81 Bible Verses about Unhappiness
Most Relevant Verses
We live for 70 years, or 80 years if we're healthy, yet even in the prime years there are troubles and sorrow. They pass by quickly and we fly away.
While they were eating, he said, "I tell all of you with certainty, one of you is going to betray me." Feeling deeply distressed, each one began to ask him, "Surely I am not the one, Lord?"
They began to be very sad and asked him, one after the other, "Surely I am not the one, am I?"
When Esau was 40 years old, he married Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite. This brought extreme grief to Isaac and Rebekah.
When Joseph came to see them in the morning, he noticed how downcast they looked! They were both very sad. So he asked Pharaoh's officers, who were with him in prison in his master's house, "Why are you so sad today?"
Elkanah her husband told her, "Hannah, why are you crying and why don't you eat? Why are you upset? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"
When I heard this, I sat down and cried, mourning for a number of days while I fasted and prayed in the presence of the God of Heaven.
It came about in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, during the month of Nissan, the king was about to drink some wine that I was preparing for him. Now I had never looked troubled in his presence. The king asked me, "Why do you look so troubled, since you're not ill? This cannot be anything else but troubles of the heart." Then I was filled with fear. I replied to the king, "May the king live forever. Why shouldn't I be troubled, since the city where my ancestral sepulchers are located lies waste, with its gates burned by fire?"
Haven't I wept for the one who is going through hard times? Haven't I grieved for the needy?
How long must I struggle in my soul at night and have sorrow in my heart during the day? How long will my enemy rise up against me?
Be gracious to me, LORD, for I am in distress. My eyes have been consumed by my grief along with my soul and my body.
The fishermen will groan, and all who cast hooks into the Nile will lament; those who spread nets upon the water will become weaker and weaker. The workers in combed flax and the weavers of white linen will be in despair. Egypt's workers in cloth will be crushed, and all who work for wages will be sick at heart."
"You have said, "How terrible for me, for the LORD has added sorrow to my pain. I'm weary with my groaning, and I haven't found rest."'
Someone informed Joab, "The king is weeping bitterly, mourning for Absalom."
"But now I am going to the one who sent me. Yet none of you asks me, "Where are you going?' But because I have told you this, sorrow has filled your hearts.
Some years later, Shua's daughter (that is, Judah's wife) died. As Judah was grieving, he visited the shearers of his flock in Timnah, accompanied by his Adullamite friend Hirah.
But Jacob replied, "My son isn't going back with you, since his brother is dead and he's the only one left. If something should harm him as you travel, then it'll be death for me and my sad, gray hair!"
"Now as for me, Rachel died after I arrived in Canaan from Paddan, much to my sorrow. While I was on my journey to Ephrathah (also known as Bethlehem), I buried her there."
I am in distress for you, my brother Jonathan. You have been most kind to me. Your love for me was extraordinary beyond love from women.
so he sent messengers to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, "Please play the role of a mourner, wear the clothes of a mourner, and refrain from using makeup. Act like a woman who's been in mourning for the dead for many days.
"Grieve like a virgin, who, dressed in her mourner's clothes, cries out in memory of the man she was going to marry.
They will kill him, but he will be raised on the third day." Then they were filled with grief.
When he got up from prayer, he went to the disciples and found them asleep from sorrow.
He asked them, "What are you discussing with each other as you're walking along?" They stood still and looked gloomy.
Meanwhile, Mary stood crying outside the tomb. As she cried, she bent over and looked into the tomb.
They were especially sorrowful because of what he had said that they would never see his face again. Then they took him to the ship.
Indeed, he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow on top of another.
But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve like other people who have no hope.
The LORD told him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of everyone who sighs and moans over all of the loathsome things that are happening in it."
It is actually reported that sexual immorality exists among you, and of a kind that is not found even among the gentiles. A man is actually living with his father's wife! And you are being arrogant instead of being filled with grief and seeing to it that the man who did this is removed from among you.
After Moses had told all of this to the Israelis, the people deeply mourned.
All the Israelis, including its army, went up from there to Bethel and wept, remaining there in the LORD's presence, fasting throughout the day until dusk, when they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings in the LORD's presence.
But the Israelis were mourning for their relatives in the tribe of Benjamin. They announced, "One tribe has been eliminated from Israel today!
Any of you whom I don't eliminate from serving at my altar will grow tired from weeping, and their souls will grieve. All the increase of your family will die by violence.
Because all the people were weeping as they listened to the words of the Law, Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the descendants of Levi who taught the people told everyone, "This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." He also told them, "Go eat the best food, drink the best wine, and give something to those who have nothing, since this day is holy to our Lord. Don't be sorrowful, because the joy of the LORD is your strength." The descendants of Levi also calmed all the people by saying, "Be still, for the day is holy. Don't be sorrowful!"
LORD, God of my salvation, by day and by night I cry out before you. Let my prayer come before you; listen to my cry. For my life is filled with troubles as I approach Sheol.read more.
I am considered as one of those descending into the Pit, like a mighty man without strength, released to remain with the dead, lying in a grave like a corpse, remembered no longer, and cut off from your power. You have assigned me to the lowest part of the Pit, to the darkest depths. Your anger lies heavily upon me; you pound me with all your waves. Interlude You caused my acquaintances to shun me; you make me extremely abhorrent to them. Restrained, I am unable to go out. My eyes languish on account of my affliction; all day long I call out to you, LORD, I spread out my hands to you.
But they became few in number, and humiliated by continued oppression, agony, and sorrow.
