'Calamity' in the Bible

‘Vengeance is Mine, and retribution,In due time their foot will slip;For the day of their calamity is near,And the impending things are hastening upon them.’

David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise and let us flee, for otherwise none of us will escape from Absalom. Go in haste, or he will overtake us quickly and bring down calamity on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”

Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring calamity on Absalom.

“They confronted me in the day of my calamity,But the Lord was my support.

When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, “It is enough! Now relax your hand!” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

therefore behold, I am bringing calamity on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male person, both bond and free in Israel, and I will make a clean sweep of the house of Jeroboam, as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone.

He called to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, have You also brought calamity to the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?”

therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity on Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle.

And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw and was sorry over the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough; now relax your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

behold, the Lord is going to strike your people, your sons, your wives and all your possessions with a great calamity;

For how can I endure to see the calamity which will befall my people, and how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?”

“He who is at ease holds calamity in contempt,As prepared for those whose feet slip.

“His strength is famished,And calamity is ready at his side.

“How often is the lamp of the wicked put out,Or does their calamity fall on them?Does God apportion destruction in His anger?

“For the wicked is reserved for the day of calamity;They will be led forth at the day of fury.

“Is it not calamity to the unjustAnd disaster to those who work iniquity?

“For calamity from God is a terror to me,And because of His majesty I can do nothing.

They confronted me in the day of my calamity,But the Lord was my stay.

I will also laugh at your calamity;I will mock when your dread comes,

When your dread comes like a stormAnd your calamity comes like a whirlwind,When distress and anguish come upon you.

Therefore his calamity will come suddenly;Instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing.

He who mocks the poor taunts his Maker;He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.

For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again,But the wicked stumble in time of calamity.

For their calamity will rise suddenly,And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?

Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend,And do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.

How blessed is the man who fears always,But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

The One forming light and creating darkness,Causing well-being and creating calamity;I am the Lord who does all these.

“They will not labor in vain,Or bear children for calamity;For they are the offspring of those blessed by the Lord,And their descendants with them.

“Now when you tell this people all these words, they will say to you, ‘For what reason has the Lord declared all this great calamity against us? And what is our iniquity, or what is our sin which we have committed against the Lord our God?’

if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.

So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds.”’

‘Like an east wind I will scatter themBefore the enemy;I will show them My back and not My faceIn the day of their calamity.’”

and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Behold I am about to bring a calamity upon this place, at which the ears of everyone that hears of it will tingle.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to bring on this city and all its towns the entire calamity that I have declared against it, because they have stiffened their necks so as not to heed My words.’”

“Therefore their way will be like slippery paths to them,They will be driven away into the gloom and fall down in it;For I will bring calamity upon them,The year of their punishment,” declares the Lord.

“They keep saying to those who despise Me,‘The Lord has said, “You will have peace”’;And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart,They say, ‘Calamity will not come upon you.’

For behold, I am beginning to work calamity in this city which is called by My name, and shall you be completely free from punishment? You will not be free from punishment; for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth,” declares the Lord of hosts.’

Perhaps they will listen and everyone will turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the calamity which I am planning to do to them because of the evil of their deeds.’

The prophets who were before me and before you from ancient times prophesied against many lands and against great kingdoms, of war and of calamity and of pestilence.

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

They came in and took possession of it, but they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your law; they have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have made all this calamity come upon them.

Perhaps the house of Judah will hear all the calamity which I plan to bring on them, in order that every man will turn from his evil way; then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.”

I will also punish him and his descendants and his servants for their iniquity, and I will bring on them and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the men of Judah all the calamity that I have declared to them—but they did not listen.”’”

Now the captain of the bodyguard had taken Jeremiah and said to him, “The Lord your God promised this calamity against this place;

‘If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down, and I will plant you and not uproot you; for I will relent concerning the calamity that I have inflicted on you.

So all the men who set their mind to go to Egypt to reside there will die by the sword, by famine and by pestilence; and they will have no survivors or refugees from the calamity that I am going to bring on them.”’”

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘You yourselves have seen all the calamity that I have brought on Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are in ruins and no one lives in them,

Because you have burned sacrifices and have sinned against the Lord and not obeyed the voice of the Lord or walked in His law, His statutes or His testimonies, therefore this calamity has befallen you, as it has this day.”

“Also her mercenaries in her midstAre like fattened calves,For even they too have turned back and have fled away together;They did not stand their ground.For the day of their calamity has come upon them,The time of their punishment.

“There is praise for Moab no longer;In Heshbon they have devised calamity against her:‘Come and let us cut her off from being a nation!’You too, Madmen, will be silenced;The sword will follow after you.

“The disaster of Moab will soon come,And his calamity has swiftly hastened.

‘So I will shatter Elam before their enemiesAnd before those who seek their lives;And I will bring calamity upon them,Even My fierce anger,’ declares the Lord,‘And I will send out the sword after themUntil I have consumed them.

“I will dispatch foreigners to Babylon that they may winnow herAnd may devastate her land;For on every side they will be opposed to herIn the day of her calamity.

So Jeremiah wrote in a single scroll all the calamity which would come upon Babylon, that is, all these words which have been written concerning Babylon.

and say, ‘Just so shall Babylon sink down and not rise again because of the calamity that I am going to bring upon her; and they will become exhausted.’” Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.

“They have heard that I groan;There is no one to comfort me;All my enemies have heard of my calamity;They are glad that You have done it.Oh, that You would bring the day which You have proclaimed,That they may become like me.

Yet, behold, survivors will be left in it who will be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they are going to come forth to you and you will see their conduct and actions; then you will be comforted for the calamity which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought upon it.

Because you have had everlasting enmity and have delivered the sons of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of the punishment of the end,

Thus He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem.

As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Your truth.

Therefore the Lord has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.

If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble?If a calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it?

Do you put off the day of calamity,And would you bring near the seat of violence?

“All the sinners of My people will die by the sword,Those who say, ‘The calamity will not overtake or confront us.’

“Do not enter the gate of My peopleIn the day of their disaster.Yes, you, do not gloat over their calamityIn the day of their disaster.And do not loot their wealthIn the day of their disaster.

Each man said to his mate, “Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us.” So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.

Then they said to him, “Tell us, now! On whose account has this calamity struck us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”

When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.

He prayed to the Lord and said, “Please Lord, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.

For the inhabitant of MarothBecomes weak waiting for good,Because a calamity has come down from the LordTo the gate of Jerusalem.

Therefore thus says the Lord,“Behold, I am planning against this family a calamityFrom which you cannot remove your necks;And you will not walk haughtily,For it will be an evil time.

Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe,Her priests instruct for a priceAnd her prophets divine for money.Yet they lean on the Lord saying,“Is not the Lord in our midst?Calamity will not come upon us.”

“Woe to him who gets evil gain for his houseTo put his nest on high,To be delivered from the hand of calamity!