20 Bible Verses about Backsliders

Now after Amaziah came back from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir and set them up to be his gods and bowed down before them and burned incense unto them.

And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.

But turned back and rebelled like their fathers; they became like a deceitful bow.

O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? Your mercy is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goes away.

and those that have turned back from following the LORD and those that did not seek the LORD, nor enquired about him.

Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. O LORD God of the hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? Thou dost feed them with the bread of tears and give them tears to drink in great measure. read more.
Thou dost make us a strife unto our neighbours, and our enemies laugh at us among themselves. Turn us again, O God of the hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

Return, we beseech thee, O God of the hosts: look down from heaven and behold and visit this vine and the vineyard which thy right hand has planted and the branch that thou didst make strong for thyself. It is burned with fire; it is cut down; they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance. read more.
Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou didst make strong for thyself, so we will not go back from thee. Thou shalt quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. Turn us again, O LORD God of the hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

At that day man shall look to his Maker, and his eyes shall see the Holy One of Israel.

and those that erred in spirit shall learn understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.

Turn ye unto him against whom ye have deeply revolted, O sons of Israel. For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto 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, Rise up, make us gods which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.

They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them; they have made themselves a molten calf and have worshipped it and have sacrificed unto it and said, These are thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

It grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments. And it incensed Samuel, and he cried unto the LORD all night.

After this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.

The Spirit is he that gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken unto you, they are Spirit and they are life. But there are some of you that do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that did not believe and who should betray him.

For some are already turned back after Satan.

Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel (who calls herself a prophetess) to teach and to seduce my slaves to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

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

For some are already turned back after Satan.

But I have a few things against thee because thou hast there those that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols and to commit fornication. So hast thou also those that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which I hate.

Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die; for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember, therefore, of that which thou hast received and heard and hold to it and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come to thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, who said unto him, Before the cock crows, thou shalt deny me three times. And he went out and wept bitterly.

And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the words that Jesus had said unto him, Before the cock crows twice, thou shalt deny me three times. And thinking on this, he wept.

And Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Now Peter sat outside in the patio; and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him and said unto those that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. read more.
And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while those that stood by came unto him and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them, for thy speech makes thee manifest. Then he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately a cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, who said unto him, Before the cock crows, thou shalt deny me three times. And he went out and wept bitterly.

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel,

O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that ye should not trust in the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

But now, having known God, or rather being known of God, how do ye turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, in which ye desire again to be in slavery? Ye observe days and months and times and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have bestowed labour upon you in vain.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails anything nor uncircumcision, but faith which works by charity. Ye did run well; who hindered you that ye should not trust in the truth?

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, I will return unto my house from which I came out. And when he comes, he finds it swept and garnished.

Then he goes, and takes unto him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in and dwell there, and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned, that he that has done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, him that has so done this deed. read more.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, let such a one be delivered unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ, our passover, is sacrificed for us; therefore let us celebrate the feast, not in the old leaven, neither in the leaven of malice and wickedness, but in the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I desire and that I shall be found unto you such as ye desire not, lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, rumours, tumults, lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I would have to mourn over many who have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless, strange women caused even him to offend.

For it came to pass when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David, his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. read more.
Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the sons of Ammon. And he did likewise for all his strange wives, who burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. And the LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart was turned aside from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep that which the LORD had commanded him. Therefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Because this has been in thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee and will give it to thy slave. But I will not do it in thy days for David, thy father's sake, but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. However, I will not rend away all the kingdom, but will give one tribe to thy son for David, my slave's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen. And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad, the Edomite; he was of the king's seed in Edom. For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab, the captain of the host, had gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom (for Joab dwelt there six months with all Israel until he had cut off every male in Edom), that Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's slaves with him, to go into Egypt, Hadad being yet a little child. And they arose out of Midian and came to Paran; and taking men with them out of Paran, they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who gave him a house and appointed him food and gave him land. And Hadad found great grace in the sight of Pharaoh so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Queen Tahpenes. And the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath, his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh. And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers and that Joab, the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart that I may go to my own land. Then Pharaoh said unto him, But what hast thou lacked with me that, behold, thou seekest to go to thy own land? And he answered, Nothing; however, let me go anyway. And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon, the son of Eliadah, who fled from his lord Hadadezer, king of Zobah. And he gathered men unto him and became captain over a band, when David slew those of Zobah; and they went to Damascus and dwelt there, and they made him king in Damascus. And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, besides the evil that Hadad did, and he abhorred Israel and reigned over Syria. Likewise Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's slave, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, lifted up his hand against the king. And this was why he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon in building Millo, closed the breach of the city of David, his father. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour, and Solomon, seeing that the young man was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph. And it came to pass at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah, the Shilonite, found him in the way; and he was covered with a new garment; and the two were alone in the field. And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him and rent it in twelve pieces; and he said to Jeroboam, Take ten pieces for thyself, for thus hath said the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to thee; and he shall have one tribe for my slave David's sake and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel because they have forsaken me and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, and Milcom, the god of the sons of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in my eyes and to keep my statutes and my rights, as did David his father. But I will not take any of his kingdom out of his hand, for I will make him prince all the days of his life for David, my slave's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes: But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes. And unto his son I will give one tribe, that David my slave may have a lamp always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name in her. And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desires and shalt be king over Israel. And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee and wilt walk in my ways and do that which is right in my sight, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David, my slave, did, that I will be with thee and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee. And I will afflict the seed of David because of this, but not for ever. Solomon sought, therefore, to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt unto Shishak, king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

