15 Bible Verses about Backsliders

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

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

but turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

O Ephraim, what shall I do to thee? O Judah, what shall I do to thee? For your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that goes away early.

and those who are turned back from following LORD, and those who have not sought LORD, nor inquired after him.

Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. O LORD God of hosts, how long will thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? Thou have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in large measure. read more.
Thou make us hatred to our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves. Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.

Turn again, we beseech thee, O God of hosts. Look down from heaven, and, behold, and visit this vine, and the stock which thy right hand planted, and the branch that thou made 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 made strong for thyself, so shall we not go back from thee. Revive thou us, and we will call upon thy name. Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.

In that day men shall look to their maker, and their eyes shall have respect for the Holy One of Israel.

They also who err in spirit shall come to understanding, and those who murmur shall receive instruction.

Turn ye to him from whom ye have deeply revolted, O sons of Israel. For in that day they shall cast away every man his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made to you for a sin.

And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mount, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron, and said to him, Up, make gods for us, which shall go before us. For as for this Moses, the man that brought

They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made for them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, These are thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of th

I regret that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments. And Samuel was angry, and he cried out to LORD all night.

From this, many of his disciples went back at these things, and walked no more with him.

It is the spirit that makes alive. The flesh benefits nothing. The sayings that I speak to you are spirit, are life. Nevertheless, there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus had known from the beginning who they are who do not believe, and who he is who will betray him.

For some have already turned aside after Satan.

Nevertheless, I have against thee that thou tolerate thy woman Jezebel. She calls herself a prophetess, and teaches and leads astray my bondmen to fornicate, and to eat idol sacrifices.

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

For some have already turned aside after Satan.

But I have a few things against thee, because thou have there men who adhere to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a snare before the sons of Israel, even to eat idol sacrifices, and to fornicate. So also thou have men who likewise adhere to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

Become thou watchful, and strengthen the remaining things that thou were going to throw away, for I have not found thy works made complete before my God. Remember therefore how thou have received and heard, and be on guard, and repent. If therefore thou will not watch, I will come upon thee as a thief, and thou will, no, not know what hour I will come upon thee.

And Peter remembered the saying that Jesus said to him, Before a cock sounds, thou will deny me thrice. And having gone outside, he wept bitterly.

And the second time a cock sounded. And Peter remembered the saying that Jesus said to him, Before a cock sounds twice, thou will deny me thrice. And having broke down, he wept.

And having gone outside, Peter wept bitterly.

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and one servant girl came to him, saying, Thou also were with Jesus the Galilean. But he denied before them all, saying, I do not know what thou say. And when he was gone out into the porch, another woman saw him, and says to them there, This man was also with Jesus the Nazarene. read more.
And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a little while those who stood, having approached, said to Peter, Surely thou also are of them, for thy accent even makes thee apparent. Then he began to curse vehemently and to swear, I do not know the man. And straightaway a cock sounded. And Peter remembered the saying that Jesus said to him, Before a cock sounds, thou will deny me thrice. And having gone outside, he wept bitterly.

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him who called you in the grace of Christ to another good-news,

O foolish Galatians, who bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was earlier described among you, crucified?

but now knowing God, but rather being known by God, how is it ye turn again to the weak and destitute elements to which ye desire again to be in bondage anew? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest somehow I have labored toward you in vain.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails anything nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love. Ye were running well. Who hindered you, not to obey the truth?

When the unclean spirit departs out of the man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest. And not finding, it says, I will return to my house from where I came out. And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order.

Then it goes, and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and having enter in, it dwells there. And the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.

Fornication is actually heard among you, and such fornication that is not even named among the Gentiles, for some man to have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up and did not rather mourn, so that he who committed this deed might be taken away from the midst of you. For I truly, as being absent in the body but present in the spirit, I have already, as though present, judged the man who committed this thing this way. 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, to deliver such a man to Satan for destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your boasting is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Purge out the old leaven, so that ye may be a new lump, since ye are unleavened. For also Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. Therefore we should feast, not by old leaven, nor by leaven of evil and wickedness, but by non-leaven of sincerity and truth.

For I fear lest somehow, having come, I may find you not such as I want, and I may be found by you such as ye do not want, lest somehow there be strifes, envyings, wraths, selfish ambitions, slanderings, whisperings, puffings up, t lest having come again my God will make me low toward you, and I will bewail many of those who have sinned previously, and who did not repent from the trash and fornication and licentiousness that they committed.

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

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 LORD his God as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, and went not fully after LORD as did David his father. read more.
Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab on the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the sons of Ammon. And so he did for all his foreign wives, who burnt incense and sacrificed to their gods. And LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep that which LORD commanded. Therefore LORD said to Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done by thee, and thou have not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding 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 I will give one tribe to thy son, for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen. And LORD raised up an adversary to 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 army was gone up to bury the slain, and had smitten every male in Edom (for Joab and all Israel remained there six months until he had cut off every male in Edom), that Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt, Hadad being yet a little child. And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran. And they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, and appointed him provisions, and gave him land. And Hadad found great favor in the sight 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 bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house. And Genubath was in Pharaoh's house among the sons of Pharaoh. And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart that I may go to my own country. Then Pharaoh said to him, But what have thou lacked with me, that, behold, thou seek to go to thine own country? And he answered, Nothing, however only let me depart. And God raised up [another] adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah. And he gathered men to him, and became captain over a troop when David killed them [of Zobah]. And they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus. And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, besides the mischief that Hadad [did]. And he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria. And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow, he also lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the reason why he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breach of the city of David his father. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. And Solomon saw the young man that he was industrious, and he gave him charge over all the labor 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. Now [Ahijah] had clad himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field. And Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it in twelve pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces, for thus says LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee (but he shall have one tribe, for my servant David's sake and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon. And they have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in my However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him prince all the days of his life, for David my servant's sake whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my statutes. But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it to thee, even ten tribes. And I will give one tribe to his son, that David my servant may have a lamp always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for me to put my name there. And I will take thee, and thou shall reign according to all that thy soul desires, and shall be king over Israel. And it shall be, if thou will hearken to all that I command thee, and will walk in my ways, and do that which is right in my eyes, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did. That I will be with thee, and will And for this I will afflict the seed of David, but not forever. Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

