Topical Bible

What Does the Bible Say About Abstinence?

Here are 12 Bible verses about abstinence, ordered by how relevant readers found them, with the King James Version and the modern Berean Standard Bible side by side.

  1. #11 Thessalonians 4:3-4

    For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

    BSBFor it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,

  2. #2Hebrews 13:4

    Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

    BSBMarriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

  3. #31 Corinthians 7:2

    Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

    BSBBut because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.

  4. #41 Corinthians 6:18

    Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

    BSBFlee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.

  5. #52 Timothy 2:22

    Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

    BSBFlee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

  6. #61 Peter 2:11

    Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

    BSBBeloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.

  7. #71 Corinthians 6:19

    What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

    BSBDo you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

  8. #8Genesis 39:7-10

    And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.

    BSBand after some time his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.” But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has entrusted everything he owns to my care. No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?” Although Potiphar’s wife spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be near her.

  9. #9Colossians 3:5

    Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

    BSBPut to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.

  10. #10Galatians 5:19-21

    Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

    BSBThe acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

  11. #11Proverbs 31:30

    Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

    BSBCharm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

  12. #12Romans 13:13

    Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

    BSBLet us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

Verse rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY). Scripture: KJV & BSB (public domain).

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