28 Bible Verses about Hope, Results Of Its Absence

“But if I look to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) as my home,
If I make my bed in the darkness,

If I call out to the pit (grave), ‘You are my father’;
And to the worm [that feeds on decay], ‘You are my mother and my sister [because I will soon be closest to you],’

Where now is my hope?
And who regards or considers or is even concerned about my hope?

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But when desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.

For we are sojourners before You, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope [of remaining].

“What strength do I have left, that I should wait [and hope]?
And what is ahead of me, that I should be patient and endure?

“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And are spent without hope.

I was afflicted and close to death from my youth on;
I suffer Your terrors; I am overcome.

Your fierce wrath has swept over me;
Your terrors have destroyed me.

They have surrounded me like flood waters all day long;
They have completely encompassed me.
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Lover and friend You have placed far from me;
My familiar friends are in darkness.

Moreover, those who make linen from combed flax
And those who weave white cloth will be ashamed.

“For Sheol cannot praise or thank You,
Death cannot praise You and rejoice in You;
Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.

For we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about our trouble in [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor], how we were utterly weighed down, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life [itself].

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Why are You so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I call out by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but I find no rest nor quiet.

So I say, “My strength has perished
And so has my hope and expectation from the Lord.”

Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is lost. We are completely cut off.’

But he himself traveled a day’s journey into the wilderness, and he came and sat down under a juniper tree and asked [God] that he might die. He said, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

“Why is the light given to him who is in misery,
And life to the bitter in soul,

Who wait for death, but it does not come,
And dig (search) for death more [diligently] than for hidden treasures,

Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am tired of living because of the daughters of Heth [these insolent wives of Esau]. If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?”

So if this is the way You are going to deal with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness.”

“When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
My couch will ease my complaint,’

Then You frighten me with dreams
And terrify me through visions,

So that I would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my pain.

And death will be chosen rather than life by all the remnant of those who remain of this evil family (nation), who remain in all the places to which I have driven them,” says the Lord of hosts.

Therefore now, O Lord, just take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

And in those days people will seek death and will not find it; and they will long to die [to escape the pain], but [will discover that] death evades them.

In hope against hope Abraham believed that he would become a father of many nations, as he had been promised [by God]: “So [numberless] shall your descendants be.”

Nevertheless, the men rowed hard [breaking through the waves] to return to land, but they could not, because the sea became even more violent [surging higher] against them. Then they called on the Lord and said, “Please, O Lord, do not let us perish because of taking this man’s life, and do not make us accountable for innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as You pleased.”

Now then, say to the men of Judah and to the citizens of Jerusalem, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am shaping a disaster and working out a plan against you. Turn back, each of you from his evil way; correct your habits and change your actions for the better.”’ But they will say, ‘That is hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act in accordance with the stubbornness of his evil heart.’

Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm kept raging about us, from then on all hope of our being saved was [growing worse and worse and] gradually abandoned.

And throwing the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary, he left; and went away and hanged himself.

Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised [Philistines] will come and pierce me through and abuse and mock me.” But his armor bearer would not, because he was terrified [of doing such a thing]. So Saul took his sword and fell on it.

Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out and went to his home, to his city. Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself. So he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.

When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the fortress of the king’s palace; and while inside, he set fire to the king’s palace and died,