25 Bible Verses about Rivalry

And Nadab son of Jeroboam hath reigned over Israel, in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigneth over Israel two years, and doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and goeth in the way of his father, and in his sin that he made Israel to sin. And conspire against him doth Baasha son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, and Baasha smiteth him in Gibbethon, which is to the Philistines -- and Nadab and all Israel are laying siege against Gibbethon -- read more.
yea, Baasha putteth him to death in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and reigneth in his stead. And it cometh to pass, at his reigning, he hath smitten the whole house of Jeroboam, he hath not left any breathing to Jeroboam till his destroying him, according to the word of Jehovah, that He spake by the hand of His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, because of the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned, and that he caused Israel to sin, by his provocation with which he provoked to anger Jehovah, God of Israel. And the rest of the matters of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?

Then are the sons of Israel parted into halves; half of the people hath been after Tibni son of Ginath to cause him to reign, and the half after Omri; and stronger are the people that are after Omri than the people that are after Tibni son of Ginath, and Tibni dieth, and Omri reigneth.

Do ye not know what I have done -- I and my fathers -- to all peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands at all able to deliver their land out of my hand? Who among all the gods of these nations whom my fathers have devoted to destruction is he who hath been able to deliver his people out of my hand, that your God is able to deliver you out of my hand? 'And, now, let not Hezekiah lift you up, nor persuade you thus, nor give credence to him, for no god of any nation and kingdom is able to deliver his people from my hand, and from the hand of my fathers: also, surely your God doth not deliver you from my hand!'read more.
And again have his servants spoken against Jehovah God, and against Hezekiah His servant, and letters he hath written to give reproach to Jehovah, God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, 'As the gods of the nations of the lands that have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah doth not deliver His people from my hand.' And they call with a great voice in Jewish, against the people of Jerusalem who are on the wall, to frighten them, and to trouble them, that they may capture the city, and they speak against the God of Jerusalem as against the gods of the peoples of the land -- work of the hands of man. And Hezekiah the king prayeth, and Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet, concerning this, and they cry to the heavens, and Jehovah sendeth a messenger, and cutteth off every mighty one of valour -- both leader and head -- in the camp of the king of Asshur, and he turneth back with shame of face to his land, and entereth the house of his god, and those coming out of his bowels have caused him to fall there by the sword. And Jehovah saveth Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Asshur, and from the hand of all, and He leadeth them round about;

'Thus do ye speak unto Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God lift thee up in whom thou art trusting, saying, Jerusalem is not given into the hand of the king of Asshur. Lo, thou hast heard that which the kings of Asshur have done to all the lands -- to devote them -- and thou art delivered! Did the gods of the nations deliver them whom my fathers destroyed -- Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the sons of Eden, who are in Telassar?read more.
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?'

And Hezekiah taketh the letters out of the hand of the messengers, and readeth them, and Hezekiah goeth up to the house of Jehovah, and Hezekiah spreadeth it before Jehovah. And Hezekiah prayeth unto Jehovah, saying, Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, inhabiting the cherubs, Thou art God Himself -- Thyself alone -- to all kingdoms of the earth, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth.read more.
Incline, O Jehovah, Thine ear, and hear; open, O Jehovah, Thine eyes and see; and hear Thou all the words of Sennacherib that he hath sent to reproach the living God. 'Truly, O Jehovah, kings of Asshur have laid waste all the lands and their land, so as to put their gods into fire -- for they are no gods, but work of the hands of man, wood and stone -- and they destroy them. And now, Jehovah our God, save us from his hand, and all kingdoms of the earth do know that Thou art Jehovah, Thyself alone.' And Isaiah son of Amoz sendeth unto Hezekiah, saying, 'Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed unto me concerning Sennacherib king of Asshur -- this is the word that Jehovah spake concerning him: Trampled on thee, laughed at thee, Hath the virgin daughter of Zion, Behind thee shaken the head hath the daughter of Jerusalem. Whom hast thou reproached and reviled? And against whom lifted up the voice? Yea, thou dost lift up on high thine eyes Against the Holy One of Israel. By the hand of thy servants Thou hast reviled the Lord, and sayest: In the multitude of my chariots I have come up to a high place of hills, The sides of Lebanon, And I cut down the height of its cedars, The choice of its firs, And I enter the high place of its extremity, The forest of its Carmel. I -- I have dug and drunk waters, And I dry up with the sole of my steps All floods of a bulwark. Hast thou not heard from afar? -- it I did, From days of old -- that I formed it. Now, I have brought it in, And it is to make desolate, Ruinous heaps -- fenced cities, And their inhabitants are feeble-handed, They were broken down, and are dried up. They have been the herb of the field, And the greenness of the tender grass, Grass of the roofs, And blasted corn, before it hath risen up. And thy sitting down, and thy going out, And thy coming in, I have known, And thy anger towards Me. Because of thy anger towards Me, And thy noise -- it came up into Mine ears, I have put My hook in thy nose, And My bridle in thy lips, And I have caused thee to turn back In the way in which thou camest. -- And this to thee is the sign, Food of the year is self-sown grain, And in the second year the spontaneous growth, And in the third year, sow ye and reap, And plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. And it hath continued -- the escaped Of the house of Judah that hath been left -- To take root beneath, And it hath made fruit upward. For from Jerusalem goeth forth a remnant, And an escape from mount Zion, The zeal of Jehovah of Hosts doth this. Therefore, thus said Jehovah, Concerning the king of Asshur: He doth not come in unto this city, Nor doth he shoot there an arrow, Nor doth he come before it with shield, Nor doth he pour out against it a mount. In the way that he came, in it he turneth back, And unto this city he doth not come in, An affirmation of Jehovah, And I have covered over this city, To save it, for Mine own sake, And for the sake of David My servant.' And a messenger of Jehovah goeth out, and smiteth in the camp of Asshur a hundred and eighty and five thousand; and men rise early in the morning, and lo, all of them are dead corpses. And journey, and go, and turn back doth Sennacherib king of Asshur, and dwelleth in Nineveh. And it cometh to pass, he is bowing himself in the house of Nisroch his god, and Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons have smitten him with the sword, and they have escaped to the land of Ararat, and Esar-Haddon his son reigneth in his stead.

