'Woe' in the Bible

Woe to you, Moab!You have been destroyed, people of Chemosh!He gave up his sons as refugees,and his daughters into captivityto Sihon the Amorite king.

they panicked. “The gods have entered their camp!” they said. “Woe to us, nothing like this has happened before.

Woe to us, who will rescue us from the hand of these magnificent gods? These are the gods that slaughtered the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.

If I am wicked, woe to me!And even if I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head.I am filled with shameand aware of my affliction.

Who has woe? Who has sorrow?Who has conflicts? Who has complaints?Who has wounds for no reason?Who has red eyes?

Woe to you, land, when your king is a youthand your princes feast in the morning.

The look on their faces testifies against them,and like Sodom, they flaunt their sin.They do not conceal it.Woe to them,for they have brought evil on themselves.

Woe to the wicked—it will go badly for them,for what they have done will be done to them.

Woe to those who add house to houseand join field to fielduntil there is no more roomand you alone are left in the land.

Woe to those who rise early in the morningin pursuit of beer,who linger into the evening,inflamed by wine.

Woe to those who drag wickednesswith cords of deceitand pull sin along with cart ropes,

Woe to those who call evil goodand good evil,who substitute darkness for lightand light for darkness,who substitute bitter for sweetand sweet for bitter.

Woe to those who are wise in their own opinionand clever in their own sight.

Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,who are fearless at mixing beer,

Then I said:Woe is me for I am ruinedbecause I am a man of unclean lipsand live among a people of unclean lips,and because my eyes have seen the King,the Lord of Hosts.

Woe to those enacting crooked statutesand writing oppressive laws

Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger—the staff in their hands is My wrath.

From the ends of the earth we hear songs:The Splendor of the Righteous One.But I said, “I waste away! I waste away!Woe is me.”The treacherous act treacherously;the treacherous deal very treacherously.

Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards,and to the fading flower of its beautiful splendor,which is on the summit above the rich valley.Woe to those overcome with wine.

Woe to Ariel, Ariel,the city where David camped!Continue year after year;let the festivals recur.

Woe to those who go to great lengthsto hide their plans from the Lord.They do their works in darkness,and say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?”

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for helpand who depend on horses!They trust in the abundance of chariotsand in the large number of horsemen.They do not look to the Holy One of Israeland they do not seek the Lord’s help.

Woe, you destroyer never destroyed,you traitor never betrayed!When you have finished destroying,you will be destroyed.When you have finished betraying,they will betray you.

“Woe to the one who argues with his Maker—one clay pot among many.Does clay say to the one forming it,‘What are you making?’Or does your work say,‘He has no hands’?

Look, he advances like clouds;his chariots are like a storm.His horses are swifter than eagles.Woe to us, for we are ruined!

I hear a cry like a woman in labor,a cry of anguish like one bearing her first child.The cry of Daughter Zion gasping for breath,stretching out her hands:Woe is me, for my life is wearybecause of the murderers!

Set them apart for war against her;rise up, let’s attack at noon.Woe to us, for the day is passing;the evening shadows grow long.

Woe to me because of my brokenness—I am severely wounded!I exclaimed, “This is my intense suffering,but I must bear it.”

Your adulteries and your lustful neighing,your heinous prostitutionon the hills, in the fields—I have seen your detestable acts.Woe to you, Jerusalem!You are unclean—for how long yet?

Woe is me, my mother,that you gave birth to me,a man who incites dispute and conflictin all the land.I did not lend or borrow,yet everyone curses me.

Woe for the one who builds his palacethrough unrighteousness,his upper rooms through injustice,who makes his fellow man serve without payand will not give him his wages,

Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah:They will not mourn for him, saying,“Woe, my brother!” or “Woe, my sister!”They will not mourn for him, saying,“Woe, lord! Woe, his majesty!”

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” This is the Lord’s declaration.

‘You have said, “Woe is me, because the Lord has added misery to my pain! I am worn out with groaning and have found no rest.”’

About Moab, this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says:Woe to Nebo, because it is about to be destroyed;Kiriathaim will be put to shame; it will be taken captive.The fortress will be put to shame and dismayed!

Woe to you, Moab!The people of Chemosh have perishedbecause your sons have been taken captiveand your daughters have gone into captivity.

Put all her young bulls to the sword;let them go down to the slaughter.Woe to them, because their day has come,the time of their punishment.

The crown has fallen from our head.Woe to us, for we have sinned.

When He unrolled it before me, it was written on the front and back; words of lamentation, mourning, and woe were written on it.

