34 Bible Verses about Abstinence as a discipline

Speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, - No fat, of ox or sheep or goat, shall ye eat: and though the fat of what dieth of itself and the fat of that which has been torn in pieces, may be used for any other service, yet shall ye, in nowise eat it. Nay, as touching any one who eateth the fat of any beast, wherefrom he might bring near an altar-flame unto Yahweh, then shall the person that eateth be cut off from among his kinsfolk.read more.
And no manner of blood, shall ye eat, in any of your dwellings, - whether of bird or of beast: as touching any person who eateth any manner of blood, then shall that person be cut off from among his kinsfolk.

Sons, are ye unto Yahweh your God, - ye shall not cut yourselves, neither shall ye put baldness between your eyes for the dead. For, a holy people, thou art unto Yahweh thy God, - and, of thee, did Yahweh make choice, that thou shouldest become his people as a treasure, above all the peoples that are on the face of the ground. Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.read more.
These, are the beasts which ye may eat, - the ox, the young of sheep, and the young of goats; the hart and the gazelle and the roebuck, - and the wild goat and the mountain goat, and the wild ox, and the mountain sheep. And every beast that parteth the hoof and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, chewing the cud, among beasts, the same, shall ye eat. Nevertheless these, shall ye not eat, of them that chew the cud, and of them that divide the cloven hoof, - the camel and the hare and the rabbit for, though they do chew the cud, yet the hoof, do they not part, unclean, they are unto you. And, the swine, because though he doth divide the hoof, yet he cheweth not the cud, unclean, he is unto you, - of their flesh, shall ye not eat, and their carcases, shall ye not touch. These, may ye eat of all that that are in the waters, - whatsoever hath fins and scales, ye may eat; and, whatsoever hath not, fins and scales, ye may not eat, - unclean, it is unto you. Of every clean bird, ye may eat; saving these, of which ye may not eat, - the eagle and the ossifrage and the osprey; and the vulture and the kite, and the falcon after its kind; and every raven after its kind; and the female ostrich, and the male ostrich and the sea-gull, - and the hawk, after its kind; and the pelican and the bittern, and the swan; and the vomiting pelican and the little vulture and the gannet; and the stork, and the parrot, after its kind, - and the mountain-cock, and the bat. And, as for every creeping thing that flieth, unclean, it is unto you, - they, shall not be eaten. All clean fowls, ye may eat. Ye shall not eat any thing that dieth of itself: to the sojourner who is within thy gates, mayest thou give it and he may eat it or thou mayest sell it to a foreigner, for a holy people, art thou unto Yahweh thy God. Thou shalt not boil a kid, in the milk of its dam.

Now, on the morrow, as those men were journeying, and, unto the city, drawing near, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour; But he became hungry, and wished to eat, - and, while they were making ready, there came upon him a trance; And he beholdeth heaven opened, and, corning down, a kind of vessel, like a large linen cloth, by its four corners, being let down upon the earth,read more.
In which were all the quadrupeds and creeping things of earth and birds of heaven. And there came a voice unto him - Rise, Peter! slay and eat. But Peter said - By no means, Lord! because, at no time, have I eaten anything common or unclean.

Then Moses went down out of the mount, unto the people, - and hallowed the people, and they washed their clothes. And he said unto the people, Be ready, by the third day, - do not approach a woman.

And it shall become unto you, a statute age-abiding, - In the seventh month on the tenth of the month, Shall ye humble you souls And, no work, shall ye do, The home-born, Or the sojourner that sojourneth in your midst; For on this day, shall a propitiatory-covering, be put over you, to cleanse you, - From all your sins before Yahweh, shall ye be clean. A sabbath of sacred rest, it is unto you, Therefore shall ye humble your souls, A statute age-abiding.

Speak unto the sons of Israel, and thou shalt say unto them, - When any man or woman, would make the special vow of One Separate, by separating himself unto Yahweh, from wine and strong drink, shall he separate himself, neither vinegar of wine nor vinegar of strong drink, shall he drink, - and no liquor of grapes, shall he drink, no grapes fresh or dried, shall he eat. All the days of his separation, of nothing that is made from the grapevine from the seeds even to the skin, shall he eat.

Therefore shall the sons of Israel keep the sabbath, - by making it a Day of Rest to your generations, as an age-abiding covenant: between me and the sons of Israel, a sign it is unto times age-abiding, - for in six days, did Yahweh make the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day, he rested, and was refreshed.

And on the tenth of this seventh month, a holy convocation, shall there be unto you, - when ye shall humble your souls, - no work, shall ye do;

Now, therefore, beware, I pray thee, and do not drink wine or strong drink, - nor eat anything unclean;

Then arose Ezra from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib, - and, when he came thither, bread, did he not eat, and, water, did he not drink, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of them of the Exile.

And they said unto me, The remnant who are left of the captivity, there in the province, are in great misfortune and reproach, the wall of Jerusalem, is broken down, and, the gates thereof, are burned with fire. And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and I mourned certain days, - and continued fasting and praying, before the God of the heavens;

Even now, therefore, urgeth Yahweh, Turn ye unto me, with all your heart, - and with fasting and with weeping, and with lamentation;

And the people of Nineveh believed in God, - and proclaimed a fast, and clothed themselves in sackcloth, from the greatest of them, even unto the least of them.

