Bible Verses About Human Ambition

But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?

So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.

And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.

Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.

For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!

Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.

He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.

He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not.

For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.

For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.

Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.

For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.