What Does the Bible Say About Self-Control?

“And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? liest: Heb. fallest”

“Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.”

“Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.”

“Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.”

“In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man.”

“And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel. folly: or, wickedness”

“So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:”

“And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:”

“And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.”

“And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.”

“And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:”

“When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. wedge: Heb. tongue”

“So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.”

“And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD. laid: Heb. poured”

“And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.”

“And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.”

“And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day. Achor: that is, Trouble”

“And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.”

“And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.”

“How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?”

“And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the assembly.”

“For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there.”

“And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest , and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.”

“And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man. hath lain: Heb. knoweth the lying with man”

“And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. young: Heb. young women virgins”

“But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace. held: or, was as though he had been deaf”

“And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi. following: Heb. after”

“Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.”

“And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.”

“And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily. Saul's: Heb. the robe which was Saul's”

“And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.”

“And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.”

“So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. stayed: Heb. cut off”

“David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.”

“And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?”

“Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD'S anointed.”

“Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it.”

“The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.”

“As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.”

“After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.”

“The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand. deliver: Heb. judge”

“And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?”

“Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.”

“And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.”

“David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed.”

“And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him. trench: or, midst of his carriages”

“Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.”

“So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.”

“Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once , and I will not smite him the second time. delivered: Heb. shut up”

“And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?”

“David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.”

“The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.”

“So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.”

“Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them:”

“And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?”

“And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.”

“This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the LORD'S anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster. worthy to die: Heb. the sons of death”

“And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.”

“And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?”

“Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods. accept: Heb. smell abiding: Heb. cleaving”

“Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.”

“And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being diverse one from another,) and royal wine in abundance, according to the state of the king. royal: Heb. wine of the kingdom state: Heb. hand”

“And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.”

“My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:”

“Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.”

“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.”

“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”

“He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. instruction: or, correction heareth: or, obeyeth getteth: Heb. possesseth an heart”

“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.”

“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”

“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.”

“When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:”

“And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.”

“Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.”

“Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.”

“Be not among winebibbers ; among riotous eaters of flesh: of flesh: Heb. of their flesh”

“Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.”

“It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.”

“He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.”

“A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.”

“The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”

“Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”

“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”

“Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. pulse: Heb. of pulse to eat: Heb. that we may eat, etc”

“Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.”

“So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.”

“And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.”

“Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.”

“And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?”

“But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.”

“And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.”

“Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?”

“And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.”

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”

“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”

“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means , when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. ye: or, fulfil not”