What does the Bible say about idolatry?

Top passages, ranked by readers

Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

• Exodus 20:3-6

  [3] You shall have no other gods before me. [4] "You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: [5] you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, [6] and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

• 1 John 5:21

  Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

• Colossians 3:5

  Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;

• Jonah 2:8

  Those who regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

• Isaiah 44:9-20

  [9] Those who fashion an engraved image are all of them vanity; and the things that they delight in shall not profit; and their own witnesses don't see, nor know: that they may be disappointed. [10] Who has fashioned a god, or molten an image that is profitable for nothing? [11] Behold, all his fellows shall be disappointed; and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; they shall fear, they shall be put to shame together. [12] The smith [makes] an axe, and works in the coals, and fashions it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm: yes, he is hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water, and is faint. [13] The carpenter stretches out a line; he marks it out with a pencil; he shapes it with planes, and he marks it out with the compasses, and shapes it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. [14] He cuts down cedars for himself, and takes the cypress and the oak, and strengthens for himself one among the trees of the forest: he plants a fir tree, and the rain nourishes it. [15] Then shall it be for a man to burn; and he takes of it, and warms himself; yes, he kindles it, and bakes bread: yes, he makes a god, and worships it; he makes it an engraved image, and falls down to it. [16] He burns part of it in the fire; with part of it he eats flesh; he roasts roast, and is satisfied; yes, he warms himself, and says, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire. [17] The residue of it he makes a god, even his engraved image; he falls down to it and worships, and prays to it, and says, Deliver me; for you are my god. [18] They don't know, neither do they consider: for he has shut their eyes, that they can't see; and their hearts, that they can't understand. [19] None calls to mind, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yes, also I have baked bread on the coals of it; I have roasted flesh and eaten it: and shall I make the residue of it an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? [20] He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside; and he can't deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

• Leviticus 19:4

  "'Don't turn to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves. I am Yahweh your God.

• 1 Corinthians 10:14

  Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

• Galatians 5:19-21

  [19] Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, [20] idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, [21] envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

• Psalms 16:4

  Their sorrows shall be multiplied who give gifts to another god. Their drink-offerings of blood I will not offer, Nor take their names on my lips.

• Psalms 135:15-18

  [15] The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of men's hands. [16] They have mouths, but they can't speak; They have eyes, but they can't see; [17] They have ears, but they can't hear; Neither is there any breath in their mouths. [18] Those who make them will be like them; Yes, everyone who trusts in them.

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