15 – Drunkenness

Now Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. But when he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and uncovered himself inside his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers outside.

"You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink when you enter the Tent of Meeting, or else you will die; this is a permanent statute for the generations to come. You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean,

he is to abstain from wine and strong drink. He must not drink vinegar made from wine or strong drink, and he must not drink any grape juice or eat fresh grapes or raisins.

and say to the elders, "This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he does not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard."

But their vine is from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poisonous; their clusters are bitter. Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison of cobras.

Now please be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, and not to eat anything unclean.

You have shown Your people hardship; we are staggered from the wine You made us drink.

For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours from His cup, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to the dregs.

For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

He who loves pleasure will become poor; the one who loves wine and oil will never be rich.

Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat. For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them in rags.

Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, who go to taste mixed drinks. Do not gaze at wine while it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will utter perversities. You will be like one sleeping on the high seas or lying on the top of a mast: "They struck me, but I feel no pain! They beat me, but I did not know it! When can I wake up to search for another drink?"

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink, lest they drink and forget what is decreed, depriving all the oppressed of justice. Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to the bitter in soul. Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

Blessed are you, O land whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes feast at the proper time- for strength and not for drunkenness.

Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger into the evening, to be inflamed by wine. At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.

Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and champions in mixing beer,

The LORD has poured into her a spirit of confusion. Egypt has been led astray in all she does, as a drunkard staggers through his own vomit.

They no longer sing and drink wine; strong drink is bitter to those who consume it. The city of chaos is shattered; every house is closed to entry. In the streets they cry out for wine. All joy turns to gloom; rejoicing is exiled from the land. The city is left in ruins; its gate is reduced to rubble.

The earth staggers like a drunkard and sways like a shack. Earth's rebellion weighs it down, and it falls, never to rise again.

Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim's drunkards, to the fading flower of his glorious splendor, set on the summit above the fertile valley, the pride of those overcome by wine.

The majestic crown of Ephraim's drunkards will be trampled underfoot.

These also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priests and prophets reel from strong drink and are befuddled by wine. They stumble because of strong drink, muddled in their visions and stumbling in their judgments. For all their tables are covered with vomit; there is not a place without filth.

Stop and be astonished; blind yourselves and be sightless; be drunk, but not with wine; stagger, but not from strong drink.

"Come, let me get the wine, let us imbibe the strong drink, and tomorrow will be like today, only far better!"

Therefore you are to tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Every wineskin shall be filled with wine.' And when they reply, 'Don't we surely know that every wineskin should be filled with wine?' then you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: 'I am going to fill with drunkenness all who live in this land- the kings who sit on David's throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the people of Jerusalem. I will smash them against one another, fathers and sons alike, declares the LORD. I will allow no mercy or pity or compassion to keep Me from destroying them.'"

As for the prophets: My heart is broken within me, and all my bones tremble. I have become like a drunkard, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD, because of His holy words.

This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: "Take from My hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink from it. And they will drink and stagger and go out of their minds, because of the sword that I will send among them."

"Then you are to tell them that this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: 'Drink, get drunk, and vomit. Fall down and never get up again, because of the sword I will send among you.'

Then I set pitchers full of wine and some cups before the men of the house of the Rechabites, and I said to them, "Drink some wine." "We do not drink wine," they replied, "for our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab commanded us, 'Neither you nor your descendants are ever to drink wine.

He has filled me with bitterness; He has intoxicated me with wormwood.

Because you have followed the path of your sister, I will put her cup into your hand.' This is what the Lord GOD says: 'You will drink your sister's cup, a cup deep and wide. It will bring scorn and derision, for it holds so much. You will be filled with drunkenness and grief, with a cup of devastation and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria. You will drink it and drain it; you will dash it to pieces, and tear your breasts. For I have spoken,' declares the Lord GOD. Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Because you have forgotten Me and have cast Me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your indecency and prostitution.'"

No priest may drink wine before he enters the inner court.

But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's food or wine. So he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself.

So the steward continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and he gave them vegetables instead.

Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways.

Promiscuity, wine, and new wine take away understanding.

The princes are inflamed with wine on the day of our king; so he joins hands with those who mock him.

Wake up, you drunkards, and weep; wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine, for it has been cut off from your mouth.

They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. And in the house of their God, they drink wine obtained through fines.

"But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.

You drink wine by the bowlful and anoint yourselves with the finest oils, but you fail to grieve over the ruin of Joseph.

If a man of wind were to come and say falsely, "I will preach to you of wine and strong drink," he would be just the preacher for this people!

For they will be entangled as with thorns and consumed like the drink of a drunkard- like stubble that is fully dry.

Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin until they are drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness! You will be filled with shame instead of glory. You too must drink and expose your uncircumcision! The cup in the LORD's right hand will come around to you, and utter disgrace will cover your glory.

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is vindicated by her actions."

But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, 'My master will be away a long time.' And he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb.

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon!' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'

But suppose that servant says in his heart, 'My master will be a long time in coming,' and he begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life- and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.

and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not know where it was from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone serves the fine wine first, and then the cheap wine after the guests are drunk. But you have saved the fine wine until now!"

But others mocked them and said, "They are drunk on new wine!" Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice, and addressed the crowd: "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen carefully to my words. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It is only the third hour of the day! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble.

Do you not know that you yourselves are God's temple, and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

Do 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, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.

If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for human motives, what did I gain? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good character." Sober up as you ought, and stop sinning; for some of you are ignorant of God. I say this to your shame.

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,

So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night; and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation. For God has not appointed us to suffer wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not dependent on wine, not violent but gentle, peaceable, and free of the love of money.

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued or given to much wine or greedy for money.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.

But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.

As God's steward, an overseer must be above reproach- not self-absorbed, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money. Instead, he must be hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.

Older men are to be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, and sound in faith, love, and perseverance. Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers or addicted to much wine, but teachers of good.

In the same way, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.

It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

For you have spent enough time in the past carrying out the same desires as the Gentiles: living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry.

Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Then a second angel followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality."

The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality."

All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury."