26 Bible Verses about Convincing

Then Ahab sent unto all the sons of Israel and gathered the prophets together unto Mount Carmel. And Elijah came near unto all the people and said, How long shall ye halt between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah spoke again unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.read more.
Give us, therefore, two bullocks, and let them choose one bullock for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on wood and put no fire under it; and I will dress the other bullock and lay it on wood and put no fire under it. And invoke ye in the name of your gods, and I will invoke in the name of the LORD; and it shall be that the God that answers by fire is God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. So Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves and dress it first, for ye are many, and invoke in the name of your gods, but put no fire under it. And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it and invoked in the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, answer us. But there was no voice nor anyone that answered. And they jumped up and down near the altar which they had made. And it came to pass at noon that Elijah mocked them and said, Cry aloud, for he is a god; peradventure he is talking or he had to go to the latrine, or he is on a journey, or he sleeps and will awake. And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets until the blood gushed out upon them. And when midday was past, even so they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, and there was neither voice nor anyone that answered nor anyone that heard. Then Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name; and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; then he made a trench round about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. And he put the wood in order and cut the bullock in pieces and laid it on the wood and said, Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood. And he said, Do it the second time, and they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time, and they did it the third time. So that the water ran round about the altar, and he had filled the trench also with water. And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, LORD God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel and that I am thy slave and that I have done all these things at thy word. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God and that thou shalt convert their heart back again to thee. Then fire of the LORD fell, which consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench. And seeing it, all the people fell on their faces, and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.

And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.read more.
And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be destroyed. So the people of Nineveh believed God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he threw his robe from him and covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing; let them not feed, nor drink water: but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily unto God; and let each one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger, that we not perish?

To whom shall I speak, and give warning that they may hear? behold, their ears are uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken, behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go and be prospered, for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD? Then he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains as sheep without a shepherd; and the LORD said, These have no master; let them return each man to his house in peace.read more.
And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil? Then he said, Hear thou, therefore, the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne and all the host of the heavens standing by him on his right hand and on his left. And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said in this manner and another said in that manner. And there came forth a spirit and stood before the LORD and said, I will persuade him. And the LORD said unto him, In what manner? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also; go forth and do so. Now, therefore, behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD has decreed evil concerning thee. Then Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, went near and smote Micaiah on the cheek and said, Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go from me to speak unto thee? And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself. Then the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah and carry him back unto Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king's son and say, Thus hath the king said, Put this fellow in the prison and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace. And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me. Then he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.

And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle or shall I forbear? And he said, Go up, and ye shall be prospered; they shall be delivered into your hands. And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the LORD? Then he said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd; and the LORD said, These have no master; let each one return to his house in peace.read more.
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil? So he said, Therefore, hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of the heavens standing on his right hand and on his left. And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab, king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one spoke saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner. Then a spirit came out and stood before the LORD and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, In what manner? And he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail; go out and do even so. Now, therefore, behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD has decreed evil concerning thee. Then Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, came near and smote Micaiah upon the cheek and said, Which way did the Spirit of the LORD depart from me to speak unto thee? And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go from chamber to chamber to hide thyself. Then the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah and carry him back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king's son and say, Thus hath the king said, Put this fellow in the prison and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction until I return in peace. And Micaiah said, If thou certainly return in peace, then the LORD has not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, all ye peoples.

I have sent also unto you all my slaves the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Turn ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and ye shall live in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.

And to sons that have hard faces and strong hearts do I send thee; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus hath the Lord GOD said. And they will not hear nor forbear (for they are a rebellious house), but they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.

Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos has conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus hath Amos said, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land. And Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and eat thy bread there, and prophesy there:read more.
but do not prophesy any more in Bethel: for it is the king's sanctuary, and the head of the kingdom.

But although he had done so many signs before them, yet they did not believe in him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, Lord, who shall believe our report? and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again,read more.
He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart and be converted, and I should heal them.

Who shall believe our report? and upon whom shall the arm of the LORD be manifested?

Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and blind their eyes that they not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their heart, nor convert and there be healing for him.

Therefore, I speak to them in parables because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, By hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive; for this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should be converted, and I should heal them.

And when he was alone, those that were close to him with the twelve asked of him the parable. And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but unto those that are without, all these things are done in parables, that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the others in parables that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not understand.

Then he said, Go and tell this people, Hear indeed, but do not understand; and see indeed, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and blind their eyes that they not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their heart, nor convert and there be healing for him.

Then one of those of Jerusalem said, Is not this he whom they seek to kill? But, behold, he speaks boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Have the rulers truly understood that this is indeed the Christ? But we know where this man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one shall know where he is from.read more.
Then Jesus cried out in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye know me, and ye know from where I come, but I have not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. But I know him, for I am from him, and he has sent me. Then they sought to take him, but no one laid hands on him because his hour was not yet come. And many of the people believed in him and said, When the Christ comes, will he do more signs than these which this man has done? The Pharisees heard the people that murmured such things concerning him, and the princes of the priests and the Pharisees sent officers to take him. Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while I shall be with you, and then I shall go unto him that sent me. Ye shall seek me and shall not find me, and where I shall be, ye shall not be able to come. Then the Jews said among themselves, Where will he go that we shall not find him? Will he go unto the dispersed among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me and shall not find me, and where I shall be ye shall not be able to come? In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If any man thirsts, let him come unto me and drink. He that believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this he spoke concerning the Spirit, which those that believe on him should receive, for the Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified.) Then many of the people, when they heard this word, said, Truly this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall the Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the scripture said, That the Christ comes of the seed of David and out of the town of Bethlehem where David was? So there was a division among the people because of him.

And the angel of the Lord spoke unto Philip, saying, Arise and go toward the south unto the way that goes down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. Then he arose and went, and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning and sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet.read more.
Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran there to him and heard him read the prophet Isaiah and said, Dost thou understand what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except someone should guide me? And he besought Philip to come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth; in his humiliation his judgment was taken away, and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip and said, I pray thee, of whom does the prophet speak this? of himself or of some other? Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture and preached unto him the gospel of Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what hinders me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou dost believe with all thine heart, thou may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still, and they went both down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

Therefore I am certain that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any creature shall be able to separate us from the charity of God, which is in Christ, Jesus our Lord.

For the charity of the Christ constrains us because we judge thus: that if one died for all, then all are dead: And that he died for all that those who live should not live from now on unto themselves, but unto him who died and rose again for them.

For which cause I also suffer these things; nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath and persuaded Jews and Greeks.

And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, declaring openly and proposing that it behooved the Christ to have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is the Christ. And some of them believed and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the noble women not a few.

And he went into the synagogue and spoke freely for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I desire before God that by little or by much, not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were such as I am, except these bonds.

And when they had appointed him a day, many came to him into his lodging, to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, procuring to persuade them of that concerning Jesus, the Christ, out of the law of Moses and out of the prophets, from morning until evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some did not believe.

Therefore being certain of that terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God, and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.