56 Bible Verses about Holiness,  Worldly Separation

And see that ye walk not in the manners of the nations which I cast out before you: For they committed all these things, and I abhorred them. But I have said unto you that ye shall enjoy their land, and that I will give it unto you to possess it: even a land that floweth with milk and honey. I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other nations: that ye should put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and them that are clean. Make not your souls therefore abominable with beasts and fowls, and with all manner thing that creepeth upon the ground, which I have separated unto you to hold them unclean.read more.
Be holy unto me, for I the LORD am holy and have severed you from other nations: that ye should be mine.

And he said, "If thy presence go not with me, carry us not hence, for how shall it be known now that both I and thy people have found favour in thy sight, but in that thou goest with us: that both I and thy people have a preeminence before all the people that are upon the face of the earth."

"'Make the children of Israel to keep themselves from their uncleanness, that they die not in their uncleanness: when they have defiled my habitation that is among them.

For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, the same souls that commit them shall perish from among their people. Therefore see that ye keep mine ordinances, that ye commit none of these abominable customs which were committed before you: that ye defile not yourselves therewith, for I am the LORD your God.'"

When the LORD thy God hath brought thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee: the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perezites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; seven nations more in number and mightier than thou: and when the LORD thy God hath set them before thee that thou shouldest smite them: see that thou utterly destroy them and make no covenant with them nor have compassion on them. Also thou shalt make no marriages with them, neither give thy daughter unto his son nor take his daughter unto thy son.read more.
For they will make your sons depart from me and serve strange gods, and then will the wrath of the LORD wax hot upon you and destroy you shortly. But thus ye shall deal with them: overthrow their altars, break down their pillars, cut down their groves and burn their images with fire. For thou art a holy nation unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a several people unto himself of all nations that are upon the earth.

When thou goest out with the host against thine enemies, keep thee from all wickedness; for the Lord is among you. If there be any man that is unclean by the reason of uncleanness that chanceth him by night, let him go out of the host and not come in again, until he have washed himself with water before the evening: and then when the sun is down, let him come into the host again.read more.
Thou shalt have a place without the host whither thou shalt resort to, and thou shalt have a sharp point at the end of thy weapon: and when thou wilt ease thyself, dig therewith and turn and cover that which is departed from thee. For the LORD thy God walketh in thine host, to rid thee and to set thine enemies before thee. Let thine host be pure that he see no unclean thing among you and turn from you.

Then all this was performed, the rulers came to me, and said, "The people of Israel, and the priests, and Levites are not separated from the nations in the lands as touching their abominations, namely of the Cananites, Hittites, Perezites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. For they have taken the daughters of the same, and their sons, and have mixed the holy seed with the nations in the lands: and the hand of the rulers and lords of council hath been principal in this trespass."

Away, away, get you out from thence and touch no unclean thing. Go out from among such. And be clean ye that bear the vessel of the LORD.

"'This is the law of beast and fowl and of all manner thing that liveth and moveth in the water and of all things that creep upon the earth, that ye may put difference between unclean and clean, and between the beasts that are eaten and the beasts that are not eaten.'"

And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, "Speak unto the children of Israel and say, 'These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth: whatsoever hath hoof and divideth it into two claws and cheweth cud among the beasts, that shall ye eat.read more.
Nevertheless, these shall ye not eat of them that chew cud and have hoofs. The camel, for he cheweth cud but he divideth not the hoof into two claws, therefore he shall be unclean unto you. And the cony, for he cheweth the cud but divideth not the hoof into two claws, therefore he is unclean to you. And the hare, for he likewise cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof into two claws, he is therefore unclean to you. And the swine, for though he divide the hoof into two claws, yet he cheweth not the cud and therefore is unclean to you. Of their flesh see that ye eat not, and their carcasses see that ye touch not for they are unclean to you. "'These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, seas and rivers, that shall ye eat. And all that have not fins and scales in the seas and rivers of all that move and live in the waters, shall ye abhor. See that ye eat not of their flesh, and also that ye abhor their carcasses: for all that have no fins nor scales in the waters, shall be abomination unto you. These are the fowls which ye shall abhor and which shall not be eaten, for they are an abomination: The eagle, the goshawk, the cormorant, the kite, the vulture and all his kind, and all kind of ravens; the ostrich, the nightcrow, the cuckoo, the sparrowhawk, and all the kind; the little owl, the stork, the great owl, the back, the pelican, the pye, the heron, the jay with the kind, the lapwing and the swallow. And all fowls that creep and go upon all fours shall be an abomination unto you. Yet these may ye eat of all the fowls that move and go upon four feet, even those that have no knees above upon their feet to leap withal upon the earth, even these of them ye may eat: the arb and all his kind; the soleam with all his kind; the hargol and all the kind; and the hagab and all his kind. All other fowls that move and have four feet, shall be abomination unto you.

