43 Bible Verses about Civil authorities

Jesus replied to him, "You would not have any authority over me unless it was given to you from above. For this [reason] the one who handed me over to you has greater sin."

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for [there] is no authority except by God, and those that exist are put in place by God.

When Samuel saw Saul, Yahweh answered him, "Here [is] the man about whom I told you! This [is the] one [who] will govern my people."

Then Yahweh said to Samuel, "{How long} will you mourn about Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel! Fill up your horn [with] oil and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have chosen a king for myself among his sons."

And he chose David his servant and took him from [the] sheepfolds. He brought him from following nursing ewes to shepherd Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.

By me kings reign, and rulers decree righteousness. By me rulers rule, and nobles--all judges of righteousness.

And now I myself have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and also the animals of the field I have given to him to serve him.

and say to them, 'Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: "Look, I [am] going to send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden. And he will spread out his canopy over them.

And he changes the times and the seasons, and he deposes kings and he sets up kings; he gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to [men who] know understanding.

The sentence [is] by [the] decree of [the] watchers, and the decision [by] [the] command of [the] holy [ones], {in order that} the living will know that the Most High [is] sovereign over [the] kingdom of humankind, and {to whomever} he wills he gives it, and he [even] sets [the] humblest of men over it."

{O king}, the Most High God gave the kingdom and the greatness and the glory and the majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your {predecessor}. And because of the greatness that he gave to him, all the peoples, the nations and languages trembled and feared before him; whomever he wanted he killed, and whomever he wanted he let live, and whomever he wanted he honored, and whomever he wanted he humbled. But {when} his heart became arrogant and his spirit became hard [so as] to act proudly, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom and the glory {was taken away from him}.read more.
And he was driven away {from human society} and his mind was made like the animals and his dwelling [was] with the wild asses; [and] {he was given} grass like oxen to eat, and with the dew of heaven his body was bathed, until he acknowledged that the Most High God [is] sovereign over the kingdom of humankind, and {whoever} he wants he sets over it.

for it is God's servant to you for what [is] good. But if you do what [is] bad, be afraid, because it does not bear the sword to no purpose. For it is God's servant, the one who avenges for punishment on the one who does [what is] bad.

Thus says Yahweh to his anointed one, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped to subjugate nations before him, and I uncover [the] loins of kings to open doors before him, and [the] gates shall not be shut:

look, I [am] going to send and take all [the] clans of [the] north,' {declares} Yahweh, 'and [I will send] to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land, and against its inhabitants, and against all these nations all around, and I will destroy them, and I will make them a horror, and [an object of] hissing, and {everlasting ruins}.

For because of this you also pay taxes, for [the authorities] are servants of God, busily engaged in this very [thing].

[It is] a joy to the righteous to do justice, but dismay to those who do evil.

Subject yourselves to every human authority for the sake of the Lord, whether to a king as having supreme authority, or to governors as those sent out by him for the punishment of those who do evil and the praise of those who do good.

"[As for] the one shedding the blood of humankind, by humankind his blood shall be shed, for God made humankind in his own image.

All who do not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed on him with diligence, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of goods and for imprisonment."

Indeed he will deliver [the] needy [who is] crying for help, and [the] afflicted [who] has no helper. He will take pity on [the] helpless and needy, and [the] lives of [the] needy he will save. From oppression and from violence he will redeem their lives, and their blood will be precious in his eyes.

And he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and led them by the skillfulness of his hands.

The rage of a king growls like a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

By justice a king gives stability [to] a land, but a man of bribes will ruin it.

If then I am doing wrong and have done anything deserving death, I am not trying to avoid dying. But if there is nothing [true] of [the things] which these [people] are accusing me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!"

For rulers are not a [cause of] terror for a good deed, but for bad [conduct]. So do you want not to be afraid of authority? Do what [is] good, and you will have praise from it, for it is God's servant to you for what [is] good. But if you do what [is] bad, be afraid, because it does not bear the sword to no purpose. For it is God's servant, the one who avenges for punishment on the one who does [what is] bad.

on behalf of kings and all those who are in authority, in order that we may live a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

Fear Yahweh, my son, and the king; with those who change, do not associate. For suddenly their disaster will come, and the ruin of {both of them}, who knows?

