'Evil' in the Bible

Turn away from me, you evil men, so that I can observe the commands of my God.

Proud men hide a snare for me; evil men spread a net by the path; they set traps for me. (Selah)

Do not let me have evil desires, or participate in sinful activities with men who behave wickedly. I will not eat their delicacies.

May the godly strike me in love and correct me! May my head not refuse choice oil! Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds.

who delight in doing evil, they rejoice in perverse evil;

Do not be wise in your own estimation; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

Do not plot evil against your neighbor when he dwells by you unsuspectingly.

Do not enter the path of the wicked or walk in the way of those who are evil.

Do not turn to the right or to the left; turn yourself away from evil.

he plots evil with perverse thoughts in his heart, he spreads contention at all times.

a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift to run to evil,

by keeping you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the loose woman.

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride and the evil way and perverse utterances.

True righteousness leads to life, but the one who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.

Be assured that the evil person will certainly be punished, but the descendants of the righteous will not suffer unjust judgment.

The one who diligently seeks good seeks favor, but the one who searches for evil -- it will come to him.

The evil person is ensnared by the transgression of his speech, but the righteous person escapes out of trouble.

Deceit is in the heart of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy.

A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools abhor turning away from evil.

A wise person is cautious and turns from evil, but a fool throws off restraint and is overconfident.

Those who are evil will bow before those who are good, and the wicked will bow at the gates of the righteous.

Do not those who devise evil go astray? But those who plan good exhibit faithful covenant love.

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on those who are evil and those who are good.

The heart of the righteous considers how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

Through loyal love and truth iniquity is appeased; through fearing the Lord one avoids evil.

The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil; the one who guards his way safeguards his life.

A wicked scoundrel digs up evil, and his slander is like a scorching fire.

The one who winks his eyes devises perverse things, and one who compresses his lips brings about evil.

One who acts wickedly pays attention to evil counsel; a liar listens to a malicious tongue.

An evil person seeks only rebellion, and so a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

As for the one who repays evil for good, evil will not leave his house.

A king sitting on the throne to judge separates out all evil with his eyes.

Do not say, "I will pay back evil!" Wait for the Lord, so that he may vindicate you.

Beatings and wounds cleanse away evil, and floggings cleanse the innermost being.

The appetite of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor is shown no favor in his eyes.

Doing justice brings joy to the righteous and terror to those who do evil.

The wicked person's sacrifice is an abomination; how much more when he brings it with evil intent!

Do not envy evil people, do not desire to be with them;

The one who plans to do evil will be called a scheming person.

Do not fret because of evil people or be envious of wicked people,

for the evil person has no future, and the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.

Like a coating of glaze over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.

Though his hatred may be concealed by deceit, his evil will be uncovered in the assembly.

Evil people do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it all.

The one who leads the upright astray in an evil way will himself fall into his own pit, but the blameless will inherit what is good.

Blessed is the one who is always cautious, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into evil.

In the transgression of an evil person there is a snare, but a righteous person can sing and rejoice.

If you have done foolishly by exalting yourself or if you have planned evil, put your hand over your mouth!

She brings him good and not evil all the days of her life.

But better than both is the one who has not been born and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth.

During the days of my fleeting life I have seen both of these things: Sometimes a righteous person dies prematurely in spite of his righteousness, and sometimes a wicked person lives long in spite of his evil deeds.

This alone have I discovered: God made humankind upright, but they have sought many evil schemes.

When a sentence is not executed at once against a crime, the human heart is encouraged to do evil.

This is the unfortunate fact about everything that happens on earth: the same fate awaits everyone. In addition to this, the hearts of all people are full of evil, and there is folly in their hearts during their lives -- then they die.

For God will evaluate every deed, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.

The sinful nation is as good as dead, the people weighed down by evil deeds. They are offspring who do wrong, children who do wicked things. They have abandoned the Lord, and rejected the Holy One of Israel. They are alienated from him.

Those who pull evil along using cords of emptiness are as good as dead, who pull sin as with cart ropes.

Those who call evil good and good evil are as good as dead, who turn darkness into light and light into darkness, who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter.

He touched my mouth with it and said, "Look, this coal has touched your lips. Your evil is removed; your sin is forgiven."

He will eat sour milk and honey, which will help him know how to reject evil and choose what is right.

Here is why this will be so: Before the child knows how to reject evil and choose what is right, the land whose two kings you fear will be desolate.

For evil burned like a fire, it consumed thorns and briers; it burned up the thickets of the forest, and they went up in smoke.

I will punish the world for its evil, and wicked people for their sin. I will put an end to the pride of the insolent, I will bring down the arrogance of tyrants.

A deceiver's methods are evil; he dreams up evil plans to ruin the poor with lies, even when the needy are in the right.

You did not buy me aromatic reeds; you did not present to me the fat of your sacrifices. Yet you burdened me with your sins; you made me weary with your evil deeds.

You were complacent in your evil deeds; you thought, 'No one sees me.' Your self-professed wisdom and knowledge lead you astray, when you say, 'I am unique! No one can compare to me!'

The godly perish, but no one cares. Honest people disappear, when no one minds that the godly disappear because of evil.

They are eager to do evil, quick to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful; they crush and destroy.

Honesty has disappeared; the one who tries to avoid evil is robbed. The Lord watches and is displeased, for there is no justice.

