105 Bible Verses about Drunkenness

The Bible offers a lot of guidance about alcohol. Leviticus 10:9¹ says, "You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come." This passage doesn't mean we can't ever have a drink. Alcohol itself isn't sinful.

However, the Bible is very clear that we should steer clear of drunkenness and addiction. Ephesians 5:18² tells us, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." And 1 Corinthians 6:12³ reminds us, "‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but I will not be mastered by anything."

So, think about it. While enjoying a drink might not be wrong in itself, it's important to be mindful and make sure it's not controlling you. It's about living a life that honors God and allows the Holy Spirit to guide you.

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

Let us walk properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.

nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

So now, be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing.

¶Woe to those who rise early in the morning that they may pursue strong drink, Who stay up late in the evening that wine may inflame them!

¶Harlotry, wine, and new wine take away a heart of wisdom.

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to those whose soul is bitter.

It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.

envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

¶“Woe to you who make your neighbors drink, Who mix in your venom even to make them drunk So as to look on their nakedness!

For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe them with rags.

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Woe to those who are mighty men in drinking wine And valiant men in mixing strong drink,

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not indulging in much wine, not fond of dishonest gain,

¶Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Do not desire his delicacies, For it is bread of falsehood. Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to search out mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it glistens red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly; At the end—like a serpent it bites, And like a viper it stings. Your eyes will see strange things And your heart will speak perverse things. And you will be like one who lies down in the heart of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast. “They struck me, but I did not become ill; They beat me, but I did not know it. When shall I awake? I will seek yet another.”

¶Woe to those who rise early in the morning that they may pursue strong drink, Who stay up late in the evening that wine may inflame them! And their banquets are accompanied by lyre and harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine; But they do not look upon the deeds of Yahweh, Nor do they see the work of His hands.

Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe them with rags.

Be of sober spirit, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

¶He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for man’s cultivation, To bring forth food from the earth, And wine which makes man’s heart glad, To make his face glisten more than oil, And food which sustains man’s heart.

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Or for rulers to desire strong drink, Lest he drink and forget what is decreed, And pervert the justice of all the afflicted.

“But be on guard, so that your hearts will not be overcome with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap;

But now I am writing to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or greedy, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is senseless.

The pains of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, Nor will I take their names upon my lips.

And these also reel with wine and stagger from strong drink: The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink; They are swallowed up by wine, they stagger from strong drink; They reel while having visions; They totter when rendering a verdict.

¶Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep, As if He were a warrior overcome by wine. He struck His adversaries backward; He put on them an everlasting reproach.

“They grope in darkness with no light, And He makes them wander about like a drunken man.

Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for might and not for drinking.

and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards;

When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Understand well what is before you, ¶Do not move the ancient boundary And do not come into the fields of the orphans, For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their case against you. Bring your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge. ¶Do not withhold discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die. You shall strike him with the rod And deliver his soul from Sheol. ¶My son, if your heart is wise, My own heart also will be glad; And my inmost being will exult When your lips speak upright things. ¶Do not let your heart be jealous of sinners, But be zealous in the fear of Yahweh always. Surely there is a future, And your hope will not be cut off. You, my son, listen and be wise, And direct your heart in the way. So you should put a knife to your throat If you are a man of appetite. Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe them with rags. ¶Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old. Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and discipline and understanding. ¶The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise son will be glad in him. Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her rejoice who gave birth to you. ¶Give your heart to me, my son, And let your eyes delight in my ways. For a harlot is a deep pit And a foreign woman is a narrow well. Surely she lies in wait as a robber, And adds to the treacherous among men. ¶Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Do not desire his delicacies, For it is bread of falsehood.

A glad heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.

But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk,

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;

Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to those whose soul is bitter. Let him drink and forget his poverty And he will not remember his trouble any longer.

Those who dwell at the gate moan about me, And I am the drunkards’ songs.

A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad, But he who befriends harlots destroys his wealth.

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

And wine which makes man’s heart glad, To make his face glisten more than oil, And food which sustains man’s heart.

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise. Differing weights and differing measures, Both of them are an abomination to Yahweh. It is by his deeds that a young man makes himself known If his conduct is pure and right. The hearing ear and the seeing eye, Yahweh has made both of them. Do not love sleep, lest you become poor; Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with food. “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, But when he goes his way, then he boasts. There is gold, and an abundance of pearls; But the lips of knowledge are a more precious vessel. Take his garment when he becomes a guarantor for a stranger; And for foreigners, hold him in pledge. Bread obtained by lying is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel. Thoughts are established by counsel, So make war by guidance. He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, Therefore do not associate with one of loose lips. The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion; He who provokes him to anger sins against his own soul.

But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

I explored with my heart how to stimulate my body with wine—while my heart was guiding me wisely—and how to seize simpleminded folly, until I could see where is this good for the sons of men in what they do under heaven the few days of their lives.

They do not drink wine with song; Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.

For the time already past is sufficient for you to have worked out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.

