20 Bible Verses about Backsliders

And so it was, after Amaziah came in from smiting the Edomites, that he brought in the gods of the sons of Seir, and set them up for himself, as gods, - and, before them, used he to bow himself down, and, unto them, used he to burn a perfume.

And he did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, - only not with a whole heart.

But drew back and dealt treacherously, like their fathers, They turned aside, like deceitful bowmen;

What can I do unto thee, O Ephraim? What can I do unto thee, O Judah? for, your lovingkindness, is like a morning cloud, yea, like the dew, early departing!

And them who turn away from following Yahweh, - and have neither sought Yahweh, nor enquired for him.

O God, bring us back, And light up thy face, That we may be saved. O Yahweh, God of hosts! How long hast thou been wroth with the prayer of thy people? Thou hast fed them with the food of tears, And hast caused them to drink the water of weeping in threefold abundance. read more.
Thou dost make us an object of contention to our neighbours, And, our foes, find mockery for themselves. O God of hosts, bring us back, And light up thy face, That we may be saved.

O God of hosts, return, we pray thee, - Look down out of the heavens, and see, And inspect this vine: Yea the stock which thy right hand planted, Even upon the son thou didst secure for thyself. To be burned with fire, it is cut down, - At the rebuke of thy countenance, they will perish. read more.
Let thy hand be, Upon the Man of thy right hand, Upon the Son of Man thou didst secure for thyself; So will we not draw back from thee, Thou wilt bring us to life, And, on thy Name, will we call. O Yahweh, God of hosts! bring us back, Light up thy face, That we may be saved.

In that day, shall the son of earth look to him that made him, - And his eyes unto the Holy One of Israel, be turned;

Then will they who erred in spirit comprehend, And the murmurers, accept instruction.

Return ye unto him against whom the sons of Israel have deeply revolted, For in that day, will every man reject his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, - Which your hands had made for you as a sin!

And, when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him - Up, make for us gods, who shall go before us, for, as for this Moses - the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what hath befallen him.

They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them, they have made for themselves - a molten calf, and have bowed themselves down thereto mad have sacrificed thereto, and have said. These, are thy gods, O Israel, who have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

I am grieved that I made Saul to be king, for he hath turned back from following me, and, my words, hath he not established. And it was vexing to Samuel, so that he made outcry unto Yahweh, all the night.

Because of this, many from among his disciples, went away back, and, no longer, with him, were walking.

The spirit, it is, that giveth life, - the flesh, profiteth, nothing: The declarations which, I, have spoken unto you, are, spirit, and, are, life. But there are some from among you, who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning, who they were that did not believe, and who it was would deliver him up; -

For, already, some have turned aside after Satan:

Nevertheless, I have against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, she who calleth herself a prophetess, and is teaching and leading astray my own servants to commit lewdness and to eat idol-sacrifices;

Nevertheless, I have against thee, that, thy first love, thou hast left.

For, already, some have turned aside after Satan:

Nevertheless, I have against thee, a few things, - that thou hast there, such as hold fast the teaching of Balaam, - who went on to teach Balak to throw a cause of stumbling before the sons of Israel, to eat idol-sacrifices and to commit lewdness: thus, even, thou, hast such as hold fast the teaching of the Nicolaitanes, in like manner.

Become thou watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, that were about to die; for I have not found thy works fulfilled before my God. Remember, therefore, how thou hast received, and didst hear, and keep it and repent. If then thou shall not watch, I will have come as a thief, and in nowise shalt thou get to know, during what sort of hour, I will have come upon thee.

And Peter was put in mind of the declaration of Jesus, of his having said - Before a cock crow, thrice, wilt thou utterly deny me; and, going forth outside, he wept bitterly.

And, straightway, a second time, a cock, crowed; and Peter was reminded of the declaration, how Jesus had said to him - Before a cock, twice, crow, thrice, wilt thou deny me. And, when he thought thereon, he began to weep.

And, going forth outside, he wept bitterly.

