26 Bible Verses about False Worship

And so he brought me into the inward court of the LORD's house. And behold, at the port of the LORD's house, betwixt the fore entry and the altar, there were five and twenty men that turned their backs on the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east, and these worshiped the sun.

For the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah are defiled, like as Tophet, because of all the houses; in whose parlors they did sacrifice unto all the host of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto strange gods.'"

And he went and built the hill altars again, which Hezekiah his father had destroyed. And he reared up altars to Baal and made groves, as did Ahab king of Israel. And he bowed himself unto all the host of heaven and served them.

But they left the commandments of the LORD their God and made them Images of metal, even two calves: and made groves and bowed themselves unto all the Host of heaven, and served Baal.

and laid against the Sun, the Moon and all the heavenly host: whom they loved, whom they served, whom they ran after, whom they sought and worshipped. They shall neither be gathered together nor buried, but shall lie upon the earth, to their shame and despising.

The images of their gods thou shalt burn with fire, and see that thou covet not the silver or gold that is on them nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therewith. For it is an abomination unto the LORD thy God.

Then said Jacob unto his household, and to all that were with him, "Put away the strange gods that are among you and make yourselves clean, and change your garments,

Ye shall make you no idols, nor graven image, neither rear you up any pillar, neither ye shall set up any image of stone in your land to bow yourselves thereto: for I am the LORD your God;

Little children, beware of images. Amen. {Here ends the First General Epistle of John}

"Thou shalt make thee no graven image, neither any similitude that is in heaven above, either in the earth beneath, or in the water that is beneath the earth.

They drunk wine, and praised their Idols of gold, silver, copper, iron, wood and stone.

Ye know that ye were gentiles, and went your ways unto dumb idols, even as ye were led.

whether the Gentiles themselves deal so falsely and untruly with their gods - which yet are no gods indeed! But my people hath given over their high honour, for a thing that may not help them.

For all the gods of the heathen are idols: But the LORD made heaven!

Then shall the towns of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem go, and call upon their gods, unto whom they made their oblations: but they are not able to help them in time of their trouble.

And the remnant of the men which were not killed by these plagues repented not of the deeds of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and images, of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood, which neither can see, neither hear, neither go.

And he ordained him priests of hill altars - both to field devils and also to the calves which he had made.

And let them no more offer their offerings unto devils, after whom they go an whoring. And this shall be an ordinance forever unto you throughout your generations.'

They offered unto field-devils and not to God; and to gods which they knew not; and to new gods that came newly up, which their fathers feared not.

Yea, they offered their sons and their daughters unto devils,

The sword upon their waters: so that they shall be dried up. For the land worshippeth images, and delighteth in strange wonderful things.

but hast magnified thyself above the LORD of heaven, so that the vessels of his house were brought before thee: that thou, and thy lords, with thy queen and concubines, might drink wine thereout: and hast praised the Idols of silver and gold, copper and iron, of wood and stone. As for the God in whose hand consisteth thy breath and all thy ways: thou hast not loved him.

Forasmuch then as we are the generation of God, we ought not to think that the godhead is like unto gold, silver, or stone, graven by craft and imagination of man.

The vain craftsmen with their works, that they in their vanity hath made, shall perish one with another in the time of visitation.

What help then will the Image do, whom the workman hath fashioned? Or the vain cast Image, wherein because the craftsmen putteth his trust, therefore maketh he dumb Idols?

and the LORD delivered Jehoiakim the king of Judah into his hand, with certain ornaments of the house of God, which he carried away into the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and there brought them into his god's treasury.

And he made houses of hill altars, and made, of the lowest of the people, priests which were not of the sons of Levi.

so that not only this our craft cometh into peril to be set at nought: but that also the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised. And her magnificence should be destroyed, which all Asia, and the world worshippeth."

and brought it unto the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

But herein the LORD be merciful to thy servant, for when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, he leaneth on mine hand, and I must worship in the house of Rimmon: Let the LORD, I pray thee, be merciful unto thy servant in this case."

But they left the commandments of the LORD their God and made them Images of metal, even two calves: and made groves and bowed themselves unto all the Host of heaven, and served Baal.

They that dwell in Samaria have worshiped the calf of Bethaven: therefore shall the people mourn over them, yea and the priests also, that in their wealthiness rejoiced with them. And why? It shall pass away from them.

But from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat which made Israel sin with the golden calves in Bethel and Dan, Jehu departed not.

And now ye think to prevail against the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David, because ye be a great multitude and have with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods.

And he ordained him priests of hill altars - both to field devils and also to the calves which he had made.

And the children of Israel wrought wickedness yet again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD and served him not.

And the hill altars that were before Jerusalem on the righthand of the mount Nashith, which Solomon king of Israel built to Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians and to Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and to Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, the king defiled:

because they have forsaken me, and have bowed themselves unto Ashtaroth the God of the Sidonians, and to Chemosh the God of the Moabites and to Milcom the God of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that pleaseth me, and mine ordinances and customs, as David his father.

And so they forsook the LORD and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

And Samuel spake unto all Israel, saying, "If ye be come again unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods from among you, and Ashtaroth, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD and serve him alone; and so shall he rid you out of the hands of the Philistines."

And then she took an image and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow stuffed with goat's hair under the head of it, and covered it with a cloth.

And Rachel took the images, and put them in the camel's straw, and sat down upon them. And Laban searched all the tent: but found them not.

