Best and Worst Bible Verses

“Happy shall they be who seize your infants
And dashes them against the rocks!” (Psalms 137.9)

The good, the bad and the ugly Bible verses in order from Genesis to Revelation.  Verses numbers in Red.  Comments in Blue.  Emphasized verses in Green.

A good way to use the Bible is to focus on the positive verses and avoid the negative verses.  Passages that inspire faith, hope and love can be wonderful!  However, many verses express anger, wrath and destruction!  I’ve thought about this a lot, and I’ve decided not to “throw out the baby with the bath water.”  The positive virtues of love, goodness, compassion, non-violence, tolerance, patience, wisdom, generosity, honesty and the light of reason are what guide my feeble effort.   Verses that promote these virtues are worth reading and being encouraged by!  I hope this list helps.

“Men never commit evil so fully and joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions.” —Blaise Pascal
“Belief in a cruel god makes a cruel man.” —Thomas Paine

Latest Updates:
24-Jul-2009: 1 Kings 19.11-12 – LORD in the whisper…beautiful…
24-Jul-2009: Judges 20.48 – Killing and burning everything!
24-Jul-2009: 2 Kings 19.28 – Lead by the nose with a hook!
07-Jul-2009: Jeremiah 6.16 – Let’s follow the ancient paths
22-Jun-2009: Ecclesiastes 10.19 – Money is the answer!
15-Jun-2009: Hosea 9.12-13, 10.14, 13.8, 13:16 – Lots of messy wrath verses!
30-Apr-2009: Numbers 1.50, 3.10 and 3.38 – Killed for going to “church” (tabernacle)
11-Mar-2009: Psalms 139.21-22 – The psalmist’s “complete hatred”
13-Jan-2009: 1 Samuel  15.33 – Agag hacked to pieces
13-Jan-2009: Luke 7.12 – “The Golden Rule”  How could I forget this one?

Worst Verses:

Genesis 7.21-23: And all flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarmed upon the earth, and all mankind; of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth…

Genesis 19.4-8: Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; and they called to Lot and said to him, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have intercourse with them.’ But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him, and said, ‘Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly. Now behold, I have two daughters who have not had relations with a man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them whatever you like…’
At least these rapes aren’t condoned.  Too bad he gave up his daughters though.

Genesis 19.30-36: And Lot went up to Zoar, and stayed in the mountains, and his two daughters with him…. Then the firstborn said to the younger, ‘Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of the earth. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him, that we may preserve our family through our father.’ So they made their father drink wine that night, and the first-born went in and lay with her father; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. And it came about on the morrow, that the first-born said to the younger, ‘Behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink wine tonight also; then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve our family through our father.’ So they made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger arose and lay with him; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.
At least they seemed to have good intentions.  The Bible doesn’t speak for or against this here.

Exodus 32.27-29 (NRSV): He said to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “Put your sword on your side, each of you! Go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill your brother, your friend, and your neighbor.” ’ ²⁸The sons of Levi did as Moses commanded, and about three thousand of the people fell on that day. ²⁹Moses said, ‘Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of a son or a brother, and so have brought a blessing on yourselves this day.’
Killing others in the name of God.  Thankfully ministers are not ordained in this way today.

Numbers 1.51 (NKJV): And when the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The outsider who comes near shall be put to death.
The next three verses are pretty much the same.  Death for outsiders (KJV: strangers) to come near the church (AKA: tabernacle).  An example of this idea can be found in the book of Acts in the New Testament when Paul is accused of bringing a Gentile (Trophimus) near the Temple (Acts 21.27-36).

Numbers 3.10 (NKJV): So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.

Numbers 3.38 (NKJV): Moreover those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tabernacle of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, keeping charge of the sanctuary, to meet the needs of the children of Israel; but the outsider who came near was to be put to death.

Deuteronomy 28.53-57: Then you shall eat the offspring of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, during the siege and the distress by which your enemy will oppress you.  The man who is refined and very delicate among you shall be hostile toward his brother and toward the wife he cherishes and toward the rest of his children who remain, so that he will not give even one of them any of the flesh of his children which he will eat, since he has nothing else left, during the siege and the distress by which your enemy will oppress you in all your towns.  The refined and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground for delicateness and refinement, shall be hostile toward the husband she cherishes and toward her son and daughter, and toward her afterbirth which issues from between her legs and toward her children whom she bears; for she will eat them secretly for lack of anything else, during the siege and the distress by which your enemy will oppress you in your towns.
Sounds like this God has some pretty upsetting plans.

Judges 19.22-29: While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, ‘Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him.’ The owner of the house went outside and said to them, ‘No, my friends, don’t be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don’t do this disgraceful thing. Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But to this man, don’t do such a disgraceful thing.’ But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight. When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. He said to her, ‘Get up; let’s go.’ But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home. When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel.
Repeat of the story in Genesis with the added horror of chopping up a human body to ship to others.

