63 Bible Verses about Complaints

Do all things without murmuring and disputing,

I speak not because of necessity. For I have learned in whatsoever estate I am, therewith to be content.

In all things give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.

And the people waxed unpatient, and it displeased the ears of the LORD. And when the LORD heard it, he was wroth, and the fire of the LORD burnt among them and consumed the uttermost of the host.

And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, "How long shall this evil multitude murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel which they murmur against me.

And moreover spake Moses, "At evening the LORD will give you flesh to eat, and in the morning bread enough, because the LORD hath heard your murmur which ye murmur against him: for what are we? Your murmuring is not against us, but against the LORD."

And the people spake against God and against Moses, "Wherefore hast thou brought us out of Egypt, for to die in the wilderness? For here is neither bread nor water, and our souls loatheth this light bread."

Neither murmur ye as some of them murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. All these things happened upon them for examples, and were written to put us in remembrance, whom the ends of the world are come upon.

And Moses said unto the LORD, "Wherefore dealest thou so cruelly with thy servant? Wherefore do I not find favour in thy sight, seeing that thou puttest the weight of this people upon me? Have I conceived all this people, or have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, 'Carry them in thy bosom, as a nurse beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?' 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, for it is too heavy for me. Wherefore, if thou deal thus with me; kill me, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thy sight: and let me not see my wretchedness."

And he went a day's journey into the wilderness, and when he was come sat down under a Juniper tree, and desired for his soul, that he might die, and said, "It is now enough, O LORD, take my soul; for I am not better than my fathers."

It grieveth my soul to live. Nevertheless, now will I put forth my words: I will speak out of the very heaviness of my soul, and will say unto God: O do not condemn me; but show me the cause, wherefore thou contendest so with me.

Therefore I will not spare my mouth, but will speak in the trouble of my spirit; in that bitterness of my mind will I talk. Am I a sea, or a whalefish, that thou keepest me so in prison? When I think, 'My bed shall comfort me; I shall have some refreshing by talking to myself upon my couch,'read more.
then troublest thou me with dreams - and makest me so afraid through visions that my soul wisheth rather to be strangled, and my bones to be dead. I can see no remedy. I shall live no more. O spare me then, for my days are but vain. "What is man, that thou dost magnify him? And that thou settest thy heart upon him? Thou visitest him early, and every day: and suddenly doest thou try him. Why goest thou not from me, nor lettest me alone, so long till I swallow down my spittle? I have offended; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? Why hast thou made me to stand in thy way, and am so heavy a burden unto myself? Why dost thou not forgive my sin? Wherefore takest thou not away my wickedness? Behold, now must I sleep in the dust: And if thou seekest me tomorrow in the morning, I shall be gone."

When I am purposed to forget my complainings, to change my countenance, and to comfort myself; Then am I afraid of all my works, for I know thou wilt not judge me innocent.

Is it with a man, that I make this disputation? Which if it were so, should not my spirit be then in sore trouble?

"My saying is yet this day in bitterness, and my hand heavy among my groanings.

Why dost thou then strive against him? Because he giveth thee no accounts of all his doings?

{To the Chanter, a Psalm of David} Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

and I said, "Then have I cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency? Wherefore should I be then punished daily, and be chastened every morning?" Yea, I had almost also said even as they do; but lo, then should I have condemned the generation of thy children.read more.
Then thought I to understand this; but it was too hard for me, until I went into the Sanctuary of God. Then understood I the end of these men. Namely, how thou hast set them in a slippery places, that thou mayest cast them down headlong and destroy them. O how suddenly do they consume, perish and come to a fearful end! Yea, even like as a dream when one awaketh, so makest thou their image to vanish out of the city. Thus my heart was grieved, and it went even through my veins.

I pour out my complaint before him, and show him of my trouble.

O LORD, thou art more righteous than that I should dispute with thee: Nevertheless, let me talk with thee in things reasonable. How happeneth it, that the way of the ungodly is so prosperous? And that it goeth so well with them, which without any shame offend and live in wickedness? Thou plantest them, they take root, they grow, and bring forth fruit. They boast much of thee, yet doest thou not punish them. But thou LORD, to whom I am well known, thou that hast seen, and proved my heart; take them away, like as a flock is carried to the slaughter house, and appoint them for the day of slaughter.read more.
How long shall the land mourn, and all the herbs of the field perish, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? The cattle and the birds are gone, yet say they, "Tush, God will not destroy us utterly."