Laban was gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen her father's images.

And the man Micah had a chapel of gods, and made an ephod and images, and filled the hand of one of his sons which became his priest.

Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, "Know ye not that there is in these houses an ephod and images; and a graven image and an image of metal? Now therefore consider what ye have to do."

And he reared an altar to Baal in the house of Baal which he had made in Samaria.

And they took the ox that was given them and dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning to noon saying, "O Baal, hear us!" But there was no voice nor answer. And they leapt about the altar that they had made.

And therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be thus reconciled. And so shall he take away all the fruit of his sins. As for altar stones, he shall make them all as stones beaten to powder: the groves and Idols shall not stand.

To a people that is ever defying me to my face. They make their oblations in gardens, and their smoke upon altars of brick;

Ephraim hath made many altars to do wickedness, therefore shall the altars turn to his sin.

and Israel coupled himself unto Baal-Peor. Then the LORD was angry with Israel,

Your eyes have seen what the LORD did unto Baal-Peor: for all the men that followed Baal-Peor, the LORD your God hath destroyed from among you.

They joined themselves unto Baal-Peor, and ate the offerings of the dead.

I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness, and saw their fathers as the first figs in the top of the fig tree. But they are gone to Baalpeor, and run away from me to that shameful Idol, and are become as abominable as their lovers.

Is the wicked deed of Peor too little for us, whereof we are not cleansed unto this day, and there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD?

And he received them of their hands and fashioned it with a graver and made it a calf of molten metal. And they said, "This is thy God, O Israel, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt."

And when I looked and saw that ye had sinned against the LORD your God and had made you a calf of metal and had turned at once out of the way which the LORD had commanded you;

And though they made a molten calf, and said 'This is thy God, that brought thee out of the land of Egypt,' and did great blasphemies,

They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.

And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the image, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

Thou shalt not give of thy seed to offer it unto Moloch, that thou defile not the name of thy God, for I am the LORD.

They have builded high places for Baal in the valley of the children of Hinnom, to cause their sons and daughters to pass through fire in honor of Moloch: which I never commanded them, neither came it ever in my thought, to make Judah sin with such abomination.

Yet have ye set up tabernacles to your Moloch, and images of your Idols, yea and the star of your god Rempha: figures which ye made to worship them.

And ye took unto you the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Rephan, figures which ye made to worship them. And I will translate you beyond Babylon.'

And he defiled Tophet also, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, because no man should offer his son or his daughter in fire to Moloch.

Then, then shall man cast away his gods of silver and gold - which he nevertheless had made to honour them - unto moles and bats

And then, sayeth the LORD of Hosts, I will destroy the names of Idols out of the land: so that they shall no more be put in remembrance. As for the false prophets also and the unclean spirit, I shall take them out of the land:

And shall not turn to the altars that are the work of his own hands, neither shall he look upon groves and images, which his fingers have wrought.

And lo, the time cometh that I will visit the images of Babylon, and the whole land shall be confounded; yea, and her slain shall lie in the midst of her.

Thine Idols and thine Images will I destroy out of thee so that thou shalt no more bow thyself unto the works of thine own hands.

And the hill altars that were before Jerusalem on the righthand of the mount Nashith, which Solomon king of Israel built to Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians and to Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and to Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, the king defiled:

For because thou hast trusted in thy strongholds and treasure, thou shalt be taken. Chemosh with his priests and princes shall go away into captivity.

Nay, but what people Chemosh thy god driveth out, that land possess thou. But whatsoever nations the LORD our God expelleth, that land ought we to enjoy.

Woe be to thee, Moab! O people of Chemosh, ye are forlorn! His sons are put to flight and his daughters brought captive unto Sihon, king of the Amorites!

When they counted themselves wise, they became fools and turned the glory of the immortal God, unto the similitude of the image: of mortal man, and of birds, and four footed beasts and of serpents.

Ye know that ye were gentiles, and went your ways unto dumb idols, even as ye were led.

To speak of meat dedicated unto idols, we are sure that there is none idol in the world: and that there is none other God but one.

Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together, for to offer a solemn offering unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, "Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hands."

and brought it unto the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

And they put his harness in the houses of their gods. But his skull they hanged in the house of Dagon.

Let them be gathered and come together, let them draw nigh hither, that are escaped of the people: Have they any understanding, that set up the stocks of their Idols, and praise unto a god, that cannot help them?

It standeth as stiff as the palm tree, it can neither speak nor go, but must be borne. Be not ye afraid of such, for they can do neither good nor evil."

And with these sayings, scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.

For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith which made silver shrines for Diana, was not a little beneficial unto the craftsmen:

When the town clerk had ceased the people he said, "Ye men of Ephesus: what man is it that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which came from heaven?

When they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out saying, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians."

And the people gave a shout, saying, "It is the voice of a god and not of a man."

And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lift up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, "Gods are come down to us in the likeness of men."

Howbeit, they waited when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly. But after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

Their images are but silver and gold, even the work of men's hands.

and there ye shall serve gods which are the works of man's hand: wood and stone which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.

Moreover, shall the image maker, that the poor man which is disposed may have something to set up also, seek out and choose a tree, that is not rotten, and carve thereout an image, that moveth not?

Forasmuch then as we are the generation of God, we ought not to think that the godhead is like unto gold, silver, or stone, graven by craft and imagination of man.