Now, Peter, was sitting without, in the court; and there came unto him a certain female servant, saying - Thou also, wast with Jesus, the Galilaean. But, he, denied before all, saying - I know not what thou sayest. And, when he went out into the porch, another female saw him, and said unto them who were there - This, one was with Jesus the Nazarene. read more.
And, again, he denied, with an oath - I know not the man. And, after a little, the by-standers, coming forward, said unto Peter: Truly, thou also, art, from among them, for, thy very speech, maketh thee, manifest. Then, began he to be cursing and swearing - I know not the man! And, straightway, a cock crowed. And Peter was put in mind of the declaration of Jesus, of his having said - Before a cock crow, thrice, wilt thou utterly deny me; and, going forth outside, he wept bitterly.

I marvel that, thus quickly, ye are moving away from him that called you in the favour of Christ, unto a different glad-message, -

O thoughtless Galatians! who hath bewitched you, - before whose very eyes, Jesus Christ, was openly set forth as a crucified one?

Whereas, now, having acknowledged God, - or rather, having been acknowledged by God, how turn ye back again unto the weak and beggarly elementary principles, unto which, over again, ye are wishing, to come into servitude? Days, ye do narrowly observer, and months, and seasons, and years: - I am afraid of you - lest by any means, in vain, I should have toiled for you!

For, in Christ Jesus, neither, circumcision, availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith, through love, energising. Ye were running well: - who hath hindered you, that, by truth, ye are not to be persuaded?

Whensoever, the impure spirit, goeth out from the man, it passeth through waterless places, seeking rest; and, not finding it, then,it saith, I will return unto my house, whence I came out; - and, coming, findeth it, empty,swept, and adorned.

Then, goeth it, and taketh along with itself, other spirits, more wicked than itself - seven, and, entering in, fixeth its dwelling there; and, the last state of that man, becometh, worse than the first.

On all hands, there is reported to be among you - fornication, and such fornication as this - which, not among the nations, is found , - as that one should have, his father's wife: - And, ye, have become puffed up, and have not rather mourned, in order that he might be removed out of your midst, who, this deed, hath wrought. For, I, indeed, - being absent in the body, but present in the spirit, have already judged, as present, him who, thus, this thing hath perpetrated: - read more.
In the name of our Lord Jesus, ye being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, To deliver such a one as this, unto Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, - that, the spirit, may be saved in the day of the Lord. Unseemly, is your boast! Know ye not that, a little leaven, doth leaven, the whole of the lump? Purge ye out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, - even as ye are unleavened; for, our passover, hath even been sacrificed - Christ: So then, let us be keeping the feast, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of baseness and wickedness, - but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

For I fear - lest, by any means, when I come, not such as I wish, should I find you, and, I, should be found by you, such as ye do not wish; - lest, by any means, I should find strife, jealousy, outbursts of wrath, factions, railings, whisperings, puffed up pretensions, confusions; - Lest, when I again come, my God should humble me in regard to you, - and I should grieve over many who had before sinned, and not repented of the impurity, and fornication, and wantonness which they had committed.

Was it not, over these things, that Solomon king of Israel sinned - though, among many nations, there was no king such as he, and he was, beloved by his God, and so God gave him to be king over all Israel, - even him, did foreign women, cause to sin.

