14 Bible Verses about Worldly Ambition

Come, let us go down and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand {each other's language}."

Ah! Those who {join} house with house, they join field together with field until {there is no place} and you are caused to dwell alone in the midst of the land.

My heart is not haughty nor my eyes {arrogant}. And I do not {concern myself} with things too great and difficult for me. Rather I have soothed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother, like the weaned child [is] my soul with me.

that [the] rejoicing of [the] wicked [is] {short}, and the joy of [the] godless {lasts only a moment}? Even though his stature mounts up to the heaven, and his head reaches to the clouds, he will perish forever like his dung; [those who] have seen him will say, 'Where [is] he?'read more.
He will fly away like a dream, and they will not find him, and he will be chased away like a vision of [the] night. [The] eye [that] saw him {will not see him again}, and his place will no longer behold him.

They are exalted a little while, then {they are gone}. And they are brought low; they are cut off like all [others], and like [the] heads of grain they wither away.

Within them [they think] their houses [are] forever, their dwelling places from generation to generation. They {name} [their] lands by their [own] names. But man cannot continue in [his] pomp. He is like the beasts [that] perish. This [is] the journey [of those who] have foolish [confidence], and those after them [who] accept their sayings. Selahread more.
Like sheep they are destined to Sheol; death will shepherd them. But the upright will rule over them in the morning, and their forms [will be for] Sheol to consume, [far from] his lofty abode. Surely God will ransom my life from the {power} of Sheol, because he will receive me. Selah Do not fear when a man becomes rich, when the wealth of his house increases, because when he dies he will not take [away] any [of it]. His wealth will not follow down after him. Though he congratulated his soul while he was living --and [people] will praise you when you do well for yourself-- it will go to the generation of his fathers. Never will they see light. Humankind in [its] pomp, but does not understand, is like the beasts [that] perish.

From where [are] conflicts and from where [are] quarrels among you? [Is it] not from this, from your pleasures that wage war among your members? You desire and do not have; you murder and are filled with envy, and are not able to obtain; you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.

He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his high thresholds seeks destruction.

How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of dawn! You are cut down to the ground, conqueror of nations! And you yourself said in your heart, 'I will ascend [to] heaven; I will raise up my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit on [the] mountain of assembly on the summit of Zaphon; I will ascend to [the] high places of [the] clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.'read more.
But you are brought down to Sheol, to [the] depths of [the] pit.

Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: "{Because} it was tall in height and it set its treetop between thick clouds, and {he took pride in his tallness}, then I gave it into [the] hand of [the] leader of nations; he {dealt thoroughly} with it according to its wickedness. I drove it [out].

{How much less} the defiant; [the] arrogant, treacherous man? He who broadens his throat like Sheol, and who, like death, is not satisfied, and who gathers to himself all the nations, and harvested for himself all the peoples, will not succeed.

Because you plundered many nations, all the remaining nations will plunder you on account of the blood of humanity and violence [against the] land, [and against] cities and all who live in them. Woe to [him who] obtains profit [from] evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be saved from the hand of misfortune!

Woe to [him who] builds a city by bloodguilt, and [who] founds a city by wickedness!