69 Bible Verses about False Gods

Moreover, sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: Behold I will visit that restless people of Alexandria, Pharaoh and Egypt; yea, both their gods and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that put their trust in him.

But overthrow their altars and break their pillars, and cut down their groves, for thou shalt worship no strange god. For the LORD is called jealous, because he is a jealous God:

But thus ye shall deal with them: overthrow their altars, break down their pillars, cut down their groves and burn their images with fire.

And the same night the LORD said unto him, "Take an ox of thy father's and another of seven years old, and destroy the altar of Baal that belongeth unto thy father, and cut down the grove that is about it, and make an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock and furnish it. And take the second ox and offer burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove, which thou shalt have cut down." Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD bade him. But because he durst not do it by day for fear of his father's household and of the men of the city, he did it by night.read more.
When the men of the city were up early in the morning: Behold the altar of Baal was broken, and the grove that stood about it cut down. And the second ox offered upon the altar that was made. And they said one to another, "Who hath done this thing?" And they enquired and asked. And it was told them that Gideon the son of Joash had done it. Then the men of the city said unto Joash, "Bring out thy son that he may die, because he hath broken the altar of Baal, and cut down the grove that was about it."

And the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed that groweth in the water is shaken, and will weed Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond Euphrates, because they have made them groves to anger the LORD.

And thereto he put down Maacah his mother from bearing rule, because she had made an idol in a grove. And Asa destroyed her idol and burnt it by the brook Kidron.

And Ahab made a grove, and proceeded further in angering the LORD God of Israel, than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

But now send and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel; and the Prophets of Baal, four hundred and fifty; and the Prophets of the groves; four hundred, which eat of Jezebel's table.

And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the inferior priests and the keepers of the door, to bring out of the temple of the LORD, all the vessels that were made for Baal and for the grove and for all the host of heaven. And he burnt them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron and carried the ashes of them into Bethel. And he put down the Chemarims which the kings of Judah had set to burn offerings in the hill altars in the cities of Judah round about Jerusalem and also them that burnt sacrifices unto Baal, to the sun and to the moon and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven. And he brought out the grove from the temple of the LORD without Jerusalem unto the brook Kidron, and stamped it to powder, and cast the dust thereof upon the graves of people of the country.read more.
And he brake down the cells of the male whores that were in the house of the LORD, where the women wove little houses for the grove.

that your children also may think upon your altars, woods, thick trees, high hills, mountains and fields.

Thy groves will I pluck up by the roots, and break down thy cities.

and forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed strange gods, even of the gods of the nations that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and angered the LORD. And so they forsook the LORD and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

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 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 the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.

Then they cried unto the LORD and said, 'We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hands of our enemies and we will serve thee.'

And they hanged up his harness in the house of Ashtaroth, but they hanged up his carcass on the walls of Bet-Shean.

And Solomon followed Ashtaroth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

And even so, all that generation were put unto their fathers. And there arose another generation after them which neither knew the LORD, nor yet the works which he did unto Israel. And then the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed strange gods, even of the gods of the nations that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and angered the LORD.read more.
And so they forsook the LORD and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

But when the Pharisees heard that, they said, "This fellow driveth the devils no other wise out, but by the help of Beelzebub the chief of the devils."

And the scribes, which came from Jerusalem, said, "He hath Beelzebub, and by the power of the chief devil, casteth out devils."

But some of them said, "He casteth out devils by the power of Beelzebub, the chief of the devils."

And the Moabites rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. And Ahaziah fell through a lattice window out of an upper chamber that he had in Samaria, and fell sick. Then he sent messengers saying unto them, "Go and enquire of Beelzebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this disease." But the Angel of the LORD spake to Elijah the Tishbite, "Up, and go against the messengers of the king of Samaria and say unto them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel, that ye go to ask through Beelzebub the god of Ekron?read more.
Therefore, thus sayeth the LORD: thou shalt not come down from the bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt die.'" And Elijah departed. And the messengers turned back again unto the king. And he said unto them, "Why are ye thus come again?" And they said unto him, "There came a man against us and said unto us, 'Go and turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him: Thus sayeth the LORD. Is it because there is no God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire through Beelzebub the god of Ekron? Therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.'"

Bel is fallen, and Nebo is broken down: whose images were a burden for the beasts and cattle, to overladen them, and to make them weary.

"Preach among the Gentiles, let your voice be heard, make a token: cry out, keep no silence, but say, 'Babylon shall be won, Bel shall be confounded, and Merodach shall be overcome. Yea their gods shall be brought to shame and their images shall stand in fear.'

Moreover, I will visit Bel at Babylon: and the thing that he hath swallowed up, that same shall I pluck out of his mouth. The Gentiles also shall run no more unto him; yea, and the walls of Babylon shall fall.

After that, Solomon built an altar for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites in the hill that standeth before Jerusalem, and unto Moloch the abomination of the children of Ammon.