Yea it came to pass, in the old age of Solomon, that, his wives, turned aside his heart after other gods, - his heart therefore was not sound with Yahweh his God, as was the heart of David his father. And Solomon went after Ashtoreth, goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites. Thus Solomon did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, - and went not fully after Yahweh, as did David his father. read more.
Then, did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, - and for Molech, the abomination of the sons of Ammon; and, thus, did he for all his foreign wives, - who burned incense and offered sacrifices unto their gods. Therefore did Yahweh shew himself angry with Solomon, - because his heart had turned aside from Yahweh God of Israel, who had appeared unto him twice; and had been giving command to him concerning this thing, that he should not go away after other gods, - but he had not taken heed unto that which Yahweh had commanded. Wherefore Yahweh said unto Solomon - Forasmuch as this hath come to pass with thee, and thou hast not heeded my covenant and my statutes, which I charged upon thee, I will, rend, the kingdom away from thee, and will give it unto a servant of thine. Notwithstanding, in thine own days, will I not do it, for the sake of David thy father, - out of the hand of thy son, will I rend it. Howbeit, all the kingdom, will I not rend away, one tribe, will I give unto thy son, - for the sake of David my servant, and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen. And Yahweh raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite, - of the seed of the king, was he, in Edom. And it came to pass, when David was dealing with Edom, and Joab general of the army went up to bury the slain, - and had smitten every male in Edom, - for, six months, did Joab remain there, with all Israel, - until he had cut off every male in Edom, that Hadad fled, he and certain men of Edom of the servants of his father, with him, to go into Egypt, - Hadad being a little boy. So they arose out of Midian, and came into Paran, - and took certain men with them out of Paran, and came into Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, and, food, appointed him, and, land, did give unto him. And Hadad found great favour in the eyes of Pharaoh, - so that he gave him to wife, the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen. And the sister of Tahpenes bare to him Genubath his son, and Tahpenes weaned him, in the house of Pharaoh, - and so it came about, that Genubath was of the household of Pharaoh, among the sons of Pharaoh. And, when, Hadad, heard in Egypt, that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab general of the army was dead, Hadad said unto Pharaoh, Let me go, that I may take my journey unto mine own land. Then said Pharaoh unto him - But what hast thou been lacking with me, that lo! thou art seeking to take thy journey unto thine own land? And he said - Nothing, howbeit, let me go. And God raised up against him an adversary, Rezon son of Eliada, - who had fled from Hadadezer king of Zobah, his lord; and he gathered unto him men, and became captain of a band when David slew them of Zobah , - then went they to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus. Thus became he an adversary unto Israel, all the days of Solomon, this, is the mischief which Hadad did, - so then, he abhorred Israel, when he reigned over Syria. Jeroboam also, son of Nebat, an Ephrathite from Zeredah, whose, mother's name, was Zeruah, a widow woman, he being servant to Solomon, lifted up a hand against the king. And, this, was the cause that he lifted up a hand against the king, - Solomon, built Millo, he closed up of the of David his father. the breach city Now, the man Jeroboam, being an able Solomon observed his servant, that he man, was, one to execute a work, so he gave him oversight of all the charge of the house of Joseph. And it came to pass, at that time, when, Jeroboam, went forth out of Jerusalem, that there met him Ahijah the Shilonite, the prophet, in the way, he having wrapped himself about with a new mantle; and, they two, were by themselves, in the field. Then Ahijah laid hold of the new mantle, that was upon him, - and rent it into twelve pieces; and said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten places, - for Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel - Behold me! about to rend the kingdom, out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give unto thee ten tribes: Howbeit, one tribe, shall he retain, - for the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen, out of all the tribes of Israel: Because they have forsaken me, and bowed themselves down to Ashtoreth, goddess of the Zidonians, to Chemosh, god of the Moabites, and to Milcom, god of the sons of Ammon, - and have not walked in my ways, by doing what is right in mine eyes, even my statutes and my regulations, like David his father. Yet will I not take all the kingdom out of his hand, - but will suffer him to be, leader, all the days of his life, for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose, - who kept my commandments and my statutes. But I will take the kingdom out of the hand of his son, and will give it to thee, even the ten tribes. Nevertheless, go his son, will I give one tribe, - to the end there may remain a lamp unto David my servant always before me, in Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen for myself, to put my Name there. But, thee, will I take, and thou shalt reign over all that thy soul could desire, - and thou shalt be king over Israel. So shall it be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I shall command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that which is right in mine eyes, by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as did David my servant, then will I be with thee, and will build thee an assured house, as I have built for David, and will give unto thee, Israel. Thus will I humiliate the seed of David, because of this; yet not for ever. When therefore Solomon sought to put, Jeroboam, to death, Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, - and remained in Egypt, until the death of Solomon.

Because of this, many from among his disciples, went away back, and, no longer, with him, were walking.

But, this, hath, wholly, come to pass, that, the Scriptures of the prophets, may be fulfilled. Then, the disciples, all forsaking him, fled.

I am grieved that I made Saul to be king, for he hath turned back from following me, and, my words, hath he not established. And it was vexing to Samuel, so that he made outcry unto Yahweh, all the night.

