63 Bible Verses about Complaints

Do all things without murmuring and disputing:

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

In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some that were in the outlying parts of the camp.

And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children 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 hears your murmurings which you murmur 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 you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loathes this worthless bread.

Neither murmur you, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.

And Moses said unto the LORD, Why have you afflicted your servant? and why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people upon me? Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that you should say unto me, Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse bears the nursing child, unto the land which you swore to give unto their fathers? From where should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.read more.
I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. And if you deal thus with me, kill me, I pray you, out of hand, if I have found favor in your 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 he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

My soul is weary of my life; 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; show me why you contend with me.

Therefore I will not restrain 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 sea monster, that you set a watch over me? When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;read more.
Then you scare me with dreams, and terrify me through visions: So that my soul chooses strangling, and death rather than my life. I loathe it; I would not live always: let me alone; for my days are vanity. What is man, that you should magnify him? and that you should set your heart upon him? And that you should visit him every morning, and test him every moment? How long will you not look away from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle? I have sinned; what shall I do unto you, O you preserver of men? why have you set me as a mark against you, so that I am a burden to myself? And why do you not pardon my transgression, and take away my iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and you shall seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.

If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself: I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that you will not hold me innocent.

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

Even today is my complaint bitter: my hand is heavy in spite of my groaning.

Why do you strive against him? for he gives not account of any of his matters.

[To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.] Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of your children.read more.
When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely you did set them in slippery places: you cast them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awakes; so, O Lord, when you awake, you shall despise their image. Thus my soul was grieved, and I was pierced in my heart.

I poured out my complaint before him; I showed before him my trouble.

Righteous are you, O LORD, when I plead with you: yet let me talk with you of your judgments: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? why are all they happy that deal very treacherously? You have planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: you are near in their mouth, and far from their heart. But you, O LORD, know me: you have seen me, and tested my heart toward you: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.read more.
How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell in it? the beasts are consumed, 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 you, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that you are a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and you relent from the destruction. Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech you, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

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

And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with tax collectors and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?

But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?

But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, your 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 you that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?

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

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

Why does this man thus speak blasphemies? 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 at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he said, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.

And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.

And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Why is this that you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?

And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? why have you dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell you in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

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

And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for you 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 crime, O you Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look you to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.

And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

And you 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 Amorites, to destroy us.

And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favorable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for you did not give unto them at this time, that you should be guilty.

Count not your handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I been speaking.

Therefore I will not restrain 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 sea monster, that you set 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 weary of my life; 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 was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.

[A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and pours out his complaint before the LORD.] Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto you.

That our oxen may be strong to labor; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no outcry in our streets.

Why does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?

But Martha was cumbered about with much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, do you 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 lusts; and their mouth speaks great swelling words, holding men in admiration for the sake of advantage.

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

And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for you brought up this people in your might from among them;) And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that you LORD are among this people, that you LORD are seen face to face, and that your cloud stands over them, and that you go before them, by daytime in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if you shall kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying,read more.
Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to give unto them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness. And now, I beseech you, let the power of my LORD be great, according as you have spoken, saying, The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. Pardon, I beseech you, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of your mercy, and as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to your word: But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD. Because all those men who have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put me to the test now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; Surely they shall not see the land which I swore to give unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him will I bring into the land in which he went; and his descendants shall possess it. (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) Tomorrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea. And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. Say unto them, As truly as I live, says the LORD, as you have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you: Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against me, Doubtless you 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 you said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised. But as for you, your carcasses, they shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your harlotries, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. After the number of the days in which you searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall you bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you shall know my displeasure. I the LORD have said, 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 sent to search 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 did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD. But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of the men that went to search the land, lived still. And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.

But the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, You 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 meeting: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of meeting.read more.
And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague has begun. And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague had begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stopped. Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides them that died in the incident of Korah. And Aaron returned unto Moses to the door of the tabernacle of meeting: and the plague was stopped.

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. And 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 made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

Then came the children 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, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!read more.
And why have you brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there? And why have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink. And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them. And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather you the assembly together, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth its water, and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock: so you shall give the congregation and their animals drink. And 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, you rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he struck the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their animals also. And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron, Because you believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. This is the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified among them.

Therefore the people did strive with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why do you strive with me? why do you test the LORD? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Why is this that you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto 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 you of the elders of Israel; and your rod, with which you smote the river, take in your hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there upon the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and there shall come water 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 striving of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?

And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died 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? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?read more.
And they said one to another, Let us choose a leader, and let us return into Egypt. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

And Moses said unto the LORD, Why have you afflicted your servant? and why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people upon me? Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that you should say unto me, Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse bears the nursing child, unto the land which you swore to give unto their fathers? From where should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.read more.
I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. And if you deal thus with me, kill me, I pray you, out of hand, if I have found favor in your sight; and let me not see my wretchedness. And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. And I will come down and talk with you there: and I will take some of the spirit which is upon you, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you bear it not yourself alone. And say unto the people, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat flesh: for you have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and you shall eat. You 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 at your nostrils, and it becomes loathsome unto you: because that you have despised the LORD who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt? And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and you have said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month. Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them? And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD'S hand shortened? you shall see now whether my word shall come to pass unto you 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. And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spoke unto him, and took some of the spirit that was upon 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: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were listed, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp. And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Are you jealous for my sake? would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them! And Moses returned 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 let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and about a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits high above the face of the earth. And 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 homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD struck the people with a very great plague. And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah: because there they buried the people that craved. And the people journeyed from Kibrothhattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth.

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