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!

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 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.

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 when they of Ashdod were up in the morning, behold, Dagon lay groveling upon the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon and set him in his place again. And when they were up early in the next morning behold, Dagon lay groveling upon the ground before the ark of the LORD, and his head and his two hands cut off upon the threshold, that the body only was left on him.read more.
Wherefore neither the priests of Dagon, neither any man that cometh into Dagon's house might tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, unto this day. But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with hemorrhoids; both Ashdod and all the coasts thereof. And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide here with us, for his hand is sore upon us and upon Dagon our god."

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

For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart after other gods: so that his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. And Solomon followed Ashtaroth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

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.

"Tell the children of Israel, whosoever he be of the children of Israel or of the strangers that dwell in Israel that giveth of his seed unto Moloch, he shall die for it: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. And I will set my face upon that fellow, and will destroy him from among his people: because he hath given of his seed unto Moloch, for to defile my sanctuary and to pollute mine holy name. And though that the people of the land hide their eyes from that fellow, when he giveth of his seed unto Moloch, so that they kill him not:read more.
yet I will put my face upon that man and upon his household, and will destroy him and all that go a whoring with him and commit whoredom with Moloch from among their people.

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.

Thou wentest straight to kings with oil and divers ointments - that is, thou hast sent thy messengers far off, and yet art thou fallen into the pit thereby.

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.

As concerning the Ammonites, thus the LORD sayeth, "Hath Israel no children, or is he without a heir? Why hath your king then taken Gad in? Wherefore doth his people dwell in his cities?

yea, and such as upon their house-tops worship and bow themselves unto the host of heaven: which swear by the LORD, and by their Milcom also:

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 with that he brought me to the door of the port of the LORD's house, toward the north. And behold, there sat women mourning for Tammuz.

For they also made them hill altars and images and groves on every high hill and under every green tree. And thereto there was a stews of male children in the land, and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

And thereto I have left me seven thousand in Israel, of which never man bowed his knees unto Baal nor kissed him with his mouth."

They have also builded an altar at Tophet, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom: that they might burn their sons and daughters - which I never commanded them, neither came it ever in my thought.

And now they sin more and more. Of their silver, they make them molten Images, like the idols of the Heathen, and yet all is nothing but the work of the craftsmen. Notwithstanding they preach of the same: whoso will kiss the calves, offereth to men.

When the men of the city were up early in the morning: Behold the altar of Baal was broken, and the grove that stood about it cut down. And the second ox offered upon the altar that was made. And they said one to another, "Who hath done this thing?" And they enquired and asked. And it was told them that Gideon the son of Joash had done it. Then the men of the city said unto Joash, "Bring out thy son that he may die, because he hath broken the altar of Baal, and cut down the grove that was about it."read more.
And Joash said unto all that stood by him, "Will ye fight for Baal, or will ye be his defenders? He that striveth for him shall die this morning. If he be a god, let him strive with him that cast down his altar!" And he called Gideon "Jerubbaal" the same time, saying "Let Baal strive with him because he hath broken down his altar."

And when Ahab saw Elijah, he said unto him, "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" And he said, "It is not I that trouble Israel, but thou and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and hast followed Baal. But now send and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel; and the Prophets of Baal, four hundred and fifty; and the Prophets of the groves; four hundred, which eat of Jezebel's table.read more.
And Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the Prophets unto mount Carmel. And Elijah came unto all the people and said, "Why halt ye between two opinions? If the LORD be very God, follow him: or if Baal be he, follow him." And the people answered him not one word. Then said Elijah unto the people, "I only remain of the LORD's Prophets, and Baal's Prophets are four hundredth and fifty. Let two oxen be given us, and let them choose the one and cut him in pieces and lay him on wood, and put no fire under. And I will dress the other and put him on wood, and will put no fire under. And call ye on the name of your God, and I will call on the name of the LORD. And then the God that answereth by fire, he is the very God." And all the people said, "It is well spoken." Then said Elijah unto the Prophets of Baal, "Choose you an ox and dress him first - for ye are many - and call on the name of your God, but put no fire under." 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 at noon Elijah mocked them, and said, "Call loud, for he is a god: but he is talking, or occupied, or in the way, or haply he sleepeth, that he may awake!" And they cried loud and cut themselves, as their manner was, with knives and lances, till the blood flowed on them. And when midday was passed, they prophesied until it was time to offer. But there was neither voice nor answer nor any that regarded them. Then Elijah said to all the folk, "Come to me." And all the people came to him. And he mended the altar of the LORD that was broken. And he took twelve stones according to the number of the twelve 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 made an altar in the name of the LORD. And he made a gutter round about the altar, able to receive two pecks of corn. And he put the wood in order, and hewed the ox in pieces, and put him on the wood, and said, "Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the sacrifice and on the wood." And he said, "Do so again." And they did so again. Then he said, "Do it the third time." And they did so the third time. And the water ran round about the altar, and the gutter was full of water also. And when offering time was come, Elijah the prophet went to and said, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and of Israel, let it be known this day, that thou art the God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I do all these things at thy commandment. Hear me, O LORD; hear me, that this people may know, that thou LORD, art the God, and that thou hast turned their hearts backward." And there fell fire from the LORD and consumed the sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the gutter. And when all the people saw that, they fell on their faces and said, "The LORD, he is God, the LORD, he is God." Then said Elijah unto them, "Lay hands on the Prophets of Baal - let not one of them escape." And when they had taken them, Elijah brought them down unto the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