Therefore Jonah was sore discontent and angry. And he prayed unto the LORD and said, "O LORD, was not this my saying when I was yet in my country? And therefore I hasted rather to flee to Tarshish: for I knew well enough that thou wast a merciful god, full of compassion long before thou be angry, and of great mercy and repentest when thou art come to take punishment. Now therefore take my life from me, for I had better die than live."

When the Pharisees saw that, they said unto his disciples, "Why eateth your master with publicans and sinners?"

And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, "How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?"

And the scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, "Why eat ye and drink ye, with publicans and sinners?"

When the Pharisees saw that, they said unto him, "Behold: thy 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 ye that which is not lawful to be done on the Sabbath days?"

"Why do thy disciples transgress the traditions of the elders? For they wash not their hands, when they eat bread."

Then asked him the Pharisees and scribes, "Why walk not thy disciples according to the traditions of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?"

"How doth this fellow so blaspheme? Who can forgive sins, but God only?"

And, behold, certain of the scribes said in themselves, "This man blasphemeth."

And the Pharisees, and scribes murmured, saying, "He received to his company sinners, and eateth with them."

The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, "I am that bread which is come 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 sayeth, I came down from heaven?" Jesus answered and said unto them, "Murmur not between yourselves.

In those days, as the number of the disciples grew, there arose a grudge among the Greeks against the Hebrews, because their widows were despised in the daily ministration.

There the people thirsted for water, and murmured against Moses and said, "Wherefore hast thou brought us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?"

Then said they unto Moses, "Were there no graves for us in Egypt, but thou must bring us away for to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou served us thus, for to carry us out of Egypt? Did not we tell thee this in Egypt saying, 'Let us be in rest and serve the Egyptians?' For it had been better for us to have served the Egyptians, than for to die in the wilderness."

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

And the whole multitude of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and 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 ate bread our bellies' full; for ye have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole multitude for hunger."

And as Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrong, or an evil deed to ye, reason would that I should hear you: but if it be a question of words, or of names, or of your law, look ye to it yourselves. For I will be no judge in such matters."

And the whole multitude of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness,

and murmured in your tents and said, 'Because the LORD hateth us, therefore he hath brought us out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites and to destroy us.

And if their fathers or brethren come to us to complain, we will say unto them, "Have pity on them, because we reserved not to each man his wife in time of war, and thereto because that ye gave them none in due time, ye were to blame."

Count not thine handmaid to be like a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my meditation and grief have I spoken hitherto."

Therefore I will not spare my mouth, but will speak in the trouble of my spirit; in that bitterness of my mind will I talk. Am I a sea, or a whalefish, that thou keepest me so in prison? When I think, 'My bed shall comfort me; I shall have some refreshing by talking to myself upon my couch,'

When I am purposed to forget my complainings, to change my countenance, and to comfort myself;

It grieveth my soul to live. Nevertheless, now will I put forth my words: I will speak out of the very heaviness of my soul,

Take heed unto me, and hear me, how piteously I mourn and complain.

When I was in heaviness, I thought upon God: when my heart was vexed, then did I speak. Selah.

{A prayer of the afflicted, when he was in woe, and poured out his complaint before the Lord} Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my crying come unto thee.

that our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no decay, no leading into captivity, and no complaining in our streets.

Wherefore then murmureth the living man, let him murmur at his own sin.

And Martha was cumbered about much serving, and stood and said, "Master, dost thou not care, that my sister hath left me to minister alone? Bid her therefore, that she help me."

And when they saw that, they all grudged saying, "He is gone in to tarry with a man that is a sinner."

These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts, whose mouths speak proud things. They have men in great reverence because of advantage.

And the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against thee: make intercession to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us." And Moses made intercession for the people.

