63 Bible Verses about Complaints

All things do without murmurings and reasonings,

not that in respect of want I say it, for I did learn in the things in which I am -- to be content;

in every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus in regard to you.

And the people is evil, as those sighing habitually in the ears of Jehovah, and Jehovah heareth, and His anger burneth, and the fire of Jehovah burneth among them, and consumeth in the extremity of the camp.

And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, and unto Aaron, saying, 'Until when hath this evil company that which they are murmuring against Me? the murmurings of the sons of Israel, which they are murmuring against Me, I have heard;

And Moses saith, 'In Jehovah's giving to you in the evening flesh to eat, and bread in the morning to satiety -- in Jehovah's hearing your murmurings, which ye are murmuring against Him, and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against Jehovah.'

and the people speak against God, and against Moses, 'Why hast thou brought us up out of Egypt to die in a wilderness? for there is no bread, and there is no water, and our soul hath been weary of this light bread.'

neither murmur ye, as also some of them did murmur, and did perish by the destroyer. And all these things as types did happen to those persons, and they were written for our admonition, to whom the end of the ages did come,

And Moses saith unto Jehovah, 'Why hast Thou done evil to Thy servant? and why have I not found grace in Thine eyes -- to put the burden of all this people upon me? I -- have I conceived all this people? I -- have I begotten it, that Thou sayest unto me, Carry it in thy bosom as the nursing father beareth the suckling, unto the ground which Thou hast sworn to its fathers? Whence have I flesh to give to all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give to us flesh, and we eat.read more.
I am not able -- I alone -- to bear all this people, for it is too heavy for me; and if thus Thou art doing to me -- slay me, I pray Thee; slay, if I have found grace in thine eyes, and let me not look on mine affliction.'

and he himself hath gone into the wilderness a day's Journey, and cometh and sitteth under a certain retem-tree, and desireth his soul to die, and saith, 'Enough, now, O Jehovah, take my soul, for I am not better than my fathers.'

My soul hath been weary of my life, I leave off my talking to myself, I speak in the bitterness of my soul. I say unto God, 'Do not condemn me, Let me know why Thou dost strive with me.

Also I -- I withhold not my mouth -- I speak in the distress of my spirit, I talk in the bitterness of my soul. A sea -monster am I, or a dragon, That thou settest over me a guard? When I said, 'My bed doth comfort me,' He taketh away in my talking my couch.read more.
And thou hast affrighted me with dreams, And from visions thou terrifiest me, And my soul chooseth strangling, Death rather than my bones. I have wasted away -- not to the age do I live. Cease from me, for my days are vanity. What is man that Thou dost magnify him? And that Thou settest unto him Thy heart? And inspectest him in the mornings, In the evenings dost try him? How long dost Thou not look from me? Thou dost not desist till I swallow my spittle. I have sinned, what do I to Thee, O watcher of man? Why hast Thou set me for a mark to Thee, And I am for a burden to myself -- and what? Thou dost not take away my transgression, And cause to pass away mine iniquity, Because now, for dust I lie down: And Thou hast sought me -- and I am not!

Though I say, 'I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!' I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that Thou dost not acquit me.

I -- to man is my complaint? and if so, wherefore May not my temper become short?

Also -- to-day is my complaint bitter, My hand hath been heavy because of my sighing.

Wherefore against Him hast thou striven, When for all His matters He answereth not?

To the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David. Hear, O God, my voice, in my meditation, From the fear of an enemy Thou keepest my life,

Only -- a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash in innocency my hands, And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof is every morning. If I have said, 'I recount thus,' Lo, a generation of Thy sons I have deceived.read more.
And I think to know this, Perverseness it is in mine eyes, Till I come in to the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end. Only, in slippery places Thou dost set them, Thou hast caused them to fall to desolations. How have they become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended -- consumed from terrors. As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, their image Thou despisest. For my heart doth show itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,

I pour forth before Him my meditation, My distress before Him I declare.

