679 verses about self-control

If you do well, won’t it be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.”

He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent.

But he refused, and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, my master doesn’t know what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand.

No one is greater in this house than I am, and he has not kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

As she spoke to Joseph day by day, he didn’t listen to her, to lie by her, or to be with her.

About this time, he went into the house to do his work, and there were none of the men of the house inside.

She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” He left his garment in her hand, and ran outside.

He washed his face, and came out. He controlled himself, and said, “Serve the meal.”

Then Joseph couldn’t control himself before all those who stood before him, and he cried, “Cause everyone to go out from me!” No one else stood with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

My soul, don’t come into their council. My glory, don’t be united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. In their self-will they hamstrung cattle.

Moses said to them, “Let no one leave of it until the morning.”

He said to the people, “Be ready by the third day. Don’t have sexual relations with a woman.”

“You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.

It shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall deny yourselves. In the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall keep your Sabbath.”

“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: ‘When either man or woman shall make a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to Yahweh,

he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of fermented drink, neither shall he drink any juice of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried.

All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is made of the grapevine, from the seeds even to the skins.

All the days of his separation he is holy to Yahweh.

and it shall be to you for a fringe, that you may look on it, and remember all Yahweh’s commandments, and do them; and that you don’ t follow your own heart and your own eyes, after which you use to play the prostitute;

“You shall not commit adultery.

He shall not multiply wives to himself, that his heart not turn away. He shall not greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

When you shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; for you may eat of them. You shall not cut them down; for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged by you?

They shall tell the elders of his city, “This our son is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey our voice. He is a glutton and a drunkard.”

When you come into your neighbor’s vineyard, then you may eat of grapes your fill at your own pleasure; but you shall not put any in your container.

Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout, nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.”

Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and don’t eat any unclean thing:

but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink. Don’t eat any unclean thing; for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”

She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. Let her observe all that I commanded her.”

She made him sleep on her knees; and she called for a man, and shaved off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

Therefore wash yourself, anoint yourself, get dressed, and go down to the threshing floor, but don’t make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.

Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Get rid of your wine!”

But certain worthless fellows said, “How could this man save us?” They despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace.

Afterward, David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt.

So David checked his men with these words, and didn’t allow them to rise against Saul. Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.

She said to her young men, “Go on before me. Behold, I am coming after you.” But she didn’t tell her husband, Nabal.

Blessed is your discretion, and blessed are you, who have kept me today from blood guiltiness, and from avenging myself with my own hand.

For indeed, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, who has withheld me from harming you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely there wouldn’t have been left to Nabal by the morning light so much as one who urinates on a wall.”

Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. Therefore she told him nothing, until the morning light.

Yahweh forbid that I should stretch out my hand against Yahweh’s anointed; but now please take the spear that is at his head, and the jar of water, and let us go.”

Then Abner called to Joab, and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Don’t you know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long will it be then, before you ask the people to return from following their brothers?”

When David had called him, he ate and drink before him; and he made him drunk. At evening, he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but didn’t go down to his house.

Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held the people back.

So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together; but he stayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

The king of Israel answered, “Tell him, ‘Don’t let him who puts on his armor brag like he who takes it off.’”

They went out at noon. But Ben Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings who helped him.

‘Yahweh says, “You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers! Every man return to his house; for this thing is of me.”’” So they listened to Yahweh’s words, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

You say to yourself that you have struck Edom; and your heart lifts you up to boast. Now stay at home. Why should you meddle with trouble, that you should fall, even you, and Judah with you?’”

In accordance with the law, the drinking was not compulsory; for so the king had instructed all the officials of his house, that they should do according to every man’s pleasure.

Nevertheless Haman restrained himself, and went home. There, he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife.

The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

“I made a covenant with my eyes, how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?

if my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,

When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was kindled.

Behold, my breast is as wine which has no vent; like new wineskins it is ready to burst.

Don’t let riches entice you to wrath, neither let the great size of a bribe turn you aside.

I have spoken once, and I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”

Stand in awe, and don’t sin. Search your own heart on your bed, and be still. Selah.

As for the deeds of men, by the word of your lips, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.

I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.

Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I will be upright. I will be blameless and innocent of great transgression.

Don’t be like the horse, or like the mule, which have no understanding, who are controlled by bit and bridle, or else they will not come near to you.

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath. Don’t fret, it leads only to evildoing.

I said, “I will watch my ways, so that I don’t sin with my tongue. I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me.”

I was mute with silence. I held my peace, even from good. My sorrow was stirred.

My heart was hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned. I spoke with my tongue:

I was mute. I didn’t open my mouth, because you did it.

Don’t lift up your horn on high. Don’t speak with a stiff neck.”

because they were rebellious against his spirit, he spoke rashly with his lips.

How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things. Revive me in your ways.

Establish my footsteps in your word. Don’t let any iniquity have dominion over me.

Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

I will not give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids;

Set a watch, Yahweh, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips.

Don’t incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice deeds of wickedness with men who work iniquity. Don’t let me eat of their delicacies.

My son, if sinners entice you, don’t consent.

Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.

Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.

Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey. Her mouth is smoother than oil,

but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword.

Remove your way far from her. Don’t come near the door of her house,

lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel one;

Drink water out of your own cistern, running water out of your own well.

Should your springs overflow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares?

Let them be for yourself alone, not for strangers with you.

You are trapped by the words of your mouth. You are ensnared with the words of your mouth.

Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.

Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;

which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.

to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.

Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.

For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.

Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?

Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?