43 Bible Verses about Civil authorities

Jesus answered, Thou could have no power at all against me, unless it were given thee from above; therefore he that delivered me unto thee has the greater sin.

Let every soul submit itself to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God, and the powers that be are ordained of God.

And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spoke to thee of! This same shall reign over my people.

And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill thy horn with oil and go; I will send thee to Jesse of Bethlehem for I have provided me a king among his sons.

He chose David also his slave and took him from the sheepfolds, from following the ewes great with young, he brought him to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance.

By me the kings reign, and the princes decree justice. By me the princes rule, and all of the governors judge the earth.

And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my slave; and even the beasts of the field I have given him that they might serve him.

and say unto them, Thus hath the LORD of the hosts, the God of Israel said; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my slave and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid, and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.

and it is he that changes the times and the opportunities; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom unto the wise and knowledge unto those that know understanding:

By sentence of the watchmen is the matter resolved, and the case by the word of the holy ones to the intent that the living may know that the most High takes rule over the kingdom of men and gives it to whoever he will and sets up over it the man who is the lowest.

O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father the kingdom and the greatness and the glory and the magnificence: and by the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him; whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he humbled. But when his heart made itself arrogant, and his spirit hardened itself in pride, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom, and they took his glory from him:read more.
and he was driven from among the sons of men; and his heart was put with the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they made him eat grass like an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven until he understood that the most high God takes rule of the kingdom of men and that he appoints over it whomever he will.

for he is a minister of God for thy good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is a minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil.

Thus saith the LORD to his Messiah, to Cyrus, whom I have taken by his right hand to subdue Gentiles before him and to loose the loins of kings. To open before him the two-leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut:

behold, I will send and take all the families of the north wind, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my slave, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these nations round about and will utterly destroy them and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations.

For this cause ye also pay them tribute, for they are God's ministers, attending continually to this very thing.

It is joy to the just to do judgment, but it shall be destruction to the workers of iniquity.

Therefore, be subject to every human ordinance that is of the Lord, whether it be to a king or to a superior, and unto governors as unto those that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those that do well.

Whoever sheds man's blood in man, his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God is man made.

And whoever will not do the law of thy God and the law of the king, let them be judged speedily, whether it be unto death or to banishment or to confiscation of goods or to imprisonment.

For he shall deliver the destitute when he cries and the poor that has no helper. He shall have mercy on the poor and destitute and shall save the souls of the poor in spirit. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence, and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

So he fed them out of the integrity of his heart and guided them by the intelligence of his hands.

The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion, but his favour is as dew upon the grass.

The king by judgment establishes the land, but he that receives gifts shall overthrow it.

For if I am an offender or have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if there are none of these things of which these accuse me, no one may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.

For the magistrates are not a terror unto those who do good, but to the doer of evil. Is thy desire therefore to not fear the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same; for he is a minister of God for thy good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is a minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil.

for kings, and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and integrity.

My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not meddle with those that are given to change, for their calamity shall rise suddenly; and the ruin of them both, who shall know it?

Admonish them to be subject to dominion and power, and to persuade those who have authority, that they be quick unto every good work.

And when they were come to Capernaum, those that received the two drachmas came to Peter and said, Does not your master pay the two drachmas? He said, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus spoke unto him first, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own sons or of strangers? Peter said unto him, Of strangers. Jesus said unto him, Then the sons are free.read more.
Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea and cast a hook and take up the first fish that comes up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a stater, a coin worth four drachmas; take that, and give it unto them for me and thee.

Then the Pharisees left and took counsel how they might entangle him in his word. And they sent out unto him their disciples with those of Herod, saying, Master, we know that thou art a lover of truth and teachest the way of God with truth and that thou takest care for no man, for thou art no respecter of persons of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not?read more.
But Jesus perceived their wickedness and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Show me the coin of the tribute. And they presented unto him a denarius. And he said unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar's. Then said he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's.

And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians to catch him in his words. And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art a man of truth who regards no man; for thou dost not look upon the appearance of men, but dost with truth teach the way of God; is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? Shall we give or shall we not give? Then he, understanding their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Bring me the coin that I may see it.read more.
And they brought it. And he said unto them, Of whom is this image and inscription? And they said unto him, Of Caesar. And Jesus, answering, said unto them, Render that which is of Caesar unto Caesar, and that which is of God unto God. And they marvelled at this.

And they watched him and sent forth spies who feigned themselves just men that they might take hold of him as he was speaking, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor. And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither dost thou accept the person of any, but teachest the way of God with truth; Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar or no?read more.
But he, perceiving their craftiness, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have? They answered and said, Caesar's. And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things which are God's.

Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We must persuade God rather than men.

But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them but gave the men children their lives.

And Ahab spoke unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard that I may have it for a garden of herbs because it is next to my house, and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or if it seems good unto thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth replied unto Ahab, The LORD keep me from giving thee the inheritance of my fathers.

And Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's food, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Then Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, Blessed be the God of these, of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants that trusted in him and have changed the king's word and yielded their bodies that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God

All the presidents of the kingdom, magistrates, governors, great ones, and captains have agreed in common accord to promote a royal decree and to confirm it that whoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, except of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, confirm the decree and sign the writing that it not be moved, according to the law of Media and of Persia, which does not change. Therefore King Darius signed the writing and the decree.read more.
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he entered into his house; and with the windows open toward Jerusalem in his dining chamber, he knelt three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he was used to doing before.

They say unto him, Caesar's. Then said he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's.

And Jesus, answering, said unto them, Render that which is of Caesar unto Caesar, and that which is of God unto God. And they marvelled at this.

And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things which are God's.

Then Peter and John answered and said unto them, Judge whether it is right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God.

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents because they saw he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.