And Jacob boileth pottage, and Esau cometh in from the field, and he is weary; and Esau saith unto Jacob, 'Let me eat, I pray thee, some of this red red thing, for I am weary;' therefore hath one called his name Edom Red; and Jacob saith, 'Sell to-day thy birthright to me.'read more.
And Esau saith, 'Lo, I am going to die, and what is this to me -- birthright?' and Jacob saith, 'Swear to me to-day:' and he sweareth to him, and selleth his birthright to Jacob; and Jacob hath given to Esau bread and pottage of lentiles, and he eateth, and drinketh, and riseth, and goeth; and Esau despiseth the birthright.

And Esau hateth Jacob, because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau saith in his heart, 'The days of mourning for my father draw near, and I slay Jacob my brother.'

and her adversity hath also provoked her greatly, so as to make her tremble, for Jehovah hath shut up her womb. And so he doth year by year, from the time of her going up into the house of Jehovah, so it provoketh her, and she weepeth, and doth not eat.

and the women answer -- those playing, and say, 'Saul hath smitten among his thousands, And David among his myriads.' And it is displeasing to Saul exceedingly, and this thing is evil in his eyes, and he saith, 'They have given to David myriads, and to me they have given the thousands, and more to him is only the kingdom;' and Saul is eyeing David from that day and thenceforth.

for all the days that the son of Jesse liveth on the ground thou art not established, thou and thy kingdom; and now, send and bring him unto me, for he is a son of death.'

And it cometh to pass afterwards, that Absalom prepareth for himself a chariot, and horses, and fifty men are running before him; and Absalom hath risen early, and stood by the side of the way of the gate, and it cometh to pass, every man who hath a pleading to come unto the king for judgment, that Absalom calleth unto him, and saith, 'Of what city art thou?' and he saith, 'Of one of the tribes of Israel is thy servant.' And Absalom saith unto him, 'See, thy matters are good and straightforward -- and there is none hearkening to thee from the king.'read more.
And Absalom saith, 'Who doth make me a judge in the land, that unto me doth come every man who hath a plea and judgment? -- then I have declared him righteous.' And it hath come to pass, in the drawing nearing of any one to bow himself to him, that he hath put forth his hand, and laid hold on him, and given a kiss to him; and Absalom doth according to this thing to all Israel who come in for judgment unto the king, and Absalom stealeth the heart of the men of Israel. And it cometh to pass, at the end of forty years, that Absalom saith unto the king, 'Let me go, I pray thee, and I complete my vow, that I vowed to Jehovah in Hebron, for a vow hath thy servant vowed in my dwelling in Geshur, in Aram, saying, If Jehovah doth certainly bring me back to Jerusalem, then I have served Jehovah.' And the king saith to him, 'Go in peace;' and he riseth and goeth to Hebron, and Absalom sendeth spies through all the tribes of Israel, saying, 'At your hearing the voice of the trumpet, then ye have said, Absalom hath reigned in Hebron.' And with Absalom have gone two hundred men, out of Jerusalem, invited ones, and they are going in their simplicity, and have not known anything; and Absalom sendeth Ahithophel the Gilonite, a counsellor of David, out of his city, out of Gilo, in his sacrificing sacrifices; and the conspiracy is strong, and the people are going and increasing with Absalom. And he who is declaring tidings cometh in unto David, saying, 'The heart of the men of Israel hath been after Absalom.'

and Jeroboam saith in his heart, 'Now doth the kingdom turn back to the house of David -- if this people go up to make sacrifices in the house of Jehovah in Jerusalem, then hath the heart of this people turned back unto their lord, unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they have slain me, and turned back unto Rehoboam king of Judah.'

