49 Bible Verses about Waste

And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.read more.
And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat; and no man gave to him.

There is a treasure to be desired, and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.

He that loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.

And he said also to his disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward; and the same was accused to him that he had wasted his goods.

Come now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have amassed treasure for the last days.read more.
Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped your fields, which is by you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them who have reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: In which they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the living and the dead.

Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: Lest thou give thy honor to others, and thy years to the cruel:read more.
Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labors be in the house of a stranger; And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to them that instructed me! I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

When they were satisfied, he said to his disciples, Gather the fragments that remain, that nothing may be lost. Therefore they gathered them, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley-loaves, which remained over and above to them that had eaten.

They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

Then Jesus said to them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spoke Jesus, and departed, and concealed himself from them.

We then, as co-workers with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

But now, after ye have known God, or rather are known by God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful apprehension of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law, died without mercy under two or three witnesses:read more.
Of how much more severe punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, by which he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite to the Spirit of grace?

For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered to them his goods. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and forthwith took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents, went and traded with the same, and gained other five talents.read more.
And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one, went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And he that had received five talents, came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst to me five talents: behold, I have gained besides them five talents more. His lord said to him, Well done thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came, and said, Lord, thou deliveredst to me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents besides them. His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he who had received the one talent came, and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast what is thine. His lord answered and said to him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not strewed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received my own with interest. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who hath ten talents. For to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into utter darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said to them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.read more.
And it came to pass, that when he had returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called to him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said to him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up what thou layedst not down, and reapest what thou didst not sow. And he saith to him, Out of thy own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest me to be an austere man, taking up what I laid not down, and reaping what I did not sow: Why then gavest thou not my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required my own with interest? And he said to them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. (And they said to him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) For I say to you, That to every one who hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even what he hath shall be taken away from him. But those my enemies, who would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work.

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially to them who are of the household of faith.

Walk in wisdom towards them that are without, redeeming the time.

Give not that which is holy to dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

He that reproveth a scorner, getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.

Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

And Jacob boiled pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint. And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, Sell to me this day thy birth-right.read more.
And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birth-right bring to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he swore to him: and he sold his birth-right to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way: thus Esau despised his birth-right.

Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birth-right.

And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath disclosed to me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought money in their hand. And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. And she said, the Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he knew not that the LORD had departed from him.read more.
But the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house.

And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armor-bearer.

And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul, and over Jonathan his son: (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.) The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!read more.
Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither rain upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil. From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel. How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan thou wast slain in thy high places. I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been to me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. How have the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

Then Judas, who had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, There came to him a woman having an alabaster-box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head as he sat at table. But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?read more.
For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. When Jesus understood it, he said to them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. Verily I say to you, Wherever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, which this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

And being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at table, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard, very precious; and she broke the box, and poured it on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.read more.
And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whenever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come beforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say to you, Wherever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of, for a memorial of her.

Then Jesus, six days before the passover, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then Mary took a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.read more.
Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who was to betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bore what was put in it. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burial hath she kept this. For the poor ye have always with you; but me ye have not always.

And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth-eaten.

His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out.

When I kept silence, my bones became old through my roaring all the day long.

They that are slain with the sword are better than they that are slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man is wasted, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

Behold, I will command, saith the LORD, and cause them to return to this city; and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire: and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant.

And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the savor of your sweet odors. And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.

Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say to the woman, The LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to perish, and thy belly to swell;

The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew: and they shall pursue thee until thou dost perish.

And that the whole land of it is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor doth it bear, nor doth any grass grow in it, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger and in his wrath:

They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.

Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel; and were brought low for their iniquity.

Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad its inhabitants.

That they may want bread and water, and be astonished one with another, and consume away for their iniquity.

Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.