Ye shall eat no manner of abomination. These are the beasts which ye shall eat of: oxen, sheep and goats, hart, roe and bugle, hart goat, unicorn, origen and camelion.read more.
And all beasts that cleave the hoof, and slit it into two claws and chew the cud, them ye shall eat. Nevertheless, these ye shall not eat of them that chew cud and of them that divide and cleave the hoof: the camel, the hare and the coney. For they chew cud, but divide not the hoof: and therefore are unclean unto you: and also the swine, for though he divide the hoof, yet he cheweth not cud, and therefore is unclean unto you. Ye shall not eat of the flesh of them nor touch the dead carcasses of them. These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: All that have fins and scales. And whatsoever hath not fins and scales, of that ye may not eat, for that is unclean unto you. Of all clean birds ye shall eat, but these are they of which ye may not eat: the eagle, the goshawk, the cormorant, the ixion, the vulture, the kite and her kind, and all kind of ravens, the ostrich, the nightcrow, the cuckoo, the sparrowhawk and all her kind, the little owl, the great owl, the back, the bittern, the pye, the stork, the heron, the jay in his kind, the lapwing, the swallow. And all creeping fowls are unclean unto you and may not be eaten of; but of all clean fowls ye may well eat.

And he called all the people unto him, and said unto them, "Hearken unto me every one of you and understand: There is nothing without a man that can defile him when it entereth into him, but those things which proceed out of him are those which defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear."read more.
And when he came into a house away from the people, his disciples asked him of the similitude, and he said unto them, "Are ye so without understanding? Do ye not yet perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into a man, it cannot defile him, because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly: and goeth out into the draught that purgeth out all meats."

But Peter said, "God forbid Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean."

"When there appeareth a rising in any man's flesh - either a scab or a glistering white - as though the plague of leprosy were in the skin of his flesh, then let him be brought unto Aaron the priest or unto one of his sons, the priests. And let the priest look on the sore that is in the skin of his flesh. If the hair in the sore be turned unto white, and the sore also seem to be lower than the skin of his flesh, then it is surely a leprosy, and let the priest look on him and make him unclean.

"This is the law of a leper when he shall be cleansed: He shall be brought unto the priest,

When the plague of leprosy is in a cloth: whether it be linen or woolen, yea and whether it be in the warp or woof of the linen or of the woolen: either in a skin or any thing made of skin, if the disease be pale or somewhat reddish in the cloth or skin: whether it be in the warp or the woof or any thing that is made of skin, then it is a very leprosy, and must be showed unto the priest.

And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, "When ye be come unto the land of Canaan which I give you to possess: if I put the plague of leprosy in any house of the land of your possession, let him that owneth the house go and tell the priest, saying, 'Me think that there is as it were a leprosy in the house.'read more.
And the priest shall command them to rid all things out of the house, before the priest go in to see the plague: that he make not all that is in the house unclean, and then the priest shall go in and see the house.

"Speak unto the children of Israel, and say, 'When a woman hath conceived and hath borne a manchild, she shall be unclean seven days: even in like manner as when she is put apart in time of her natural disease.

saying, "Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them, 'Every man that hath a running issue in his flesh, is unclean by the reason of his issue.

Either when a man toucheth any unclean thing: whether it be the carrion of an unclean beast or of unclean cattle or unclean worm and is not ware of it, he is also unclean and hath offended. Either when he toucheth any uncleanness of man - whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man is defiled withal - and is not ware of it and afterward cometh to the knowledge of it, he is a trespasser.

These are unclean to you among all that move, and all that touch them when they be dead, shall be unclean until the evening. And whatsoever any of the dead carcasses of them fall upon, shall be unclean: whatsoever vessel of wood it be, or raiment, or skin, or bag or whatsoever thing it be that any work is wrought with all. And they shall be plunged in the water and be unclean until the even, and then they shall be clean again. "'All manner of earthen vessel whereinto any of them falleth, is unclean with all that therein is: and ye shall break it.read more.
All manner meat that is eaten, if any such water come upon it, it shall be unclean. And all manner drink that is drunk in all manner such vessels, shall be unclean. And whether it be oven or kettle, it shall be broken. For they are unclean and shall be unclean unto you: Neverthelater, yet the fountains and wells and ponds of water, shall be clean still. But whosoever toucheth their carcasses, shall be unclean. If the dead carcass of any such fall upon any seed used to sow, it shall yet be clean still: but and if any water be poured upon the seed and afterward the dead carcass of them fall thereon, then it shall be unclean unto you. If any beast of which ye eat die, he that toucheth the dead carcass shall be unclean until the evening. And he that eateth of any such dead carcass, shall wash his clothes and remain unclean until the evening. And he also that beareth the carcass of it, shall wash his clothes and be unclean until even.

