15 Bible Verses about Riots
Most Relevant Verses
And all in the synagogue were filled with wrath, on hearing these things; and, rising up, they cast Him forth out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, to throw Him down headlong; but He, passing through their midst, was going His way.
And about that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way. For a certain one, Demetrius by name, a silver-smith, making silver shrines of Diana, was bringing to the artisans no small business; gathering whom together, and the workmen of like occupation, be said, "Men, ye know that out of this business we have our wealth.read more.
And ye perceive and hear that, not only at Ephesus, but almost in all Asia, this Paul, having persuaded, turned away a great multitude, saying, that they are not gods that are made with hands. And not only is there danger to us that this branch of our business will come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana be reckoned of no account, and also her magnificence will be destroyed, whom all Asia and the inhabited earth worship." And, hearing this, and becoming full of wrath, they were crying aloud, saying, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" And the city was filled with the confusion; and they rushed with one accord into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus??acedonians??ellow-travelers of Paul. And, Paul purposing to enter in unto the people, the disciples were not permitting him. And some also of the chief men of Asia, being his friends, sending to him, were beseeching him not to venture himself into the theater. Some, therefore, were crying one thing, and some another; for the assembly had become confused, and the greater part knew not for what cause they had come together. And they brought Alexander out of the crowd, the Jews thrusting him forward. And Alexander, waving his hand, wished to make defense to the people. But, when they perceived that he was a Jew, one voice arose from all, crying aloud for about two hours, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"
But the high priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes, that they should ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. And the governor, answering, said to them, "Which of the two do ye desire that I should release to you?" And they said, Barabbas." Pilate says to them, "What, then, shall I do to Jesus Who is called Christ?" They all say, "Let Him be crucified."read more.
But he said, "Why, what evil did He perform?" And they were crying out the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!" And Pilate, seeing that it availed nothing, but rather a tumult was being made, taking water, washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this Man. Ye shall see to it."
Now at the feast he was wont to release to them one prisoner, whom they asked of him. And there was one called Barabbas, bound with the insurgents, who, in the insurrection, had committed murder. And, coming up, the multitude began to ask him to do as he was wont to do to them.read more.
And Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you wish me to release to you the King of the Jews?" (For he was coming to understand that because of envy the high priests had delivered Him up). But the high priests stirred up the multitude, that he should rather release to them Barabbas. And Pilate, again answering, said to them, "What, then, shall I do to Him Whom ye call the King of the Jews?" And they cried out again, "Crucify Him!" And Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil did He do?" But they cried out vehemently, "Crucify Him!" And Pilate, wishing to satisfy the multitude, released to them Barabbas, and delivered up Jesus, after having scourged Him, to be crucified.
And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. But there arose some of those who were of the synagogue called the synagogue of the Freedmen, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he was speaking.read more.
Then they suborned men, who said, "We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and against God." And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the Scribes; and, coming upon him, they seized him, and brought him to the Sanhedrin, and set up false witnesses, who said, "This man does not cease speaking words against this holy place, and the law; for we have heard him say, that This Jesus, the Nazarene, will overthrow this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us."
But the Jews, moved with jealousy, and taking to themselves certain evil men of the rabble, and gathering a multitude, were setting the city in an uproar; and, assaulting the house of Jason, they were seeking them to lead them, forth to the populace. But, not finding them, they dragged Jason and certain brethren before the rulers of the city, shouting, "These who turned the inhabited earth upside down are present here also; whom Jason has received; and these all are acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that "There is Another King??esus!"read more.
And they troubled the multitude and the city-rulers, hearing these things; and, having taken security from Jason and the rest, they released them.
And, when the seven days were about to be completed, the Jews from Asia, having beheld him in the temple, were stirring up all the multitude, and they laid their hands upon him, crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place! and, further, he brought Greeks also into the temple, and has defiled this holy place!" (For they had previously seen with him in the city Trophimus, the Ephesian, whom they were supposing that Paul brought into the temple).read more.
And all the city was moved, and there was a running together of the people; and, laying hold of Paul, they were dragging him out of the temple; and straightway the doors were shut. And, as they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in confusion; who, at once, taking with him soldiers and centurions, ran down upon them; and they, seeing the chief captain and the soldiers, ceased beating Paul. Then the chief captain, coming near, laid hold of him, and ordered that he be bound with two chains; and he was inquiring who he was, and what he had done. And some shouted one thing, some another, among the crowd; and, when he could not ascertain the certainty because of the tumult, he ordered that he be brought into the castle. And, when he came upon the stairway, it happened that he was borne along by the soldiers on account of the violence of the multitude;
Then the high priests and the elders of the people were gathered together into the court of the high priest who was called Caiaphas; and they consulted together that they might take Jesus by guile and kill Him. But they said, "Not during the feast, lest an uproar might arise among the people."
Now after two days was the passover, and the feast of unleavened bread; and the high priests and the scribes were seeking how, taking Him by guile, they might kill Him; for they said, "Not during the feast, lest there should be an uproar of the people."
But the town-clerk, having quieted the multitude, says, "Men of Ephesus, who, indeed, of men is there that does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple-keeper of the great Diana, and of the image that fell down from Jupiter? These things, therefore, being incontrovertible, it is needful that ye be quiet, and do nothing rash. For ye brought hither these men, who are neither temple-robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess.read more.
If, indeed, therefore, Demetrius and the artisans with him have a matter against any one, court-days are held, and there are proconsuls; let them accuse one another. But, if ye seek anything about other matters, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly. For, indeed, we are in danger of being accused of riot respecting this day, there existing no cause for it, and regarding which we will be unable to give an account of this concourse." And, having thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.
For, finding this man a plague, and stirring up insurrections among the Jews throughout the inhabited earth, and a ring-leader of the sect of the Nazarenes; who also attempted to desecrate the temple; whom also we seized.??7 [But the chief captain Lysias came, and with great violence took him away out of our hands, commanding his accusers to come before you;] from whom you will be able, after having examined him yourself, to obtain full knowledge of all these things of which we accuse him."read more.
And the Jews also assented, affirming that these things were so. And Paul answered, the governor having beckoned to him to speak: "Knowing that you, for many years, have been a judge to this nation, cheerfully do I make defense as to the things concerning myself; since you are able clearly to know that there are not more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship; and neither in the temple did they find me disputing with any one, or causing a stirring up of a multitude, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city;
As in the day, let us walk becomingly; not in revellings and drunkenness, not in lewdness and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy;
The night was far spent, and the day has drawn near; let us, therefore, put off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
suffering evil as wages of unrighteousness; accounting revelry in the daytime a pleasure; spots and blemishes; reveling in their deceivings, while feasting with you;