From this, many of his disciples went back at these things, and walked no more with him.

But all this has come to pass, so that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples fled, having forsook him.

I regret that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments. And Samuel was angry, and he cried out to LORD all night.

And Samuel said to Saul, I will not return with thee, for thou have rejected the word of LORD, and LORD has rejected thee from being king over Israel. And as Samuel turned about to go away, [Saul] laid hold upon the skirt of his robe, and it tore. And Samuel said to him, LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and has given it to a neighbor of thine, who 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 a hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs. And for a sin-offering for 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 divisions, for the service 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 had purified themselves together, all of them were pure. And they killed the Passover for all the sons of the captivity, and for their brothers the priests, and for themselves. And the sons of Israel who came again out of the captivity, and all such as had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the nations of the land, to seek LORD, the God of Israel, ate,

for Demas forsook me having loved the present age, and he went to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.

For thou have forgotten the God of thy salvation, and have not been mindful of the rock of thy strength. Therefore thou plant pleasant plants, and set it with foreign slips. In the day of thy planting thou hedge it in, and in the morning thou make thy seed to blossom. But the harvest flees away in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.

Then he says to Thomas, Bring thy finger here, and see my hands, and bring thy hand, and put into my side, and do not become faithless, but believing. Thomas answered and said to him, My Lord and my God. Jesus says to him, Because thou have seen me, thou have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.

And he forsook LORD, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of LORD. And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and put the king to death 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 LORD his God as was the heart of David his father.

For the king had taken counsel, and his rulers, and all the assembly in Jerusalem, to keep the Passover in the second month. For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. And the thing was right in the eyes of the king and of all the assembly. 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 to LORD, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem. For they had not kept it in great numbers in So the posts went with the letters from the king and his rulers throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye sons of Israel, turn again to LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, th And be ye not like your fathers, and like your brothers, who trespassed against LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he gave them up to desolation, as ye see. Now be ye not stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you. For if ye turn again to LORD, your brothers and your sons shall find compassion before those who led them captive, and shall come again into this land. For LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face fro So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun. But they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them. Nevertheless certain men of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem. Also the hand of God came upon Judah to give them one heart, to do the commandment of the king and of the rulers by the word of LORD.

Holding faith and a good conscience, which some, having put away, made shipwreck about the faith, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan, so that they may be disciplined not to blaspheme.

And it came to pass, when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established, and he was strong, that he forsook the law of LORD, and all Israel with him. And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had trespassed against LORD,

And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him, Because thou have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on LORD thy God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped out of thy hand. Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim a huge army, with chariots and horsemen exceedingly many? Yet, because thou relied on LORD, he delivered them into thy hand. For the eyes of LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward him. In this thou have done foolishly, for from henceforth thou shall have wars.

And all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, by their journeys, according to the commandment of LORD, and encamped in Rephidim. And there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said to them, Why do ye contend with me? Why do ye challenge LORD? And the people thirsted there for water. And the people murmured against Moses, and said, Why have thou brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our sons and our cattle with thirst? read more.
And Moses cried to LORD, saying, What shall I do to this people? They are almost ready to stone me. And LORD said to Moses, Pass on before the people, and take with thee from the elders of Israel, and thy rod, with which thou smote the river, take in thy hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb, and thou shall smite the rock, and there shall come water 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 contending of the sons of Israel, and because they challenged LORD, saying, Is LORD among us, or not?

Now from the time that Amaziah turned away from following LORD they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish, and killed him there.

For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men. And LORD delivered a very great host into their hand because they had forsaken LORD, the God of their fathers. So they executed judgment upon Joash.

And those on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. And these have no root, who believe for a time, and withdraw in time of trial.

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

for Demas forsook me having loved the present age, and he went to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.

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

And the sons of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, and served the Baalim, and the Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the god And the anger of LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the sons of Ammon. And they vexed and oppressed the sons of Israel that year. Eighteen years [they oppressed] all the sons of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. read more.
And the sons of Ammon passed over the Jordan to also fight against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was exceedingly distressed. And the sons of Israel cried to LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, even because we have forsaken our God, and have served the Baalim. And LORD said to the sons of Israel, [Did] not [I save you] from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the sons of Ammon, and from the Philistines? The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, oppressed you. And ye cried to me, and I saved you out of their hand. Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods. Therefore I will save you no more. Go and cry to the gods which ye have chosen. Let them save you in the time of your distress. And the sons of Israel said to LORD, We have sinned. Do thou to us whatever seems good to thee, only deliver us, we pray thee, this day. And they put away the foreign gods from among them, and served LORD. And his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. Then the sons of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the sons of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpah. And the people, the rulers of Gilead, said one to another, What man is he who will begin to fight against the sons of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

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