Now there were in Antioch, distributed through the existing assembly, - prophets and teachers: both Barnabas and Symeon who was called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen also, Herod the tetrarch's foster-brother, and Saul. And, as they were publicly ministering unto the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said - Separate forthwith unto me, Barnabas and Saul, unto the work whereunto I have called them.

Then, Jesus was led up into the wilderness, by the Spirit, to be tempted by the adversary; and, fasting forty days and forty nights, - afterwards, he hungered.

And, Jesus, full of Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led in the Spirit in the desert, forty days, - being tempted by the adversary; and he did eat nothing in those days, - and, when they were concluded, he hungered.

Then come near unto him the disciples of John, saying, - Wherefore do, we, and the Pharisees, fast, whereas, thy disciples, fast not? And Jesus said unto them, - Can, the sons of the bridechamber, mourn, so long as, the bridegroom, is, with them? But days will come, when the bridegroom, shall be taken from them, and, then, will they fast.

And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting; and they come and say unto him - For what cause, do, the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees, fast, whereas, thy disciples, fast not? And Jesus said unto them - Is it possible for the sons of the bridechamber, while the bridegroom is with them, to be fasting? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, it is impossible, to fast. But there will come days, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and, then, they will fast, in that day.

But, they, said unto him - The disciples of John, do fast much, and, supplications, do make, - likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees; but, thine, do eat and drink! Jesus, however, said unto them - Can, ye make, the sons of the bridechamber, fast, while the bridegroom is with them? But there will come days, even when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, then, will they fast, in those days.

And there was one Anna, a prophetess, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; - the same, advanced in many days; having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity, and, she, had been a widow for as long as eighty-four years, - who left not the temple, with fastings and supplications, rendering divine service night and day; -

And he was three days without seeing, and did neither eat nor drink.

He that regardeth the day, unto the Lord, regardeth it, - and, he that eateth, unto the Lord, doth eat, for he giveth thanks unto God; and, he that eateth not, unto the Lord, doth not eat and give God thanks.

And he said unto the people, Be ready, by the third day, - do not approach a woman.

Then, Jesus said unto his disciples - If any one intendeth, after me, to come, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and be following me;

And, calling near the multitude with his disciples, he said unto them - If anyone willeth, after me, to come, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and be following me.

And he was saying, unto all - If any one intendeth after me to come, Let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, - and be following me.

As in daytime, becomingly let us walk: not in revellings and in drunken bouts, not in chamberings and in wanton deeds, not in strife and envy; -

Wherefore, I, judge, not to be troubling them who, from the nations, are turning unto God; but to write unto them, to abstain from the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood.

Well, is it not to eat flesh nor to drink wine nor to do aught whereby thy brother is caused to stumble.

And, when ye may he fasting, become not ye, as the hypocrites, of sullen countenance, - for they darken their looks, that they may appear, unto men, to be fasting: Verily, I say unto you, they are getting back their reward.

Wherefore have we Fasted and thou hast not seen? Humbled our soul, and thou wouldst take no note? Lo! in the day of your fast, ye take pleasure, But all your toilers, ye drive on! Lo! for strife and contention, ye fast, And to smite with the fist of lawlessness, - Ye shall not fast as to-day, To cause to be heard on high your voice! Like this, shall the fast be that I choose, A day for the son of earth to humble his soul? Is it to bow down as a rush his head, And sackcloth and ashes, to spread out? Is it, this, thou wilt call a fast, Or a day of acceptance with Yahweh?read more.
Is not, this, the fast that I must ever choose - To unbind the tight cords of lawlessness, To unloose the bands of the yoke, - and To let the crushed go free, and That every yoke, ye tear off? Is it not to break unto the hungry, thy bread, And the thrust-out oppressed, that thou bring into a home, - When thou seest one naked, that thou cover him, And from thine own flesh, shalt not hide thyself?

Thus, saith Yahweh To this people In this way, have they loved to wander, Their feet, have they not restrained, - Yahweh, therefore hath not accepted them, Now, will he call to mind their iniquity, - That he may punish their sins. And Yahweh said unto me, - Do not pray for this people for blessing; Though they fast, I am not going to hearken unto their loud cry, and Though they offer ascending-sacrifice and meal-offering, I am not going to accept them, - For with sword and with famine and with pestilence, am, I, about to consume them.

yea when Bethel sent Sherezer and Regemmelech, and his men, - to pacify the face of Yahweh: to speak unto the priests that pertained to the house of Yahweh of hosts, and unto the prophets, saying, - Shall I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years? Then came the word of Yahweh of hosts unto me, saying:read more.
Speak thou unto all the people of the land, and unto the priests, saying, - When ye fasted and lamented in the fifth and in the seventh, even these seventy years, did ye, really fast, unto, me? And, when ye used to eat and when ye used to drink, was it not, of your own accord, ye did eat, and, of your own accord, ye did drink?

The Pharisee, taking his stand, these things unto himself was praying: O God! I thank thee, that I am not like the rest of men, - extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or, even as this tax-collector; I fast twice in the week, I give a tenth of whatsoever things I gain!