And Moses said unto the LORD, "Then the Egyptians shall hear it, for thou broughtest this people with thy might from among them. And it will be told to the inhabiters of this land also, for they have heard likewise, that thou the LORD art among this people, and that thou art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them and that thou goest before them by day time in a pillar of cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. If thou shalt kill all this people as they were but one man then the nations which have heard the fame of thee, will speak, saying,read more.
'Because the LORD was not able to bring in this people into the land which he swore unto them, therefore he slew them in the wilderness.' So now let the power of my LORD be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, 'The LORD is long yer he be angry, and full of mercy, and suffereth sin and trespass, and leaveth no man innocent, and visiteth the unrighteousness of the fathers upon the children, even upon the third and fourth generation.' Be merciful I beseech ye therefore, unto the sin of this people according unto thy great mercy, and according as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even unto this place." And the LORD said, "I have forgiven it, according to thy request. But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with my glory. For of all those men which have seen my glory and my miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tempted me now this ten times and have not hearkened unto my voice, there shall not one see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that railed upon me, see it. But my servant Caleb, because there is another manner spirit with him, and because he hath followed me unto the utmost: him I will bring into the land which he hath walked in, and his seed shall conquer it, and also the Amalekites and Canaanites which dwell in the low countries. Tomorrow turn you and get you into the wilderness: even the way toward the reed sea." And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, "How long shall this evil multitude murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel which they murmur against me. Tell them that the LORD sayeth, 'As truly as I live, I will do unto you even as ye have spoken in mine ears. Your carcasses shall lie in this wilderness, neither shall any of these numbers which were numbered from twenty years and above of you which have murmured against me come in to the land over which I lifted mine hand to make you dwell therein - save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. And your children, which ye said should be a prey: them I will bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have refused, and your carcases shall lie in this wilderness. And your children shall wander in this wilderness forty years and suffer for your whoredom until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness, after the number of the days in which ye searched out the land forty days, and every day a year: so that they shall bear your unrighteousness forty years, and ye shall feel my vengeance. I, the LORD, have said that I will do it unto all this evil congregation that are gathered together against me: even in this wilderness ye shall be consumed, and here ye shall die." And the men which Moses sent to search the land, and which - when they came again - made all the people to murmur against it, in that they brought up a slander upon the land; died for their bringing up that evil slander upon it, and were plagued before the LORD. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh which 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 took great sorrow.

And on the morrow all the multitude of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, "Ye have killed the people of the LORD." And when the multitude was gathered against Moses and Aaron, they looked toward the tabernacle of witness; And behold, the cloud had covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared. And Moses and Aaron went before the tabernacle of witness.read more.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, "Get you from this congregation, that I may consume them quickly." And they fell upon their faces. And Moses said unto Aaron, "Take a censer and put fire therein out of the altar, and pour on cense, and go quickly unto the congregation and make an atonement for them. For there is wrath gone out from the LORD, and there is a plague begun." And Aaron took as Moses commanded him, and ran unto the congregation: and behold, the plague was begun among the people, and he put on cense, and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead, and them that were alive, and the plague ceased. And the number of them that died in the plague, were fourteen thousand and seven hundred: beside them that died about the business of Korah. And Aaron went again unto Moses, unto the door of the tabernacle of witness, and the plague ceased.

At the last they came to Marah: but they could not drink of the waters for bitterness, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of the place was called Marah. Then the people murmured against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" And Moses cried unto the LORD, and he showed him a tree: and he cast it into the water, and they waxed sweet. There he made them an ordinance and a law, and there he tempted them,

And the whole multitude of the children of Israel, came into the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people dwelt at Kadesh. And there died Miriam, and was buried there. Moreover, there was no water for the multitude, wherefore they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people chode with Moses and spake, saying, "Would God that we had perished when our brethren perished before the LORD.read more.
Why have ye brought the congregation of the LORD unto this wilderness, that both we and our cattle should die here? Wherefore brought ye us out of Egypt, to bring us into this ungracious place, which is no place of seed nor of figs nor vines nor of pomegranates, neither is there any water to drink?" And Moses and Aaron went from the congregation unto the door of the tabernacle of witness, and fell upon their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared unto them. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, "Take the staff and gather, thou and thy brother Aaron, the congregation together; and say unto the rock, before their eyes, that he give forth his water. And thou shalt bring them water out of the rock and shalt give the company drink, and their beasts also." And Moses took the staff 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, ye rebellious, must we fetch you water out of this rock?" And Moses lift up his hand with his staff and smote the rock two times, and the water came out abundantly, and the multitude drank and their beasts also. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, "Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." This is the water of strife, because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified upon them.

