What the Bible Says About Scoffing

So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. from: Heb. from the hand

And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see.

Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you. be ye: Heb. harden not your necks yield: Heb. give the hand

For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.

So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.

But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. remedy: Heb. healing

Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. ungodly: or, wicked

My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? sword: or, killing

And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?

Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? furnish: Heb. order

Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:

Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.

How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.

A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.

Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.

Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.

When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.

Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath. in proud: Heb. in the wrath of pride

Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.

The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

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!

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

Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,

Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now.

Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there:

Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths. pleasant: or, desirable

Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.

Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not. full of blood: Heb. filled with, etc perverseness: or, wresting of judgment

Then said he unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city:

Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh. It is: or, It is not for us to build houses near

Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?

Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.

In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners. bottles: or, heat through wine

But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. Beelzebub: Gr. Beelzebul

And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said He hath Beelzebub and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. Beelzebub: Gr. Beelzebul

And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

Others mocking said These men are full of new wine.

But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say?1161 other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. babbler: or, base fellow

And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.