Righteous art Thou, O Jehovah, When I plead towards thee, Only, judgments do I speak with Thee, Wherefore did the way of the wicked prosper? At rest have been all treacherous dealers. Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root, They go on, yea, they have made fruit, Near art Thou in their mouth, And far off from their reins. And Thou, O Jehovah, Thou hast known me, Thou seest me, and hast tried my heart with Thee, Draw them away as sheep to slaughter, And separate them for a day of slaughter.read more.
Till when doth the earth mourn, And the herb of the whole field wither? For the wickedness of those dwelling in it, Consumed have been beast and fowl, Because they said, 'He doth not see our latter end.'

And it is grievous unto Jonah -- a great evil -- and he is displeased at it; and he prayeth unto Jehovah, and he saith, 'I pray Thee, O Jehovah, is not this my word while I was in mine own land -- therefore I was beforehand to flee to Tarshish -- that I have known that Thou art a God, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in kindness, and repenting of evil? And now, O Jehovah, take, I pray Thee, my soul from me, for better is my death than my life.'

and the Pharisees having seen, said to his disciples, 'Wherefore with the tax-gatherers and sinners doth your teacher eat?'

And the scribes and the Pharisees, having seen him eating with the tax-gatherers and sinners, said to his disciples, 'Why -- that with the tax-gatherers and sinners he doth eat and drink?'

and the scribes and the Pharisees among them were murmuring at his disciples, saying, 'Wherefore with tax-gatherers and sinners do ye eat and drink?'

and the Pharisees having seen, said to him, 'Lo, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do on a sabbath.'

and the Pharisees said to him, 'Lo, why do they on the sabbaths that which is not lawful?'

and certain of the Pharisees said to them, 'Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbaths?'

'Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they may eat bread.'

Then question him do the Pharisees and the scribes, 'Wherefore do thy disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but with unwashed hands do eat the bread?'

Why doth this one thus speak evil words? who is able to forgive sins except one -- God?'

And lo, certain of the scribes said within themselves, 'This one doth speak evil.'

and the Pharisees and the scribes were murmuring, saying -- This one doth receive sinners, and doth eat with them.'

The Jews, therefore, were murmuring at him, because he said, 'I am the bread that came down out of the heaven;' and they said, 'Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we have known? how then saith this one -- Out of the heaven I have come down?' Jesus answered, therefore, and said to them, 'Murmur not one with another;

And in these days, the disciples multiplying, there came a murmuring of the Hellenists at the Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily ministration,

and the people thirst there for water, and the people murmur against Moses, and say, 'Why is this? -- thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to put us to death, also our sons and our cattle, with thirst.'

And they say unto Moses, 'Because there are no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in a wilderness? what is this thou hast done to us -- to bring us out from Egypt? Is not this the word which we spake unto thee in Egypt, saying, Cease from us, and we serve the Egyptians; for better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in a wilderness?'

And the people murmur against Moses, saying, 'What do we drink?'

And all the company of the sons of Israel murmur against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness; and the sons of Israel say unto them, 'Oh that we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt, in our sitting by the flesh-pot, in our eating bread to satiety -- for ye have brought us out unto this wilderness to put all this assembly to death with hunger.'

and Paul being about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, 'If, indeed, then, it was anything unrighteous, or an act of wicked profligacy, O Jews, according to reason I had borne with you, but if it is a question concerning words and names, and of your law, look ye yourselves to it, for a judge of these things I do not wish to be,'

And all the company of the sons of Israel murmur against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness;

and murmur in your tents, and say, In Jehovah's hating us He hath brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorite -- to destroy us;

and it hath been, when their fathers or their brethren come in to plead unto us, that we have said unto them, Favour us by them, for we have not taken to each his wife in battle, for ye -- ye have not given to them at this time that ye are guilty.'

put not thy handmaid before a daughter of worthlessness, for from the abundance of my meditation, and of my provocation, I have spoken hitherto.'

Also I -- I withhold not my mouth -- I speak in the distress of my spirit, I talk in the bitterness of my soul. A sea -monster am I, or a dragon, That thou settest over me a guard? When I said, 'My bed doth comfort me,' He taketh away in my talking my couch.

Though I say, 'I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!'

My soul hath been weary of my life, I leave off my talking to myself, I speak in the bitterness of my soul.

Attend to me, and answer me, I mourn in my meditation, and make a noise,

I remember God, and make a noise, I meditate, and feeble is my spirit. Selah.