After this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.

But all this was done that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him and fled.

It grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments. And it incensed Samuel, and he cried unto the LORD all night.

And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee, for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected thee from being king over Israel. And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. And Samuel said unto him, The LORD has rent the kingdom of Israel from thee today and has given it to a neighbour of thine that is better than thou.

And the sons of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the sons of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy, and they offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and as the sin of all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. And they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses over the work of God, which is at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses. read more.
And the sons of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month. For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the sons of the captivity and for their brethren, the priests, and for themselves. And the sons of Israel who had returned out of captivity and all those who had separated themselves unto them from the uncleanness of the Gentiles of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, ate

for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy saving health and hast not been mindful of the Rock of thy strength; therefore thou shalt plant pleasant plants and set it with strange slips: In the day that thou shalt plant them, thou shalt make them to grow and shalt make thy seed to flourish early; but in the day of gathering, the harvest shall flee and shall be desperate sorrow.

Then he said to Thomas, Reach here thy finger and behold my hands and reach here thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not unbelieving, but faithful. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are those that have not seen and yet have believed.

and he forsook the LORD God of his fathers and did not walk in the way of the LORD. And the slaves of Amon conspired against him and slew the king in his own house.

For it came to pass when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David, his father.

For the king had taken counsel with his princes and with all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month. For they could not keep it at that time, because there were not enough priests sanctified, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation. read more.
So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem because for a long time they had not done it as it is written. So the posts went with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye sons of Israel, return unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. Do not be like your fathers, and like your brethren, who rebelled against the LORD God of their fathers and he gave them over to desolation, as ye see. Therefore, do not be stiffnecked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD and enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified for ever and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you. For if ye return unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find mercy before those that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you if ye return unto him. So the posts passed from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. Nevertheless, some men of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, according to the word of the LORD.

holding fast faith and a good conscience, which some, having cast away, have shipwrecked in their faith, Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered unto Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had confirmed the kingdom and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him. And it came to pass that in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak, king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem, because they had rebelled against the LORD,

And at that time Hanani, the seer, came to Asa, king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore, the host of the king of Syria has escaped out of thy hands. Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thy hand. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly, for from now on thou shalt have wars.

And all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and set up camp in Rephidim; and there was no water for the people to drink. And the people chided with Moses and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? Why do ye tempt the LORD? So the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses and said, Why hast thou brought us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst? read more.
Then Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people and take with thee of the elders of Israel and thy rod, with which thou didst smite the river take in thine hand and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb, and thou shalt smite the rock, and water shall come out of it that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah because of the chiding of the sons of Israel and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?

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

For even though the army of the Syrians had come with a small company of men, the LORD delivered a very great host into their hand because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So they executed judgments against Joash.

Those on the rock are those that when they hear, receive the word with joy, but these have no root, who for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away.

This, thou knowest, that all those who are in Asia are turned away from me, of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD and went down to Joppa, and he found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare thereof and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish fleeing from the presence of the LORD.

And the sons of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD and served the Baalim and Ashtaroth 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 the LORD and did not serve him. And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the sons of Ammon, who dashed in pieces and crushed the sons of Israel for eighteen years, all the sons of Israel that were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorite, which is in Gilead. read more.
Moreover the sons of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim so that Israel was sore distressed. And the sons of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee because we have forsaken our God and served the Baalim. And the LORD replied unto the sons of Israel, Were you not oppressed by Egypt, by the Amorites, by the sons of Ammon, by the Philistines, by those of Zidon, by Amalek, and by Maon, and ye cried to me and I delivered you out of their hands? Yet ye have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore, I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your affliction. And the sons of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned; do thou unto us whatever seems good unto thee; only deliver us now, we pray thee, this day. And they put away the strange gods from among them and served the LORD; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. Then the sons of Ammon were gathered together and encamped in Gilead. And likewise the sons of Israel assembled themselves together and encamped in Mizpeh. And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, Who shall it be that will begin the battle against the sons of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

And the sons of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.