The roads that lead to Zion are in mourning, because no one travels to the festivals. All her gates are desolate; her priests are moaning. Her young women are grieving, and she is bitter. Her adversaries dominate her, her enemies prosper. For the LORD has made her suffer because of her many transgressions. Her children have gone away, taken into captivity in the presence of the enemy.
"And now, Son of Man, you are to start groaning until you're sick to your stomach. You are to groan bitterly right in front of them. When they'll ask you, "Why are you groaning?' you are to say, "Because of the news that just arrived. Every heart will melt with fear, every hand will grow limp, every spirit will grow faint, and every knee will glisten with sweat.' Look! It has come and it will be fulfilled," declares the Lord GOD.
I will pour out on the house of David and on the residents of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and of supplications, and they will look to me the one whom they pierced.'"
Then Judas, who had betrayed him, regretted what had happened when he saw that Jesus was condemned. He brought the 30 pieces of silver back to the high priests and elders,
After all, if I were to grieve you, who should make me happy but the person I am making sad? This is the very reason I wrote you, so that when I did come I might not be made sad by those who should have made me happy. For I had confidence that all of you would share the joy that I have. I wrote to you out of great sorrow and anguish of heart along with many tears not to make you sad but to let you know how much love I have for you.read more.
But if anyone has caused grief, he didn't cause me any grief. To some extent I don't want to emphasize this too much it has affected all of you.
If I made you sad with my letter, I do not regret it, although I did regret it then. I see that the letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while. Now I am happy, not because you had such sorrow, but because your sorrow led you to repent. For you were sorry in a godly way, and so you were not hurt by us in any way. For having sorrow in a godly way results in repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regrets. But the sorrow of the world produces death.read more.
See what great earnestness godly sorrow has produced in you! How ready you are to clear yourselves, how indignant, how alarmed, how full of longing and enthusiasm, how eager to seek justice! In every way you have demonstrated that you are innocent in this matter.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and caused themselves a lot of pain.
Ahab went back to his palace, sullen and in a foul mood, because Naboth the Jezreelite had turned down Ahab's offer by saying "I will not transfer my ancestors' inheritance to you!" He laid down on his bed, curled up with his face to the wall, and refused to eat.
Who has woe? Who has grief? Who has contention? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over their wine, who consume mixed drinks.
But when the young man heard this statement he went away sad, because he had many possessions.
But when the official heard this he became sad, because he was very rich.
Then he told them, "I'm so deeply grieved that I feel I'm about to die. Wait here and stay awake with me."
So he told them, "I'm deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Wait here and stay awake."
When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, he was greatly troubled in spirit and deeply moved.
"Now my soul is in turmoil, and what should I say "Father, save me from this hour'? No! It was for this very reason that I came to this hour.
After saying this, Jesus was deeply troubled in spirit and declared solemnly, "Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, one of you is going to betray me!"
Then the LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and he was deeply grieved about that. So the LORD said, "I will annihilate these human beings whom I've created from the earth, including people, animals, crawling things, and flying creatures, because I'm grieving that I made them."
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, by whom you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.
The LORD also said, "How great is the disapproval of Sodom and Gomorrah! Their sin is so very serious!
"I regret that I made Saul king, because he has turned away from following me and has not carried out my commands." Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the LORD all night.
As the angel was stretching out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD was grieved because of the calamity, so he told the angel who was afflicting the people, "Enough! Stay your hand!" So the angel of the LORD remained near the threshing floor that belonged to Araunah the Jebusite.
Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; so he changed and became their enemy, and he himself fought against them.
"If you will just remain in this land, I'll build you up and not pull you down. I'll plant you and not uproot you, for I'm sorry about the disaster I've brought on you.
though he causes grief, his compassion abounds according to his gracious love. For he does not deliberately hurt or grieve human beings.
You greatly rejoice in this, even though you have to suffer various kinds of trials for a little while,
My eyesight has faded because of grief, it has dimmed because of all my enemies. Get away from me, all of you who practice evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.
But you do see! You take note of trouble and grief in order to take the matter into your own hand. The helpless one commits himself to you; you have been the orphan's helper.
I love the LORD because he has heard my prayer for mercy; for he listens to me whenever I call. The ropes of death were wound around me and the anguish of Sheol came upon me; I encountered distress and sorrow.read more.
Then I called on the name of the LORD, "LORD, please deliver me!" The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is compassionate; the LORD watches over the innocent; I was brought low, and he delivered me.
and the LORD's ransomed ones will return and enter Zion with singing. Everlasting joy will rest upon their heads, gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and mourning will flee away."
"The scattered ones of the LORD will return, and they will enter Zion with singing. Everlasting joy will be upon their heads; they will attain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Your sun won't set, nor will your moon withdraw itself for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning will end.
"The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed and to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who grieve in Zion to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, a mantle of praise instead of a spirit of despair." "Then people will call them "Oaks of Righteousness", "The Planting of the LORD", in order to display his splendor.
They'll come and cry out with joy on the heights of Zion. They'll be radiant over the LORD's goodness, over the grain, the new wine, the fresh oil, and over the young of the flocks and herds. Their lives will be like a well-watered garden. They'll never again grow faint. The virgins will rejoice with dancing, together with young men and old men. For I'll turn their mourning into joy, and I'll comfort them and give them gladness instead of sorrow.
Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, you'll cry and mourn, but the world will rejoice. You'll be deeply distressed, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labor she has pain, because her time has come. Yet when she has given birth to her child, she doesn't remember the agony anymore because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. Now you are having pain. But I'll see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