A Prayer of the afflicted when he is feeble, and before Jehovah poureth out his plaint. O Jehovah, hear my prayer, yea, my cry to Thee cometh.

Our oxen are carrying, there is no breach, And there is no outgoing, And there is no crying in our broad places.

What -- sigh habitually doth a living man, A man for his sin?

and Martha was distracted about much serving, and having stood by him, she said, 'Sir, dost thou not care that my sister left me alone to serve? say then to her, that she may partake along with me.'

and having seen it, they were all murmuring, saying -- 'With a sinful man he went in to lodge!'

These are murmurers, repiners; according to their desires walking, and their mouth doth speak great swellings, giving admiration to persons for the sake of profit;

and the people come in unto Moses and say, 'We have sinned, for we have spoken against Jehovah, and against thee; pray unto Jehovah, and He doth turn aside from us the serpent;' and Moses prayeth in behalf of the people.

And Moses saith unto Jehovah, 'Then have the Egyptians heard! for Thou hast brought up with Thy power this people out of their midst, and they have said it unto the inhabitant of this land, they have heard that Thou, Jehovah, art in the midst of this people, that eye to eye Thou art seen -- O Jehovah, and Thy cloud is standing over them, -- and in a pillar of cloud Thou art going before them by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. 'And Thou hast put to death this people as one man, and the nations who have heard Thy fame have spoken, saying,read more.
From Jehovah's want of ability to bring in this people unto the land which He hath sworn to them -- He doth slaughter them in the wilderness. 'And now, let, I pray Thee, the power of my Lord be great, as Thou hast spoken, saying: Jehovah is slow to anger, and of great kindness; bearing away iniquity and transgression, and not entirely acquitting, charging iniquity of fathers on sons, on a third generation, and on a fourth; -- forgive, I pray Thee, the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of Thy kindness, and as Thou hast borne with this people from Egypt, even until now.' And Jehovah saith, 'I have forgiven, according to thy word; and yet, I live -- and it is filled -- the whole earth -- with the honour of Jehovah; for all the men who are seeing My honour, and My signs, which I have done in Egypt, and in the wilderness, and try Me these ten times, and have not hearkened to My voice -- they see not the land which I have sworn to their fathers, yea, none of those despising Me see it; and My servant Caleb, because there hath been another spirit with him, and he is fully after Me -- I have brought him in unto the land whither he hath entered, and his seed doth possess it. And the Amalekite and the Canaanite are dwelling in the valley; to-morrow turn ye and journey for yourselves into the wilderness -- the way of the Red Sea.' And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, and unto Aaron, saying, 'Until when hath this evil company that which they are murmuring against Me? the murmurings of the sons of Israel, which they are murmuring against Me, I have heard; say unto them, I live -- an affirmation of Jehovah -- if, as ye have spoken in Mine ears -- so I do not to you; in this wilderness do your carcases fall, even all your numbered ones, to all your number, from a son of twenty years and upward, who have murmured against Me; ye -- ye come not in unto the land which I have lifted up My hand to cause you to tabernacle in it, except Caleb son of Jephunneh, and Joshua son of Nun. As to your infants -- of whom ye have said, A spoil they are become -- I have even brought them in, and they have known the land which ye have kicked against; as to you -- your carcases do fall in this wilderness, and your sons are evil in the wilderness forty years, and have borne your whoredoms till your carcases are consumed in the wilderness; by the number of the days in which ye spied the land, forty days, -- a day for a year, a day for a year -- ye do bear your iniquities, forty years, and ye have known my breaking off; I am Jehovah, I have spoken; if I do not this to all this evil company who are meeting against me; -- in this wilderness they are consumed, and there they die.' And the men whom Moses hath sent to spy the land, and they turn back and cause all the company to murmur against him, by bringing out an evil account concerning the land, even the men bringing out an evil account of the land die by the plague before Jehovah; and Joshua son of Nun, and Caleb son of Jephunneh, have lived of those men who go to spy out the land. And Moses speaketh these words unto all the sons of Israel, and the people mourn exceedingly,