Remind them to be subject to the rulers [and] to the authorities, to obey, to be prepared for every good work,

Now [when] they arrived in Capernaum, the ones who collected the double drachma [tax] came up to Peter and said, "Does your teacher not pay the double drachma [tax]?" He said, "Yes." And [when he] came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect tolls or taxes--from their own sons, or from foreigners?" And [when he] said, "From foreigners," Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free.read more.
But so that we do not give offense to them, go out to the sea, cast [a line with] a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. And [when you] open its mouth, you will find a four-drachma coin. Take that [and] give [it] to them for me and you."

Then the Pharisees went {and consulted} so that they could entrap him with a statement. And they sent their disciples to him with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and {you do not care what anyone thinks}, {because you do not regard the opinion of people}. Therefore tell us what you think. Is it permitted to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"read more.
But [because he] knew their maliciousness, Jesus said, "Hypocrites! Why are you testing me? Show me the coin for the tax!" So they brought him a denarius. And he said to them, "Whose image and inscription [is] this?" They said to him, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Therefore give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!"

And they sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to him so that they could catch him unawares in a statement. And [when they] came, they said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are truthful and {you do not care what anyone thinks}, {because you do not regard the opinion of people} but teach the way of God in truth. Is it permitted to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?" But [because he] knew their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius so that I can look at [it]!"read more.
So they brought [one]. And he said to them, "Whose image and inscription [is] this?" And they said to him, "Caesar's." And Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!" And they were utterly amazed at him.

And they watched [him] closely [and] sent spies who pretended they were upright, in order that they could catch him in a statement, so that they could hand him over to the authority and the jurisdiction of the governor. And they asked him, saying, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and do not {show partiality}, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it permitted [for] us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"read more.
But seeing through their craftiness, he said to them, "Show me a denarius! Whose image and inscription does it have?" And they answered [and] said, "Caesar's." So he said to them, "Well then, give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!"

But Peter and the apostles answered [and] said, "It is necessary to obey God rather than men!

But the midwives feared God, and they did not do as the king of Egypt had said to them. They let the boys live.

Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, "Give me your vineyard that it may be mine for a garden of vegetable plants, because it is near, beside my house, and I will give to you a better vineyard in place of it. If it is better in your eyes, I will give you the money of its price." Naboth said to Ahab, "Far be it from me from Yahweh that I should give the inheritance of my ancestors to you."

Now {Daniel resolved} that he would not defile himself with the fine food of the king, and with {the wine that he drank}, and [so] he requested from the commander of the court officials [permission so] that he would not defile himself.

Nebuchadnezzar {responded}, saying, "Blessed be their God, [the God] of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted in him, and the command of the king they disobeyed, and they gave their bodies so that they [did] not serve and [did] not worship any god except their God.

All of [the] administrators of the kingdom, and the prefects, the satraps, the counselors and the governors took counsel [and have] agreed to establish an edict of the king and to enforce a decree that {whoever} will seek a prayer from any god or human except from you [for] up to thirty days will be thrown into {the lion pit}. Now, O king, establish the edict and you must sign the document [so] that [it] cannot be changed, according to [the] law of [the] Medes and Persians which cannot be revoked." {So} the king, Darius, signed the writing and the interdict.read more.
Now {when} Daniel realized that the document was signed, he went to his house ({now he had windows in his upper room that were open} toward Jerusalem), and three times {daily} he knelt on his knees and prayed and [gave] praise before his God, {just as} he had been doing {previously}.

They said to him, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Therefore give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!"

And Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!" And they were utterly amazed at him.

So he said to them, "Well then, give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!"

But Peter and John answered [and] said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God, you decide!

By faith Moses, [when he] was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw the child [was] handsome, and they were not afraid of the edict of the king.