What Does the Bible Say About Presumption?

“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Yea: Heb. Yea, because, etc.”

“And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.”

“And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?”

“And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.”

“And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?”

“Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.”

“Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?”

“And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not? Massah: that is, Temptation Meribah: that is, Chiding, or, Strife”

“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.”

“And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.”

“And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?”

“Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?”

“But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.”

“Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.”

“But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously , whether he be born in the land, or a stranger , the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. presumptuously: Heb. with an high hand”

“And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD? Ye take: Heb. It is much for you”

“And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.”

“But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.”

“And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.”

“Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.”

“When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”

“And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: imagination: or, stubbornness drunkenness: Heb. the drunken to the thirsty”

“The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.”

“And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.”

“And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. shook it: or, stumbled”

“And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.”

“So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them.”

“And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”

“But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?”

“But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.”

“Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? were the gods of the nations of those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand?”

“Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand?”

“For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.”

“He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:”

“Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. the great: or, much”

“A Song of degrees of David. LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. exercise: Heb. walk high: Heb. wonderful”

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.”

“Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.”

“He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him. answereth: Heb. returneth a word”

“Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: Put: Heb. Set not out thy glory”

“For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.”

“Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:”

“That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!”

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! call: Heb. say concerning evil, It is good, etc”

“Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! in their own sight: Heb. before their face”

“Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:”

“Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!”

“Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. fire: Heb. tongue of fire”

“Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. torn: or, as dung”

“Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood. the rod: or, a rod should shake them that lift it up itself, as if: or, that which is not wood”

“For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:”

“I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

“Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.”

“Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through , it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:”

“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.”

“Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.”

“And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. trodden: Heb. a treading down to it”

“Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.”

“Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?”

“Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?”

“For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:”

“Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?”

“Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?”

“Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. labours: or, things wherewith ye grieve others: Heb. griefs”

“Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. nose: or, anger”

“And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house. punish: Heb. visit upon”

“And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin. in all: or, all my labours suffice me not: he shall have punishment of iniquity in whom is sin that: Heb. which”

“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly , and he was very angry.”

“A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?”

“Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. offer: or, bring unto, etc”

“But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.”

“Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?”

“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.”

“Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?”

“Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,”

“And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.”

“Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. tempt: or, try, or, put to trial, or, proof”

“From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”

“Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.”

“But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?”

“For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.”

“He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.”

“He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.”

“And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.”

“And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.”

“But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”

“And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?”

“For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.”

“And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,”

“And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:”

“For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:”

“And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.”

“And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?”

“And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?”

“And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.”

“And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”

“But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? thy: Gr. do they require thy soul”

“And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,”

“When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;”

“And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.”