And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not turn again with thee, - Because thou hast rejected the word of Yahweh, therefore hath Yahweh rejected thee from being king over Israel. And, when Samuel turned about to go away, then laid he hold of the skirt of his robe, and it was rent. And Samuel said unto him, Yahweh hath rent the kingdom of Israel from off thee, to-day, - and will give it unto a neighbour of thine, who is better than thou.

Then did the sons of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the Sons of the Exile, keep the dedication of this house of God, with joy; and offered, for the dedication of this house of God, bullocks, one hundred, rams, two hundred, lambs, four hundred, - and, he-goats, as a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. And they set up the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, over the service of God, which was in Jerusalem, - as it is written, in the Book of Moses. read more.
And the Sons of the Exile kept the passover, - on the fourteenth of the first month; for the priests and the Levites, had purified themselves, as one man, all of them, were pure, - so they slaughtered the passover for all the Sons of the Exile, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves. Therefore the sons of Israel who had returned from the Exile and all who had separated themselves from the impurity of the nations of the land unto them, did eat, - to seek Yahweh, God of Israel;

For, Demas, hath forsaken me, having loved the present age, and hath journeyed unto Thessalonica; Crescens unto Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia:

Because thou didst forget the God of thy salvation, And thy Rock of refuge, thou didst not remember, For this cause, shalt thou plant very pleasant plants, And, the slip of a stranger, shalt thou set: In the day when thou plantest, fence thou in, And in the morning, cause thou, they slip, to blossom, - A harvest will have waved in the day of destiny, and mortal pain.

Then, saith he unto Thomas - Reach thy finger hither, and see my hands, and reach thy hand, and press into my side, - and become not disbelieving, but believing. Thomas answered, and said unto him - My Lord, and my God! Jesus saith unto him - Because thou hast seen me, hast thou believed? Happy, they who have not seen, and yet have believed!

and forsook Yahweh the God of his fathers, - and walked not in the way of Yahweh. And the servants of Amon, conspired against him, - and slew the king in his own house.

Yea it came to pass, in the old age of Solomon, that, his wives, turned aside his heart after other gods, - his heart therefore was not sound with Yahweh his God, as was the heart of David his father.

Yea, the king and his rulers and all the convocation in Jerusalem, had taken counsel, - to keep the passover in the second month. For they were unable to keep it at that time, - because, the priests, had not hallowed themselves in sufficient numbers, and, the people, had not gathered themselves unto Jerusalem. And the thing was right, in the eyes of the king, - and in the eyes of all the convocation. read more.
So they established a decree, to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba even unto Dan, that they should come in to keep a passover unto Yahweh the God of Israel, in Jerusalem, - for, not for a long time, had they kept it as written. The runners, therefore, went with letters from the hand of the king and his rulers, throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, - Ye sons of Israel, return ye unto Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and he will return unto the remnant, that which is left to you, out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. And be not ye like your fathers, or like your brethren, who acted unfaithfully with Yahweh, God of your fathers, - who therefore delivered them up for an astonishment, as, ye yourselves, can see. Now, do not stiffen your neck, like your fathers, - stretch forth the hand unto Yahweh, and enter into his sanctuary which he hath hallowed unto times age-abiding, and serve Yahweh your God, that he may turn from you the glow of his anger. For, by your returning unto Yahweh, your brethren and your children, shall find compassion before their captors, so as to return unto this land. For, gracious and compassionate, is Yahweh your God, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye will return unto him. So the runners were passing from city to city throughout the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, even unto Zebulun, - -but they were laughing them to scorn, and mocking them. Howbeit, some, out of Asher and Manasseh and out of Zebulun, humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem. Also, upon Judah, came the hand of God, to give them one heart, - to keep the commandment of the king and the rulers, as the word of Yahweh.

Holding faith and a good conscience, - which some, thrusting from them, concerning their faith, have made shipwreck: - Of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may be taught by discipline not to be defaming.