And all the company of the sons of Israel murmur, on the morrow, against Moses and against Aaron, saying, 'Ye -- ye have put to death the people of Jehovah.' And it cometh to pass, in the company being assembled against Moses and against Aaron, that they turn towards the tent of meeting, and lo, the cloud hath covered it, and the honour of Jehovah is seen; and Moses cometh -- Aaron also -- unto the front of the tent of meeting.read more.
And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 'Get you up from the midst of this company, and I consume them in a moment;' and they fall on their faces, and Moses saith unto Aaron, 'Take the censer, and put on it fire from off the altar, and place perfume, and go, hasten unto the company, and make atonement for them, for the wrath hath gone out from the presence of Jehovah -- the plague hath begun.' And Aaron taketh as Moses hath spoken, and runneth unto the midst of the assembly, and lo, the plague hath begun among the people; and he giveth the perfume, and maketh atonement for the people, and standeth between the dead and the living, and the plague is restrained; and those who die by the plague are fourteen thousand and seven hundred, apart from those who die for the matter of Korah; and Aaron turneth back unto Moses, unto the opening of the tent of meeting, and the plague hath been restrained.

and they come in to Marah, and have not been able to drink the waters of Marah, for they are bitter; therefore hath one called its name Marah. And the people murmur against Moses, saying, 'What do we drink?' and he crieth unto Jehovah, and Jehovah sheweth him a tree, and he casteth unto the waters, and the waters become sweet. There He hath made for them a statute, and an ordinance, and there He hath tried them,

And the sons of Israel come in, -- all the company -- to the wilderness of Zin, in the first month, and the people abide in Kadesh, and Miriam dieth there, and is buried there. And there hath been no water for the company, and they are assembled against Moses, and against Aaron, and the people strive with Moses, and speak, saying, 'And oh that we had expired when our brethren expired before Jehovah!read more.
and why have ye brought in the assembly of Jehovah unto this wilderness to die there, we and our beasts? and why hast thou brought us up out of Egypt to bring us in unto this evil place? no place of seed, and fig, and vine, and pomegranate; and water there is none to drink. And Moses and Aaron go in from the presence of the assembly unto the opening of the tent of meeting, and fall on their faces, and the honour of Jehovah is seen by them. And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 'Take the rod, and assemble the company, thou and Aaron thy brother; and ye have spoken unto the rock before their eyes, and it hath given its water, and thou hast brought out to them water from the rock, and hast watered the company, and their beasts.' And Moses taketh the rod from before Jehovah, as He hath commanded him, and Moses and Aaron assemble the assembly unto the front of the rock, and he saith to them, 'Hear, I pray you, O rebels, from this rock do we bring out to you water?' and Moses lifteth up his hand, and smiteth the rock with his rod twice; and much water cometh out, and the company drink, also their beasts. And Jehovah saith unto Moses, and unto Aaron, 'Because ye have not believed in Me to sanctify Me before the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore ye do not bring in this assembly unto the land which I have given to them.' These are waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel have 'striven' with Jehovah, and He is sanctified upon them.

and the people strive with Moses, and say, 'Give us water, and we drink.' And Moses saith to them, 'What? -- ye strive with me, what? -- ye try Jehovah?' and the people thirst there for water, and the people murmur against Moses, and say, 'Why is this? -- thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to put us to death, also our sons and our cattle, with thirst.' And Moses crieth to Jehovah, saying, 'What do I to this people? yet a little, and they have stoned me.'read more.
And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Pass over before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel, and thy rod with which thou hast smitten the River take in thy hand, and thou hast gone: Lo, I am standing before thee there on the rock in Horeb, and thou hast smitten on the rock, and waters have come out from it, and the people have drunk.' And Moses doth so before the eyes of the elders of Israel, and he calleth the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the 'strife' of the sons of Israel, and because of their 'trying' Jehovah, saying, 'Is Jehovah in our midst or not?'

And all the company lifteth up and give forth their voice, and the people weep during that night; and all the sons of Israel murmur against Moses, and against Aaron, and all the company say unto them, 'O that we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wilderness, O that we had died! and why is Jehovah bringing us in unto this land to fall by the sword? our wives and our infants are become a prey; is it not good for us to turn back to Egypt?'read more.
And they say one unto another, 'Let us appoint a head, and turn back to Egypt.' And Moses falleth -- Aaron also -- on their faces, before all the assembly of the company of the sons of Israel.

