15 Bible Verses About Calling the Bad Good

The 15 most-voted scriptures about Calling the Bad Good, from 12 books (Proverbs, Matthew, Luke and 9 more), ranked by the OpenBible.info community.

Isaiah 5:20

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Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter.

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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!

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Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Proverbs 17:15

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Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—both are detestable to the LORD.

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He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.

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He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.

Luke 6:43–45

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43No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor grapes from brambles. 45The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

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43For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 45A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

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43“For there is no good tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces good fruit. 44For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don’t gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

Romans 12:9

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Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.

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Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

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Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good.

2 Timothy 4:3–4

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3For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 4So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

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3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

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3For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts, 4and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn away to fables.

Luke 16:15

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So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.

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And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

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He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

James 4:17

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Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.

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Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

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To him therefore who knows to do good and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin.

3 John 1:11

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Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.

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Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

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Beloved, don’t imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn’t seen God.

Proverbs 24:24–25

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24Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”—peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him; 25but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.

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24He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him: 25But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.

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24He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him— 25but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them.

Ezekiel 13:22

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Because you have disheartened the righteous with your lies, even though I have caused them no grief, and because you have encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways to save their lives,

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Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:

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Because with lies you have grieved the heart of the righteous, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, and be saved alive.

Matthew 6:23

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But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

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But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

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But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Matthew 23:27–28

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27Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

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27Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

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27“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness. 28Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

1 Corinthians 6:9–10

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9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

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9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

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9Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom.

Ephesians 5:11

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Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

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And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

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Have no fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even reprove them.

1 Thessalonians 5:21–22

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21but test all things. Hold fast to what is good. 22Abstain from every form of evil.

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21Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22Abstain from all appearance of evil.

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21Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good. 22Abstain from every form of evil.

15 verses, from 12 books:

  • Proverbs (2)
  • Isaiah (1)
  • Ezekiel (1)
  • Matthew (2)
  • Luke (2)
  • Romans (1)
  • 1 Corinthians (1)
  • Ephesians (1)
  • 1 Thessalonians (1)
  • 2 Timothy (1)
  • James (1)
  • 3 John (1)