And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of Yahweh, - and all Israel with him. And so it came to pass, in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, - because they had dealt treacherously against Yahweh; -

And, at that time, came Hanani the seer, unto Asa the king of Judah, - and said unto him, Because thou hast leaned upon the king of Syria, and hast not leaned upon Yahweh thy God, for this cause, hath the force of the king of Syria escaped out of thy hand. Were not, the Ethiopians and the Lybians, a huge host, with chariots and horsemen exceeding many? yet, because thou didst lean upon Yahweh, he delivered them into thy hand. For, as touching Yahweh, seeing that , his eyes, are ever running to and fro throughout all the earth, to shew himself strong with them who are perfect toward himself, thou hast made thyself foolish over this, - for, from henceforth, there shall be with thee - wars.

And all the assembly of the sons of Israel set forward out of the desert of Sin, by their removings, at the bidding of Yahweh, - and encamped in Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. And the people found fault with Moses, and said - Give us water, that we may drink. And Moses said to them, Why should ye find fault with me? Why should ye put Yahweh to the proof? So the people thirsted, there for water, and the people murmured against Moses, - and said - Wherefore is it that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill me and my sons and my cattle, with thirst? read more.
And Moses made outcry unto Yahweh saying, What am I to do, with this people? Yet a little, and they will stone me. Then said Yahweh unto Moses - Pass over before the people, and take with thee some of the elders of Israel, - thy staff also wherewith thou didst smite the river, take thou in thy hand, so shalt thou go thy way. Behold me! standing before thee, there upon the rock in Horeb, then shalt thou smite the rock and there shall come forth therefrom water, and the people shall drink. And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. So he called the name of the place, Massah, and Meribah, - because of the fault-finding of the sons of Israel, and because of their putting Yahweh to the proof, saying, Is Yahweh in our midst or is he not?

And, after the time that Amaziah turned away from following Yahweh, they made against him a conspiracy in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish, - but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.

Although, with a comparatively few men, came the force of Syria, yet, Yahweh, delivered into their hand an exceeding large force, - because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers, - and, upon Joash, executed they judgments.

And, those upon the rock, are they who, as soon as they hear, with joy, welcome the word; and, these, not having, root, are they who, for a season, believe, - and, in a season of testing, draw back.

Thou knowest this - that all they who are in Asia have turned away from me, - of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.

For, Demas, hath forsaken me, having loved the present age, and hath journeyed unto Thessalonica; Crescens unto Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia:

But Jonah arose to flee unto Tarshish, away from the presence of Yahweh, - and went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish, so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish,, away from the presence of Yahweh.

And the sons of Israel again did the thing that was wicked in the sight of Yahweh, and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, - and forsook Yahweh, and served him not. So the anger of Yahweh kindled upon Israel, - and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the sons of Ammon; and they enfeebled and oppressed the sons of Israel in that year, - eighteen years, did they this unto all the sons of Israel who were beyond the Jordan, in the land of the Amorites, that was in Gilead. read more.
And the sons of Ammon crossed the Jordan, to fight, even against Judah and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, - so that Israel was sore distressed. Then did the sons of Israel make outcry unto Yahweh, saying, - We have sinned against thee, because we have forsaken our God, and have served the Baals. Then said Yahweh unto the sons of Israel, - Was it not, from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, and from the sons of Ammon, and from the Philistines, that I saved you ? The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, oppressed you, - and ye made outcry unto me, and I saved you out of their hand. Yet have, ye, forsaken me, and served other gods, - therefore will I not again save you. Go and make outcry unto the gods whom ye have chosen, - they, must save you, in the time of your tribulation. And the sons of Israel said unto Yahweh - We have sinned, do, thou, with us, according to all that is fitting in thine eyes, - only rescue us, we beseech thee this day. And they put away the gods of the stranger out of their midst, and served Yahweh, - and his soul was impatient of the misery of Israel. Now the sons of Ammon were called out, and they encamped in Gilead, - and the sons of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpah. Then said the people, the princes of Gilead, one to another, Who is the man that will begin to fight against the sons of Ammon? he shall become head to all the inhabitants of Gilead.

And the sons of Israel again did the thing that was wicked in the sight of Yahweh, - so Yahweh delivered them up into the hand of the Philistines, forty years.