And Moses saith unto Jehovah, 'Why hast Thou done evil to Thy servant? and why have I not found grace in Thine eyes -- to put the burden of all this people upon me? I -- have I conceived all this people? I -- have I begotten it, that Thou sayest unto me, Carry it in thy bosom as the nursing father beareth the suckling, unto the ground which Thou hast sworn to its fathers? Whence have I flesh to give to all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give to us flesh, and we eat.read more.
I am not able -- I alone -- to bear all this people, for it is too heavy for me; and if thus Thou art doing to me -- slay me, I pray Thee; slay, if I have found grace in thine eyes, and let me not look on mine affliction.' And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou hast known that they are elders of the people, and its authorities; and thou hast taken them unto the tent of meeting, and they have stationed themselves there with thee, and I have come down and spoken with thee there, and have kept back of the Spirit which is upon thee, and have put on them, and they have borne with thee some of the burden of the people, and thou dost not bear it thyself alone. And unto the people thou dost say, Sanctify yourselves for to-morrow, and ye have eaten flesh (for ye have wept in the ears of Jehovah, saying, Who doth give us flesh? for we had good in Egypt) -- and Jehovah hath given to you flesh, and ye have eaten. Ye do not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days; -- unto a month of days, till that it come out from your nostrils, and it hath become to you an abomination; because that ye have loathed Jehovah, who is in your midst, and weep before Him, saying, Why is this? -- we have come out of Egypt!' And Moses saith, 'Six hundred thousand footmen are the people in whose midst I am; and Thou, Thou hast said, Flesh I give to them, and they have eaten, a month of days! Is flock and herd slaughtered for them, that one hath found for them? -- are all the fishes of the sea gathered for them -- that one hath found for them?' And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Is the hand of Jehovah become short? now thou dost see whether My word meeteth thee or not.' And Moses goeth out, and speaketh unto the people the words of Jehovah, and gathereth seventy men of the elders of the people, and causeth them to stand round about the tent, and Jehovah cometh down in the cloud, and speaketh unto him, and keepeth back of the Spirit which is on him, and putteth on the seventy men of the elders; and it cometh to pass at the resting of the Spirit on them, that they prophesy, and do not cease. And two of the men are left in the camp, the name of the one is Eldad, and the name of the second Medad, and the spirit resteth upon them, (and they are among those written, and have not gone out to the tent), and they prophesy in the camp; and the young man runneth, and declareth to Moses, and saith, 'Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.' And Joshua son of Nun, minister of Moses, one of his young men, answereth and saith, 'My lord Moses, restrain them.' And Moses saith to him, 'Art thou zealous for me? O that all Jehovah's people were prophets! that Jehovah would put His Spirit upon them!' And Moses is gathered unto the camp, he and the elders of Israel. And a spirit hath journeyed from Jehovah, and cutteth off quails from the sea, and leaveth by the camp, as a day's journey here, and as a day's journey there, round about the camp, and about two cubits, on the face of the land. And the people rise all that day, and all the night, and all the day after, and gather the quails -- he who hath least hath gathered ten homers -- and they spread them out for themselves round about the camp. The flesh is yet between their teeth -- it is not yet cut off -- and the anger of Jehovah hath burned among the people, and Jehovah smiteth among the people -- a very great smiting; and one calleth the name of that place Kibroth-Hattaavah, for there they have buried the people who lust. From Kibroth-Hattaavah have the people journeyed to Hazeroth, and they are in Hazeroth.

And they journey from mount Hor, the way of the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom, and the soul of the people is short in the way, and the people speak against God, and against Moses, 'Why hast thou brought us up out of Egypt to die in a wilderness? for there is no bread, and there is no water, and our soul hath been weary of this light bread.' And Jehovah sendeth among the people the burning serpents, and they bite the people, and much people of Israel die;read more.
and the people come in unto Moses and say, 'We have sinned, for we have spoken against Jehovah, and against thee; pray unto Jehovah, and He doth turn aside from us the serpent;' and Moses prayeth in behalf of the people.