I predestine you to die by the sword, all of you will kneel down at the slaughtering block, because I called to you, and you did not respond, I spoke and you did not listen. You did evil before me; you chose to do what displeases me."

So I will choose severe punishment for them; I will bring on them what they dread, because I called, and no one responded, I spoke and they did not listen. They did evil before me; they chose to do what displeases me."

You will not always be angry with me, will you? You will not be mad at me forever, will you?' That is what you say, but you continually do all the evil that you can."

At that time the city of Jerusalem will be called the Lord's throne. All nations will gather there in Jerusalem to honor the Lord's name. They will no longer follow the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts.

Just as ritual circumcision cuts away the foreskin as an external symbol of dedicated covenant commitment, you must genuinely dedicate yourselves to the Lord and get rid of everything that hinders your commitment to me, people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. If you do not, my anger will blaze up like a flaming fire against you that no one will be able to extinguish. That will happen because of the evil you have done."

"Oh people of Jerusalem, purify your hearts from evil so that you may yet be delivered. How long will you continue to harbor up wicked schemes within you?

The Lord answered, "This will happen because my people are foolish. They do not know me. They are like children who have no sense. They have no understanding. They are skilled at doing evil. They do not know how to do good."

That is how they have grown fat and sleek. There is no limit to the evil things they do. They do not plead the cause of the fatherless in such a way as to win it. They do not defend the rights of the poor.

The Lord says, "I have rejected them because the people of Judah have done what I consider evil. They have set up their disgusting idols in the temple which I have claimed for my own and have defiled it.

I have listened to them very carefully, but they do not speak honestly. None of them regrets the evil he has done. None of them says, "I have done wrong!" All of them persist in their own wayward course like a horse charging recklessly into battle.

The Lord says, "These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows. Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies. They have become powerful in the land, but they have not done so by honest means. Indeed, they do one evil thing after another and do not pay attention to me.

They have gone back to the evil ways of their ancestors of old who refused to obey what I told them. They, too, have paid allegiance to other gods and worshiped them. Both the nation of Israel and the nation of Judah have violated the covenant I made with their ancestors.

The Lord says to the people of Judah, "What right do you have to be in my temple, my beloved people? Many of you have done wicked things. Can your acts of treachery be so easily canceled by sacred offerings that you take joy in doing evil even while you make them?

For though I, the Lord who rules over all, planted you in the land, I now decree that disaster will come on you because the nations of Israel and Judah have done evil and have made me angry by offering sacrifices to the god Baal."

But there is little hope for you ever doing good, you who are so accustomed to doing evil. Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin? Can a leopard remove its spots?

So now, tell the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem this: The Lord says, 'I am preparing to bring disaster on you! I am making plans to punish you. So, every one of you, stop the evil things you have been doing. Correct the way you have been living and do what is right.'

Should good be paid back with evil? Yet they are virtually digging a pit to kill me. Just remember how I stood before you pleading on their behalf to keep you from venting your anger on them.

O royal family descended from David. The Lord says: 'See to it that people each day are judged fairly. Deliver those who have been robbed from those who oppress them. Otherwise, my wrath will blaze out against you. It will burn like a fire that cannot be put out because of the evil that you have done.

So the Lord God of Israel has this to say about the leaders who are ruling over his people: "You have caused my people to be dispersed and driven into exile. You have not taken care of them. So I will punish you for the evil that you have done. I, the Lord, affirm it!

Moreover, the Lord says, "Both the prophets and priests are godless. I have even found them doing evil in my temple!

But I see the prophets of Jerusalem doing something just as shocking. They are unfaithful to me and continually prophesy lies. So they give encouragement to people who are doing evil, with the result that they do not stop their evildoing. I consider all of them as bad as the people of Sodom, and the citizens of Jerusalem as bad as the people of Gomorrah.

But if they had stood in my inner circle, they would have proclaimed my message to my people. They would have caused my people to turn from their wicked ways and stop doing the evil things they are doing.

He said through them, 'Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and stop doing the evil things you are doing. If you do, I will allow you to continue to live here in the land that I gave to you and your ancestors as a lasting possession.

Maybe they will pay attention and each of them will stop living the evil way they do. If they do that, then I will forgo destroying them as I had intended to do because of the wicked things they have been doing.

I sent all my servants the prophets to warn you over and over again. They said, "Every one of you, stop doing the evil things you have been doing and do what is right. Do not pay allegiance to other gods and worship them. Then you can continue to live in this land that I gave to you and your ancestors." But you did not pay any attention or listen to me.

Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about all the disaster I intend to bring on them, they will all stop doing the evil things they have been doing. If they do, I will forgive their sins and the wicked things they have done."

Perhaps then they will ask the Lord for mercy and will all stop doing the evil things they have been doing. For the Lord has threatened to bring great anger and wrath against these people."

Then your survivors will remember me among the nations where they are exiled. They will realize how I was crushed by their unfaithful heart which turned from me and by their eyes which lusted after their idols. They will loathe themselves because of the evil they have done and because of all their abominable practices.

"'This is what the sovereign Lord says: Clap your hands, stamp your feet, and say, "Ah!" because of all the evil, abominable practices of the house of Israel, for they will fall by the sword, famine, and pestilence.

He said to me, "Go in and see the evil abominations they are practicing here."

The Lord said to me, "Son of man, these are the men who plot evil and give wicked advice in this city.