¶Do not eat the bread of a selfish man, And do not desire his delicacies; For as he calculates in his soul, so he is. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you. You will vomit up the morsel you have eaten, And you will corrupt your pleasant words.

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,

Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward doers of unrighteousness. Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; You will look carefully at his place, and he will not be there. But the lowly will inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant peace. ¶The wicked schemes against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow To cast down the afflicted and the needy, To slay those who are upright in conduct. Their sword will enter their own heart, And their bows will be broken. ¶Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked will be broken, But Yahweh sustains the righteous. Yahweh knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will be forever. They will not be ashamed in the time of evil, And in the days of famine they will be satisfied. For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect.

The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

For my life is worn down with sorrow And my years with sighing; My strength fails because of my iniquity, And my bones waste away.

No longer drink water only, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.

Let us walk properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

Judgments are established for scoffers, And beatings for the back of fools.

“They struck me, but I did not become ill; They beat me, but I did not know it. When shall I awake? I will seek yet another.”

Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.

moreover, that every man who eats and drinks and sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God.

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Bless Yahweh, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, And He has not rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, So Yahweh has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our form; He remembers that we are but dust. ¶As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flowers. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer. But the lovingkindness of Yahweh is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, To those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts to do them. ¶Yahweh has established His throne in the heavens, And His kingdom rules over all. Bless Yahweh, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;

Or do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not worthy to constitute the smallest law courts? For you were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.

My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart guard my commandments; So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will burst with new wine. My son, do not reject the discipline of Yahweh Or loathe His reproof, For whom Yahweh loves He reproves, Even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights. ¶How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who obtains discernment. For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her produce better than fine gold. She is more precious than pearls; And nothing you desire compares with her. Length of days is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and glory. Her ways are pleasant ways And all her pathways are peace. She is a tree of life to those who seize her, And all those who hold her fast are blessed. Yahweh by wisdom founded the earth, By discernment He established the heavens. For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you.

In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honors those who fear Yahweh; He swears to his own hurt and does not change;

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our benefit, so that we may share His holiness. And all discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful, but to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord, seeing to it that no one falls short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that also there be no sexually immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do you not know that you are a sanctuary of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the sanctuary of God, God will destroy him, for the sanctuary of God is holy, and that is what you are.

He who abides in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. No evil will befall you, And no plague will come near your tent. ¶For He will command His angels concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, Lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the fierce lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down. ¶“Because he has loved Me, therefore I will protect him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in his distress; I will rescue him and honor him. “With a long life I will satisfy him And I will show him My salvation.” I will say to Yahweh, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”

He who is slow to anger has great discernment, But he who is quick-tempered raises up folly.

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad.

For thus says the One high and lifted up Who dwells forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the crushed and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the crushed.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul,

But if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ¶“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And if your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.

Can a man take fire in his bosom And his clothes not be burned? Or can a man walk on hot coals And his feet not be scorched? So is the one who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; Whoever touches her will not go unpunished.

For if because of food your brother is grieved, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Now everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

For the overseer must be beyond reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of dishonest gain,

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his own spirit, than he who captures a city.

But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.

Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Guard your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.

When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because Yahweh is the One who sustains his hand.

Therefore I exhort you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—living, holy, and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. being devoted to one another in brotherly love, giving preference to one another in honor, not lagging behind in diligence, being fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, persevering in affliction, being devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, pursuing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless, and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep, by being of the same mind toward one another, not being haughty in mind, but associating with the humble. Do not be wise in your own mind. Never paying back evil for evil to anyone, respecting what is good in the sight of all men, if possible, so far as it depends on you, being at peace with all men, never taking your own revenge, beloved—instead leave room for the wrath of God. For it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Cause my heart to incline to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

The man of lovingkindness deals bountifully with his soul, But the cruel man brings trouble on his flesh.

For a wicked fool speaks wicked folly, And his heart does wickedness: To do ungodliness and to speak error against Yahweh, In order to make the hungry person empty; He even causes the thirsty to lack a drink.

To You, O Yahweh, I lift up my soul. All the paths of Yahweh are lovingkindness and truth To those who guard His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name’s sake, O Yahweh, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great. ¶Who is the man who fears Yahweh? He will instruct him in the way he should choose. His soul will abide in goodness, And his seed will inherit the land. The secret of Yahweh is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant. My eyes are continually toward Yahweh, For He will bring my feet out of the net. ¶Turn to me and be gracious to me, For I am alone and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses. See my affliction and my trouble, And forgive all my sins. See my enemies, for they are many, And they hate me with violent hatred. O my God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me.

Bring your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge. ¶Do not withhold discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die. You shall strike him with the rod And deliver his soul from Sheol.

And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many beatings, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a beating, will receive but a few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

¶Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord,

rejoicing in hope, persevering in affliction, being devoted to prayer,

Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be awake and sober.

Have you found honey? Eat only enough for you, Lest you have more than your fill and vomit it.

I shall delight in Your commandments, Which I love.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

Those who love Your law have much peace, And nothing causes them to stumble.

not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but considerate, peaceable, free from the love of money;

Prayer