Judges 20.48 (NIV): The men of Israel went back to Benjamin and put all the towns to the sword, including the animals and everything else they found. All the towns they came across they set on fire.
If Jesus was God, and he said to love your enemies, why is this sort of commandment not apparent here?  Or anywhere in the Old Testament?

1 Samuel 15.2-3 (NRSV): Thus says the Lordof hosts, “I will punish the Amalekites for what they did in opposing the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” ’
Genocide in obedience to God.

1 Samuel 15.33 (ESV): And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to piecesbefore the LORD in Gilgal.
This one is so disgusting that even the International Bible Society (owners of the NIV) decided to leave out the “hacked…to pieces part” and softened it considerably with simply “put…to death.”  Reminds me of a recent story about an Iraqi father “cleaning his honor” by stabbing his teenage daughter to death from head to foot for being friendswith a British soldier.  Read the NIV version to see how even Bible publishers want to soften the unethical deeds in the Bible.

1 Samuel 15.33 (NIV): But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women.”  And Samuel put Agag to deathbefore the LORD at Gilgal.
Wow!  This one sounds so much better…

1 Samuel 17.50-51: Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David’s hand. Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.
This was Israel’s greatest hero.  Jesus was a wise upgrade for those hanging in there with Israel’s God.

2 Kings 2.23-24 (NKJV): Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the LORD. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.
Balding folk may appreciate this one, but this is certainly a tough way to handle wayward youth…

2 Kings 19:28 (NIV): Because you rage against me and your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came.’
Lead out by the nose with a hook like a fish and a bit in the mouth like a horse!  Would you do this to your son?

Psalm 2 (NIV):

1 Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?

2 The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the LORD
and against his Anointed One.

3 “Let us break their chains,” they say,
“and throw off their fetters.”

4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
What do you feel like when someone important scoffs at you?  It sounds like the Lord enjoys this sort of thing.  We need a better revelation of the nature of the Lord than this…

5 Then he rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
Much of the same.  This reminds me of big old men scaring poor little children.  This God has an anger problem.

6 “I have installed my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”

7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD :
He said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.

8 Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
Conquest, imperialism, domination and possession.  Can this be right?

9 You will rule them with an iron scepter;
you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
Is this sort of violence to be extolled?  This wanton disregard of life is a poor teacher of virtues.  This teaches children and adults that violence is the way to solve problems.

10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.

11 Serve the LORD with fear
and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry
and you be destroyed in your way,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Most Christian assume the word “Son” here means Christ.  Jews obviously would not.  Is Christ quick to anger?  I thought God was slow to anger and abounding in love.  This psalm comes up quite low on my list of psalms since many are quite beautiful.

Psalms 137.9: Happy shall they be who seize your infants and dashes them against the rocks!
This is one of my all time worst verses.

Psalms 139.21-22 (ESV): Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?  And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?  I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.
Another version says, “perfect hatred.”  It is whole, complete, absolute, etc.  The poet is testifying to God about his hatred for God’s supposed enemies.  In the Gospels, we read Jesus saying to “love your enemies.”

Proverbs: I like a large percentage of this wisdom book.

Ezekiel 23.1-20: There were two women, the daughters of one mother; and they played the harlot in Egypt. They played the harlot in their youth; there their breasts were pressed, and there their virgin bosom was handled…. she lusted after her lovers… and she bestowed her harlotries on them, all of whom were the choicest men of Assyria…. for in her youth men had lain with her, and they handled her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her…. And she lusted after their paramours, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys and whose issue is like the issue of horses.
Not heroins in the Bible, but a pretty graphic for a book that children are given.

Ezekiel 23.25: And I will set My jealousy against you, that they may deal with you in wrath. They will remove your nose and your ears; and your survivors will fall by the sword. They will take your sons and your daughters; and your survivors will be consumed by the fire.
The this God is so jealous, borderline, that he is going to have noses and ears chopped off.  If that doesn’t do the trick, he’ll use some fire to finish the job.  Anyone thinking Fatal Attraction?

Ezekiel 28.23 (NIV):  I will send a plague upon her and make blood flow in her streets.  The slain will fall within her, with the sword against her on every side.  Then they will know that I am the LORD.
So the LORD wants to be known by plagues and rivers of blood?  This is another good example of what I call “Scary God.”