'And a woman unto another thou dost not take, to be an adversary, to uncover her nakedness beside her, in her life.

And there entered a reasoning among them, this, Who may be greater of them? and Jesus having seen the reasoning of their heart, having taken hold of a child, set him beside himself, and said to them, 'Whoever may receive this child in my name, doth receive me, and whoever may receive me, doth receive Him who sent me, for he who is least among you all -- he shall be great.'

At that hour came the disciples near to Jesus, saying, 'Who, now, is greater in the reign of the heavens?' And Jesus having called near a child, did set him in the midst of them, and said, 'Verily I say to you, if ye may not be turned and become as the children, ye may not enter into the reign of the heavens;read more.
whoever then may humble himself as this child, he is the greater in the reign of the heavens.

and they were silent, for with one another they did reason in the way who is greater; and having sat down he called the twelve, and he saith to them, 'If any doth will to be first, he shall be last of all, and minister of all.' And having taken a child, he set him in the midst of them, and having taken him in his arms, said to them,read more.
'Whoever may receive one of such children in my name, doth receive me, and whoever may receive me, doth not receive me, but Him who sent me.'

Then came near to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, bowing and asking something from him, and he said to her, 'What wilt thou?' She saith to him, 'Say, that they may sit -- these my two sons -- one on thy right hand, and one on the left, in thy reign.' And Jesus answering said, 'Ye have not known what ye ask for yourselves; are ye able to drink of the cup that I am about to drink? and with the baptism that I am baptized with, to be baptized?' They say to him, 'We are able.'read more.
And he saith to them, 'Of my cup indeed ye shall drink, and with the baptism that I am baptized with ye shall be baptized; but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but -- to those for whom it hath been prepared by my father.' And the ten having heard, were much displeased with the two brothers,

And there come near to him James and John, the sons of Zebedee, saying, 'Teacher, we wish that whatever we may ask for ourselves, thou mayest do for us;' and he said to them, 'What do ye wish me to do for you?' and they said to him, 'Grant to us that, one on thy right hand and one on thy left, we may sit in thy glory;'read more.
and Jesus said to them, 'Ye have not known what ye ask; are ye able to drink of the cup that I drink of, and with the baptism that I am baptized with -- to be baptized?' And they said to him, 'We are able;' and Jesus said to them, 'Of the cup indeed that I drink of, ye shall drink, and with the baptism that I am baptized with, ye shall be baptized; but to sit on my right and on my left, is not mine to give, but -- to those for whom it hath been prepared.' And the ten having heard, began to be much displeased at James and John,

And ye -- ye may not be called Rabbi, for one is your director -- the Christ, and all ye are brethren; and ye may not call any your father on the earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens, nor may ye be called directors, for one is your director -- the Christ.read more.
And the greater of you shall be your ministrant,

for yet ye are fleshly, for where there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not fleshly, and in the manner of men do walk? for when one may say, 'I, indeed, am of Paul;' and another, 'I -- of Apollos;' are ye not fleshly?

and I say this, that each one of you saith, 'I, indeed, am of Paul' -- 'and I of Apollos,' -- 'and I of Cephas,' -- 'and I of Christ.' Hath the Christ been divided? was Paul crucified for you? or to the name of Paul were ye baptized;

for ye are all sons of God through the faith in Christ Jesus, for as many as to Christ were baptized did put on Christ; there is not here Jew or Greek, there is not here servant nor freeman, there is not here male and female, for all ye are one in Christ Jesus;

but Jesus having called them near, saith to them, 'Ye have known that they who are considered to rule the nations do exercise lordship over them, and their great ones do exercise authority upon them; but not so shall it be among you; but whoever may will to become great among you, he shall be your minister, and whoever of you may will to become first, he shall be servant of all;read more.
for even the Son of Man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.'

and Jesus having called them near, said, 'Ye have known that the rulers of the nations do exercise lordship over them, and those great do exercise authority over them, but not so shall it be among you, but whoever may will among you to become great, let him be your ministrant; and whoever may will among you to be first, let him be your servant;read more.
even as the Son of Man did not come to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.'

Certain, indeed, even through envy and contention, and certain also through good-will, do preach the Christ; the one, indeed, of rivalry the Christ do proclaim, not purely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds, and the other out of love, having known that for defence of the good news I am set:read more.
what then? in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed -- and in this I rejoice, yea, and shall rejoice.