What Does the Bible Say About Ambition?

“For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. pleasant: Heb. a desire”

“And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.”

“And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.”

“And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD? Ye take: Heb. It is much for you”

“Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?”

“And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,”

“Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai.”

“So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself? whom the king: Heb. in whose honour the king delighteth”

“That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment? short: Heb. from near”

“Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds; clouds: Heb. cloud”

“Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?”

“He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.”

“The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.”

“Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. all: Heb. generation and generation”

“Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.”

“This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah. approve: Heb. delight in their mouth”

“Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling. beauty: or, strength in the grave from: or, the grave being an habitation to every one of them”

“But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah. power: Heb. hand the grave: or, hell”

“Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;”

“For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.”

“Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. while: Heb. in his life”

“He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light. He: Heb. The soul shall”

“Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.”

“Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth! they: Heb. ye”

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning ! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! O Lucifer: or, O day star”

“For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:”

“I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

“Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”

“Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people: Yea: or, How much more”

“Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay! Woe: or, Ho, he”

“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! coveteth: or, gaineth and evil gain power: Heb. palm of the hand”

“Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;”

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

“Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.”

“But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, phylacteries: pieces of parchment containing sentences of the law”

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

“And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?”

“And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.”

“And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,”

“And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:”

“And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.”

“For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?”

“Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.”

“Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.”

“And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.”

“But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.”

“How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another , and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?”

“But unto them that are contentious , and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,”

“Be of the same mind one toward another . Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. condescend: or, be contented with mean things”

“Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation:”

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

“Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? fightings: or, brawlings lusts: or, pleasures”

“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.”