This is what the Lord God says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing.

and say: This is what the Lord God says: Woe to the women who sew magic bands on the wrist of every hand and who make veils for the heads of people of every height in order to ensnare lives. Will you ensnare the lives of My people but preserve your own?

“Then after all your evil—Woe, woe to you!”—the declaration of the Lord God—

Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:Woe to the city of bloodshed,the pot that has rust inside it,and whose rust will not come off!Empty it piece by piece;lots should not be cast for its contents.

Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:Woe to the city of bloodshed!I Myself will make the pile of kindling large.

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and say to them: This is what the Lord God says to the shepherds: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who have been feeding themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed their flock?

Woe to them, for they fled from Me;destruction to them, for they rebelled against Me!Though I want to redeem them,they speak lies against Me.

Even if they raise children,I will bereave them of each one.Yes, woe to them when I depart from them!

Woe because of that day!For the Day of the Lord is nearand will come as devastation from the Almighty.

Woe to you who long for the Day of the Lord!What will the Day of the Lord be for you?It will be darkness and not light.

Woe to those who are at ease in Zionand to those who feel secure on the hill of Samaria—the notable people in this first of the nations,those the house of Israel comes to.

Woe to those who dream up wickednessand prepare evil plans on their beds!At morning light they accomplish itbecause the power is in their hands.

Woe to the city of blood,totally deceitful,full of plunder,never without prey.

Won’t all of these take up a taunt against him,with mockery and riddles about him?They will say:Woe to him who amasses what is not his—how much longer?—and loads himself with goods taken in pledge.

Woe to him who dishonestly makeswealth for his houseto place his nest on high,to escape from the reach of disaster!

Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshedand founds a town with injustice!

Woe to him who gives his neighbors drink,pouring out your wrathand even making them drunk,in order to look at their nakedness!

Woe to him who says to wood: Wake up!or to mute stone: Come alive!Can it teach?Look! It may be plated with gold and silver,yet there is no breath in it at all.

Woe, inhabitants of the seacoast,nation of the Cherethites!The word of the Lord is against you,Canaan, land of the Philistines:I will destroy you until there is no one left.

Woe to the city that is rebellious and defiled,the oppressive city!

Woe to the worthless shepherdwho deserts the flock!May a sword strike his armand his right eye!May his arm wither awayand his right eye go completely blind!”

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes long ago!

Woe to the world because of offenses. For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes.

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You lock up the kingdom of heaven from people. For you don’t go in, and you don’t allow those entering to go in.

[“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows’ houses and make long prayers just for show. This is why you will receive a harsher punishment.]

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit for hell as you are!

“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the sanctuary, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by his oath.’

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. These things should have been done without neglecting the others.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence!

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every impurity.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous,

Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days!

The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days!

For the Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

But woe to you who are rich,for you have received your comfort.

Woe to you who are now full,for you will be hungry.Woe to you who are now laughing,for you will mourn and weep.

Woe to youwhen all people speak well of you,for this is the way their ancestorsused to treat the false prophets.

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes!

“But woe to you Pharisees! You give a tenth of mint, rue, and every kind of herb, and you bypass justice and love for God. These things you should have done without neglecting the others.

“Woe to you Pharisees! You love the front seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

“Woe to you! You are like unmarked graves; the people who walk over them don’t know it.”

Then He said: “Woe also to you experts in the law! You load people with burdens that are hard to carry, yet you yourselves don’t touch these burdens with one of your fingers.

“Woe to you! You build monuments to the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

“Woe to you experts in the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge! You didn’t go in yourselves, and you hindered those who were going in.”

He said to His disciples, “Offenses will certainly come, but woe to the one they come through!

Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for there will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people.

For the Son of Man will go away as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”

For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because an obligation is placed on me. And woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

Woe to them! For they have traveled in the way of Cain, have abandoned themselves to the error of Balaam for profit, and have perished in Korah’s rebellion.

I looked again and heard an eagle flying high overhead, crying out in a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe to those who live on the earth, because of the remaining trumpet blasts that the three angels are about to sound!”

The first woe has passed. There are still two more woes to come after this.

The second woe has passed. Take note: The third woe is coming quickly!

Therefore rejoice, you heavens,and you who dwell in them!Woe to the earth and the sea,for the Devil has come down to youwith great fury,because he knows he has a short time.

They will stand far off in fear of her torment, saying:Woe, woe, the great city,Babylon, the mighty city!For in a single houryour judgment has come.

saying:Woe, woe, the great city,dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet,adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls,

They threw dust on their heads and kept crying out, weeping, and mourning:Woe, woe, the great city,where all those who have ships on the seabecame rich from her wealth,for in a single hour she was destroyed.