13 Bible Verses about Asceticism, People Practicing

And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If a man or a woman have vowed the special vow of a Nazarite, to consecrate themselves to Jehovah; he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink: he shall drink no vinegar of wine, nor vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat grapes, fresh or dried.read more.
All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine, from the seed-stones, even to the skin. All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head; until the days be fulfilled, that he hath consecrated himself to Jehovah, he shall be holy; he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. All the days that he hath consecrated himself to Jehovah, he shall come near no dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister when they die; for the consecration of his God is upon his head. All the days of his separation he is holy to Jehovah.

Therefore beware, and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for lo, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from birth; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines."

And he told her all his mind, and said to her, "A razor has never come upon my head; for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I be shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man."

And John himself had his garment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins, and his nourishment was locusts and wild honey.

And John was clothed in camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins, and ate locusts and wild honey.

For John has come neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a demon.

For John the baptist has come neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and ye say, He has a demon.

Then come to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees often fast, but thy disciples fast not?

And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting; and they come and say to him, Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?

And they said to him, Why do the disciples of John fast often and make supplications, in like manner those also of the Pharisees, but thine eat and drink?

I fast twice in the week, I tithe everything I gain.

And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, Also on the tenth of this seventh month is the day of the atonement: a holy convocation shall it be unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and present an offering by fire to Jehovah. And ye shall do no manner of work on that same day; for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before Jehovah your God.read more.
For every soul that is not afflicted on that same day, shall be cut off from among his peoples. And every soul that doeth any manner of work on that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. No manner of work shall ye do: it is an everlasting statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings. A sabbath of rest shall it be unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls. On the ninth of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of Jehovah came unto Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chislev, when Bethel had sent Sherezer and Regem-melech, and his men, to supplicate Jehovah, and to speak unto the priests that were in the house of Jehovah of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done now so many years?read more.
And the word of Jehovah of hosts came unto me, saying, Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye really fast unto me, even unto me?