Hosea 9.12-13 (NKJV): Though they bring up their children, yet I will bereave them to the last man.  Yes, woe to them when I depart from them!  Just as I saw Ephraim like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place, so Ephraim will bring out his children to the murderer.”
How could I have missed juicy verses like this in Hosea?!  A book ripe with flood and fury!  Some of these verses were brought to my attention by the good work of Bart D. Ehrman, in his book God’s Problem.  Ehrman sets out to prove that the issue of suffering has no satisfactory answer in the Bible, and often has barbaric excuses.  In Hosea 9.12-13 we see what the prophet says is going to happen to Ephraim (Northern Israel) for their sin.  Too bad God decides to pick on their children.  Guess he wants to hit them where it really hurts.

Hosea 10.14 (NKJV): Therefore tumult shall arise among your people, and all your fortresses shall be plundered as Shalman plundered Beth Arbel in the day of battle—a mother dashed in pieces upon her children.
So God is really targeting the children again and now throwing in their mothers!  Chopping people to pieces…  God’s no greenhorn at this.

Hosea 13.8: Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and rip open their chests.  Like a lioness I will devour them; as a wild animal I will tear them apart.
So God is reminding me of Hannibal now.  He plans to rip open their rib cage and tear them apart like a wild animal.  But remember…”God loves you!”

Hosea 13:16 (NASB): Samaria will be held guilty, for she has rebelled against her God they will fall by the sword, their little ones will be dashed in pieces, and their pregnant women will be ripped open.
God turns his furious gaze back at the pregnant women and children again.  He plans to attack the unborn too now.  Hosea is full of this sort of violence, but my fingers are getting tied of typing it out…

Malachi 2.3 (ESV): Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it.
This is the Bible’s God talking.  So far I have not found any Buddhist scriptures like this.

Best Verses:

1 Kings 19.11-12 (NIV): The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”  Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
This is one of my all-time favorite verses.  This verse is poetic and worth reading by all.  The true Divine is found in presence–in a whisper.

Psalm 23 (KJV):
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
My only hesitation on this chapter was the verse about sitting at a table before one’s enemies while the LORD anoints one’s head with oil.  Please correct me if I’m mistaken, but it sounds a bit like gloating over one’s enemies in victory.  Christ said to love one’s enemies, so this verse lacks some of the quality found in Christ’s words or the Buddha’s.  Other than that, it’s a beautiful classic favorite that sounds especially good in the King James (or Authorized) Version of the Bible.

Ecclesiastes 3.1-8 (ESV):
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time todance; time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
I’ve always really liked Ecclesiastes, but this passage really rings with the Tao in me.  So much balance here, which it seems is the primary law of the universe.  Christianity and Buddhism are nice to me, but somehow their strong focus on doing good seems to abuse normal physical needs and realities of existence.  Rules curtailing meat, sex and war for example seem to put unrealistic in their extreme.  Moderation and balance seem most realistic and best in the end.  Nonetheless, it seems Ecclesiastes is probably the most “Buddhist” book of the Bible.  Solomon has always been my favorite Bible guy even if he was a bit rough around the edges.

Ecclesiastes 10.19 (NIV):
A feast is made for laughter,
and wine makes life merry,
but money is the answer for everything.
Often taken “tongue in cheek” this verse has some refreshing honesty in it–certainly beats smashing babies on rocks (Ps 137.9).  It appeals to my Epicurean side.

Isaiah 40.4:
Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.

Jeremiah 6.16:
Thus says the Lord, “Stand by the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.”
How ancient?  We could speculate his intention, but it nice that it’s kept ambiguous.  It has a nice ring to it…

Matthew 5.3-11 (NIV):
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Matthew 6.19-21 (NIV):
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
I really like this verse!  And it is especially applicable from a rational perspective if thought about properly.  Earthly wealth, really is  impermanent…  Seemingly more so than most other things of this earth!  The treasure in heaven part may take some imagination, but even if you just consider it treasure built up in your heart it’s worth applying the wisdom of this verse.

Luke 7.12 (NIV):
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
This famous verse, the Golden Rule, speaks for itself.  It’s pretty much the universal precept of advanced religions and philosophies.  The part that might need clarification, as is often mentioned, is that it isn’t always best to “do unto others” as you’d want particularly if they don’t want it.  Something about this verse leaves wiggle room for those who may violate others “for their own good.”

Luke 17.21 (KJV):
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Romans 12.2 (KJV):
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.  This is a wonderful verse!  The green text really states a powerful concept.  The power of positive thinking has been well established by many studies.  The Buddha said, “If one speaks or acts with a serene mind, happiness follows, as surely as one’s shadow.”  Controlling the mind is the key practice of Buddhism.  Buddha also said, “Mind is the forerunner of all actions.  All deeds are led by mind, created by mind.”

1 Corinthians 13 (NKJV): 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

James 4.14 (NRSV): …What is your life?  For you are a mist that appears for a little while and the vanishes.

1 John 1.5 (NIV):  This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. For comments on this verse see the post on Further Light.

1 John 2.17 (NRSV): And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.