and scatters its inhabitants.

They will run out of bread and water. They will be in despair. They will waste away because of their sins.

Ephraim will become desolation in the day of rebuke among the tribes of Israel. I made known that which will surely be.