After that, Jehu gathered all the people together and said to them, "Ahab served Baal a little: but Jehu shall serve him a good. Now, therefore, call unto me all the Prophets of Baal and all his servants and all his priests that none be lacking. For I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal: and if any be missed, he shall not live." But Jehu did it for a subtlety, to destroy the servants of Baal. Wherefore Jehu said, "Appoint a solemn feast for Baal." And they proclaimed it.read more.
Then Jehu sent throughout all Israel. And all the servants of Baal came, that there was not a man left behind that came not. And when they were come into the temple of Baal, the temple was full from one end to another. Then he said to the keeper of the vestry, bring forth garments for the servants of Baal. And he brought them out garments. And Jehu went with Jehonadab son of Rechab into the house of Baal: and said to the servants of Baal, "Search and look that there be none here with you of the servants of the LORD, but the servants of Baal only." And they went in, to offer sacrifice and burnt offerings. But Jehu appointed him four score men without, and said, "If any of the men that I shall bring unto your hands escape, he that letteth him go shall die for him." And as soon as he had made an end of offering of burnt sacrifice, he said to them of the guard and to the lords, "Go in and slay them, let none come out." And they smote them with the edge of the sword. And the guard and the lords cast them out, and went unto the city of the house of Baal, and fetched out the image out of the house of Baal and burnt it. And they brake the image of Baal, and brake the house of Baal, and made a privy house thereof, unto this day. And so Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

Then all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and destroyed his altars, and brake down his images lustily, and slew Nathan, the priest of Baal, before the altar. And the priest set watchmen in the house of the LORD,

And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the inferior priests and the keepers of the door, to bring out of the temple of the LORD, all the vessels that were made for Baal and for the grove and for all the host of heaven. And he burnt them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron and carried the ashes of them into Bethel. And he put down the Chemarims which the kings of Judah had set to burn offerings in the hill altars in the cities of Judah round about Jerusalem and also them that burnt sacrifices unto Baal, to the sun and to the moon and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.

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.

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not that pleased the LORD, as did his father David: but walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made thereto Baals of metal. And he offered cense in the valley of the children of Hinnom, and burnt his children in fire after the abomination of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.read more.
And he offered burnt cense in hill altars and on mountains and under every green tree.

The abomination of Ephraim is come also into Israel. He is gone back to Baal, therefore must he die. And now they sin more and more. Of their silver, they make them molten Images, like the idols of the Heathen, and yet all is nothing but the work of the craftsmen. Notwithstanding they preach of the same: whoso will kiss the calves, offereth to men.

Blessed is the man that hath set his hope in the LORD, and turned not unto the proud, and to such as go about with lies.

Therefore I will and command, that all people, kindreds and tongues, which speak any blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall die and their houses shall be prised: Because, there is no God that may save, as this."

O ye sons of men, how long will ye blaspheme mine honour, and have such pleasure in vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.

This shall be your portion, and the portion of your measure, wherewith ye shall be rewarded of me, sayeth the LORD: because ye have forgotten me, and put your trust in deceitful things.

O LORD, my strength, my power, and refuge in time of trouble! The Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the world, and say, "Verily our fathers have cleaved unto lies, their Idols are but vain and unprofitable.

"Thus sayeth the LORD, 'For three and four wickednesses of Judah, I will not spare him: because he hath cast aside the law of the LORD, and not kept his commandments: For why? They would needs be deceived with the lies that their forefathers followed.

I will stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all such as dwell at Jerusalem. Thus will I root out the remnant of Baal from this place, and the names of the Chemarims and priests:

And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercury, because he was the preacher.

For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith which made silver shrines for Diana, was not a little beneficial unto the craftsmen: which he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, "Sirs ye know that by this craft we have vantage. Moreover, ye see and hear that not alone at Ephesus: but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be not gods which are made with hands:read more.
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." When they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out saying, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians."

After three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose badge was Castor and Pollux.

And upon a day appointed, Herod arrayed him in royal apparel, and set him in his seat, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, "It is the voice of a god and not of a man."

And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercury, because he was the preacher. Then Jupiter's priest, which dwelt before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gate, and would have done sacrifice with the people. But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul heard that, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, cryingread more.
and saying, "Sirs, why do ye this? We are mortal men like unto you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them is,

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.