And the people chode with Moses, and said, "Give us water to drink." And Moses said unto them, "Why chide ye with me, and wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?" There the people thirsted for water, and murmured against Moses and said, "Wherefore hast thou brought us 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 be almost ready to stone me!"read more.
And the LORD said unto Moses, "Go before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel: and thy rod wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand and go. Behold, I will stand there before thee upon a rock in Horeb: and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out thereof, that the people may drink." And Moses did even so before the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place: Massah-and-Meribah: because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"

And the multitude cried out, and the people wept throughout that night, and all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron. And the whole congregation said unto them, "Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt, either we would that we had died in this wilderness. Wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land to fall upon the sword, that both our wives, and also our children should be a prey? Is it not better that we return unto Egypt again?"read more.
And they said, one to another, "Let us make a captain and return unto Egypt again." And Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the congregation of the multitude of the children of Israel.

And Moses said unto the LORD, "Wherefore dealest thou so cruelly with thy servant? Wherefore do I not find favour in thy sight, seeing that thou puttest the weight of this people upon me? Have I conceived all this people, or have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, 'Carry them in thy bosom, as a nurse beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?' 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, for it is too heavy for me. Wherefore, if thou deal thus with me; kill me, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thy sight: and let me not see my wretchedness." And the LORD said unto Moses, "Gather unto me seventy of the elders of Israel, which thou knowest that they are the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them unto the tabernacle of witness, and let them stand there with thee. And I will come down and talk with thee there, and take of the spirit which is upon thee and put upon them, and they shall bear with thee in the burden of the people, and so shalt thou not bear alone. And say unto the people, 'Hallow your selves against tomorrow, that ye may eat flesh, for ye have whined in the ears of the LORD saying: Who shall give us flesh to eat? For we were happy when we were in Egypt! Therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. Ye shall not eat one day only, either two or five days, either ten or twenty days: but even a month long, and until it come out at the nostrils of you, that ye be ready to parbreak: because that ye have cast the LORD aside which is among you, and have wept before him saying: Why came we out of Egypt?" And Moses said, "Six hundred thousand footmen are there of the people, among which I am. And thou hast said, 'I will give them flesh and they shall eat a month long.' Shall the sheep and the oxen be slain for them to find them, either shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together to serve them?" And the LORD said unto Moses, "Is the LORD's hand waxed short? Thou shalt see whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not." And Moses went out and told the people the saying of the LORD, and gathered the seventy elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. And the LORD came down in a cloud and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and put it upon the seventy elders. And as the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied and did nought else. But there remained two of the men in the host: the one called Eldad, and the other Medad. And the spirit rested upon them for they were of them that were written, but they went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the host. And there ran a young man and told Moses and said, "Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the host." And Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of Moses which he had chosen out, answered and said, "Master Moses, forbid them." And Moses said unto him, "Enviest thou for my sake? Would God that all the LORD's people could prophesy, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them." And then both Moses and the elders of Israel, gat them into the host. And there went forth a wind from the LORD and brought quails from the sea and let them fall about the host, even a day's journey round about on every side of the host, and two cubits high upon the earth. And the people stood up all that night and on the morrow, and gathered quails. And he that gathered the least, gathered ten homers full. And they killed them round about the host. And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, yer it was chewed up, the wrath of the LORD waxed hot upon the people, and the LORD slew of the people an exceeding mighty slaughter. And they called the name of the place, the graves of lust: because they buried the people that lusted there. And the people took their journey from the graves of lust unto Hazeroth, and bode at Hazeroth.

Then they departed from mount Hor toward the reed sea: to compass the land of Edom. And the souls of the people fainted by the way. And the people spake against God and against Moses, "Wherefore hast thou brought us out of Egypt, for to die in the wilderness? For here is neither bread nor water, and our souls loatheth this light bread." Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, which stung them: so that much people died in Israel.read more.
And the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against thee: make intercession to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us." And Moses made intercession for the people.