And the LORD said unto Moses, "Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron and say unto them, 'A priest shall defile himself at the death of none of his people,

that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the ordinances which the LORD hath commanded them by the hands of Moses."

They shall show my people the difference between the holy and unholy, betwixt the clean and unclean.

"Men of Israel, help. This is the man that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place. Moreover also he hath brought Greeks into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place."

for we were ashamed to hear the blasphemies; our faces were covered with shame, because the strange aliens came into the Sanctuary of the LORD.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, "Command the children of Israel that they put out of the host all the lepers and all that have issues and all that are defiled upon the dead; whether they be males or females ye shall put them out of the host, that they defile not the tents among which I dwell."

And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, "Ye have transgressed, that have taken strange wives, to make the trespass of Israel yet more: confess now therefore unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure, and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives."

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, "Speak unto the children of Israel and say, 'Ye shall eat no manner fat of oxen, sheep or goats: neverthelater, the fat of the beast that dieth alone and the fat of that which is torn with wild beasts, may be occupied in all manner uses: but ye shall in no wise eat of it.read more.
For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast of which men bring an offering unto the LORD, that soul that eateth it shall perish from his people. Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, wheresoever ye dwell, whether it be of fowl or of beast. Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood the same soul shall perish from his people.'"

"And the leper, in whom the plague is, shall have his clothes rent and his head bare and his mouth muffled and shall be called unclean. And as long as the disease lasteth upon him, he shall be unclean: for he is unclean, and shall therefore dwell alone, and even without the host shall his habitation be.

"'When ye offer your peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer them that ye may be accepted. And it shall be eaten the same day ye offer it and on the morrow, but whatsoever is left on the third day shall be burnt in the fire. If it be eaten the third day, it shall be unclean and not accepted.read more.
And he that eateth it shall bear his sin, because he hath defiled the hallowed things of the LORD, and that soul shall perish from among his people.

Whosoever toucheth any person that dieth and sprinkleth not himself, defileth the dwelling of the LORD: and therefore that soul shall be rooted out of Israel, because he hath not sprinkled the sprinkling water upon him, he shall be unclean, and his uncleanness shall remain upon him.

If there be any man that is unclean by the reason of uncleanness that chanceth him by night, let him go out of the host and not come in again, until he have washed himself with water before the evening: and then when the sun is down, let him come into the host again. Thou shalt have a place without the host whither thou shalt resort to,read more.
and thou shalt have a sharp point at the end of thy weapon: and when thou wilt ease thyself, dig therewith and turn and cover that which is departed from thee. For the LORD thy God walketh in thine host, to rid thee and to set thine enemies before thee. Let thine host be pure that he see no unclean thing among you and turn from you.

And Uzziah the king continued a leper unto the day of his death and dwelt in a house at liberty: howbeit, he was cast out of the house of the LORD. And Jotham his son had the governance of the king's house and judged the people of the land.

If any soul eat of the flesh of the peace offerings, that pertain unto the LORD, and his uncleanness yet upon him, the same soul shall perish from among his people. Moreover if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be the uncleanness of man or of any unclean beast or any abomination that is unclean: and then eat of the flesh of the peace offerings which pertain unto the LORD, that soul shall perish from his people.'"

Say unto them, 'Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generation after you, that goeth unto the hallowed things which the children of Israel shall have hallowed unto the LORD, his uncleanness shall be upon him: and that soul shall perish from out of my sight. I am the LORD. None of the seed of Aaron that is a leper or that hath a running sore, shall eat of the hallowed things until he be clean. And whosoever toucheth any unclean soul or man whose seed runneth from him by night, or whosoever toucheth any worm that is unclean to him, or man that is unclean to him, whatsoever uncleanness he hath:read more.
the same soul that hath touched any such thing, shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the hallowed things until he have washed his flesh with water.

And the LORD communed with Moses, saying, "When a soul trespasseth and sinneth through ignorance in any of the holy things of the LORD, he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock valued at two sicles after the holy sicle, for a trespass offering. And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and put the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto the priest. And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.

And the LORD communed with Moses, saying, "Bid Aaron and his sons that they abstain from the hallowed things of the children of Israel which they have hallowed unto me, that they pollute not mine holy name: for I am the LORD.

And the LORD said unto Moses, "Go unto the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes: that they may be ready against the third day. For the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. And set marks round about the people and say, 'Beware that ye go not up into the mount, and that ye touch not the borders of it, for whosoever toucheth the mount, shall surely die.read more.
There shall not a hand touch it, but that he shall either be stoned or else shot through: whether it be beast or man, it shall not live.' When the horn bloweth, then let them come up in to the mountain."

And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their privities: from the loins unto the thighs shall they reach. And they shall be upon Aaron and his sons, when they go into the tabernacle of witness, or when they go unto the altar to minister in holiness, that they bear no sin and so die. And it shall be a law for ever unto Aaron and his seed after him."

"Thou shalt make a laver of brass and his foot also of brass to wash withal, and shalt put it between the tabernacle of witness and the altar and put water therein: that Aaron and his sons may wash both their hands and their feet thereout, when they go into the tabernacle of witness, or when they go unto the altar to minister and to burn the LORD's offering, lest they die.read more.
And it shall be an ordinance forever unto him and his seed among your children after you."

Keep my Sabbath therefore, that it be a holy thing unto you. He that defileth it, shall be slain therefore. For whosoever worketh therein, the same soul shall be rooted out from among his people. Six days shall men work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the holy rest of the LORD: so that whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath day, shall die for it.

"And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary and all things of the sanctuary, against that the host remove, then the sons of Kohath shall come in for to bear, and so let them not touch the sanctuary lest they die. And this is the charge of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of witness.

He that despiseth Moses' law, dieth without mercy under two or three witnesses. Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be counted worthy, which treadeth underfoot the son of God: and counteth the blood of the testament as an unholy thing, wherewith he was sanctified, and doth dishonour to the spirit of grace.

And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censor, and put fire therein, and put cense upon; and brought strange fire before the LORD: which he commanded them not. And there went a fire out from the LORD, and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.

And Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi; and Dathan and Abiram, the son of Eliab; and On the son of Peleth, the sons of Reuben, stood up before Moses, with other of the children of Israel: two hundred and fifty, heads of the congregation, and councilors, and men of fame. And they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, "Ye have done enough. For all the multitude are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why therefore heave ye yourselves up above the congregation of the LORD?"read more.
When Moses heard it, he fell upon his face and spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, "Tomorrow the LORD will show who is his and who is holy, and will take them unto him, and whomsoever he hath chosen, he will cause to come to him. This do: take firepans, thou Korah and all thy company, and do fire therein and put cense thereto before the LORD tomorrow: And then whomsoever the LORD doeth chose, the same is holy. Ye make enough to do, ye children of Levi."

And he plagued the men of Bethshemesh, because they had seen the ark of the LORD. And he slew of the people fifty thousand and three score and ten persons. And the people lamented, because the LORD had slain so great a slaughter of them. And the men of Bethshemesh said, "Who is able to stand before the LORD, so holy a God, and to whom shall he go from us?"

And when they came to Nacon's threshing floor, Uzzah put his hand to the ark of God and held it, for the oxen stumbled. And the LORD was wrath with Uzzah; and God smote him in the same place for his fault, and there he died by the ark of God.

Thy priests break my law, and defile my Sanctuary. They put no difference between the holy and unholy, neither discern between the clean and unclean: they turn their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am unhallowed among them.

A certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, and kept away part of the price, his wife also being of counsel: and brought a certain part, and laid it down at the apostles' feet. Then said Peter, "Ananias how is it that Satan hath filled thine heart, that thou shouldest lie unto the holy ghost, and keep away part of the price of the livelihood:read more.
Pertained it not unto thee only? And after it was sold, was not the price in thine own power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and gave up the ghost. And great fear came on all them that these things heard. And the young men rose up, and put him apart, and carried him out, and buried him. And it fortuned as it were about the space of three hours after, that his wife came in, ignorant of that which was done. And Peter said unto her, "Tell me, gave ye the land for so much?" And she said, "Yea, for so much." Then Peter said unto her, "Why have ye agreed together, to tempt the spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out." Then she fell down straightway at his feet and yielded up the ghost. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carried her out and buried her by her husband.

If ye were of the world, the world would love his own. Howbeit, because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore hateth you the world.

Ye adulterers, and women that break matrimony: know ye not how that the friendship of the world is enmity to Godward? Whosoever will be friend of the world, is made the enemy of God.

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a peculiar people, that ye should show the virtues of him that called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, which in time past were not a people, yet are now the people of God, which were not under mercy: but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers, and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which fight against the soul,

I have given them thy words, and the world hath hated them: because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I desire not that thou shouldest take them out of the world: but that thou keep them from evil. They are not of the world, as I am not of the world.

But the sure ground of God remaineth, and hath this seal: the Lord knoweth them that are his, and let every man that calleth on the name of Christ, depart from iniquity.

Pure devotion, and undefiled before God the father, is this: To visit the friendless, and widows in their adversity, and to keep himself unspotted of the world.