67 Bible Verses about ethics, incentives towards

For rulers are not to be feared for good works but for evil. Wilt thou be without fear of the power? Do well then: and so shalt thou be praised of the same. For he is the minister of God, for thy wealth. But and if thou do evil, then fear: for he beareth not a sword for nought; but is the minister of God, to take vengeance on them that do evil.

Judges and officers thou shalt make thee in all thy cities, which the LORD thy God giveth thee throughout thy tribes: And let them judge the people righteously.

According to the law which they teach thee and manner of judgment which they tell thee, see that thou do and that thou bow not from that which they show thee, neither to the righthand nor to the left. And that man that will do presumptuously, so that he will not hearken unto the priest that standeth there to minister unto the LORD thy God or unto the judge, shall die: and so thou shalt put away evil from Israel.

When there is strife between men, let them come unto the law, and let the judges justify the righteous and condemn the trespasser.

Defend the poor and fatherless, see that such as be in need and necessity have right. Deliver the outcast and poor, and save them from the hand of the ungodly.

I exhort therefore that above all things, prayers, supplications, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be had for all men: for kings, and for all that are in authority that we may live a quiet and a peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty. For that is good and accepted in the sight of god our saviour,read more.
which will have all men saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Submit yourselves unto all manner ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be unto the King as unto the chief head; other unto rulers, as unto them that are sent of him, for the punishment of evil doers: but for the laud of them that well do.

For and if ye shall forgive other men their trespasses, your heavenly father shall also forgive you. But and if ye will not forgive men their trespasses, no more shall your father forgive your trespasses.

Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do wickedness in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword and hast taken his wife to thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house, because thou hast despised me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite, to be thy wife.'

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

For as ye judge, so shall ye be judged: and with what measure ye mete, with the same shall it be measured to you again.

So like wise shall my heavenly father do unto you, except ye forgive with your hearts, each one to his brother their trespasses."

For there shall be judgment, merciless, to him that showeth no mercy, and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Behold when ye fast, ye can find your own lusts, and can call cruelly on all your debtors. Ye fast to law and strive and to smite with fist wickedly. Fast not as ye now do, to make your voice to be heard upon high.

Offer me no more oblations, for it is but lost labour. I abhor your incense. I may not away with your new moons, your Sabbaths and solemn days. Your fastings are also in vain. I hate your new holidays and fastings, even from my very heart. I cannot away with such vanity and holding in of the people. They lay upon me as a burden, and I am weary of bearing them! When ye hold out your hands, I will turn my eyes from you. And though ye make many prayers, yet will I hear nothing at all; for your hands are full of blood.

These come unto thee, after the manner of a great people: yea, my people sit down before thee, and hear thy words, but they do not thereafter: for in their mouths they show themselves, as though they were fervent, but their heart goeth after their own covetous lucre.

"Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, and say, 'When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, now this seventy years, did ye fast unto me?

Woe be to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye which tithe mint, anise, and cumin, and leave the weightier matters of the law undone: judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to have left the other undone.

But woe be to you Pharisees: for ye tithe the mint, and rue, and all manner herbs; and pass over judgment, and the love of God. These ought ye to have done, and yet not to have left the other undone.

They confess that they know God: but with the deeds they deny him and are abominable, and disobedient, and unto all good works discommendable.

But your misdeeds have separated you from your God, and your sins hide his face from you, that he heareth you not.

Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me.

If I incline unto wickedness with my heart, the LORD will not hear me.

They shall come with their sheep and bullocks to seek the LORD, but they shall not find him, for he is gone from them.

Now the time shall come, that when they call unto the LORD, he shall not hear them, but hide his face from them, because that through their own Imaginations they have dealt so wickedly.

And grieve not the holy spirit of God, by whom ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

He that soweth in his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption: but he that soweth in the spirit shall, of the spirit, reap life everlasting.

"But and if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God to keep and to do all his commandments and ordinances which I command thee this day; then all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee:

Thy princes are traitors and companions of thieves. They love gifts altogether, and gape for rewards. As for the fatherless, they help him not to his right, neither will they let the widows causes come before them. Therefore saith the LORD God of Hosts, the mighty one of Israel: Ah, I must ease me of mine enemies, and avenge me upon them.

Do ye not remember how that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived. For neither fornicators, neither worshippers of images, neither whoremongers, neither weaklings, neither abusers of themselves with mankind,

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every man may receive the works of his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Mortify therefore your members which are on the earth; fornication, uncleanness, unnatural lust, evil concupiscence, and covetousness which is worshipping of idols: for which thing's sakes the wrath of God cometh on the children of unbelief.

Embrace peace with all men, and holiness; without the which, no man shall see the Lord.

Ye were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.

God forbid. How shall we that are dead, as touching sin, live any longer therein?

and that he died for all, because that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves: but unto him which died for them and rose again.

Lie not one to another, that the old man with his works be put off, and the new put on; which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that made him:

Be ye followers of God as dear children, and walk in love even as Christ loved us, and gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet savour to God.

"I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercifulness of God, that ye make your bodies a living sacrifice: holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable serving of God.

This say I not as commanding: but because others are so fervent, therefore prove I your love, whether it be perfect or no. Ye know the liberality of our Lord Jesus Christ, which though he were rich, yet for your sakes became poor: that ye through his poverty might be made rich.

which gave himself for us, to redeem us from all unrighteousness, and to purge us a peculiar people unto himself, fervently given unto good works.

Hereby are we assured of love: because he left his life for us: And therefore we ought also to give our lives for our brethren.

To do good, and to distribute, forget not: for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Wherefore, whether we be at home, or from home, we endeavor our selves to please him.

Children, obey your fathers and mothers, in all things, for that is well pleasing unto the Lord.

Our exhortation was not to bring you to error, nor yet to uncleanness, neither was it with guile: but as we were allowed of God, that the gospel should be committed unto us: even so we speak, not as though we intended to please men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

Furthermore, we beseech you brethren, and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that ye increase more and more, even as ye have received of us, how ye ought to walk and to please God.

and whatsoever we ask, that we shall receive of him: because we keep his commandments, and do those things which are pleasing in his sight.

Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or, who shall rise up in his holy place? Even he that hath clean hands, and a pure heart, and that hath not lift up his mind unto vanity, nor sworn to deceive his neighbour.

To do righteousness and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

For I have pleasure in loving-kindness, and not in offering: Yea in the knowledge of God, more than in burnt sacrifice.

Or is not this rather the fast that I have chosen? To loose wicked bonds, and to unbind bundles of oppression? And to let the bruised go free? And that ye should break all manner yokes? Yea, and to break the bread to the hungry; and to bring the poor that are harborless unto house; and when thou seest a naked, that thou clothe him and that thou shouldest withdraw thyself from helping thine own flesh?

And to love him with all the heart, and with all the mind, and with all the soul, and with all the strength. And to love a man's neighbor as himself, is a greater thing than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

Pure devotion, and undefiled before God the father, is this: To visit the friendless, and widows in their adversity, and to keep himself unspotted of the world.

Jesus answered, and said unto him, "If a man love me and will keep my sayings, my father also will love him, and we will come unto him, and will dwell with him.

And now, Israel, what is it that the LORD thy God requireth of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God and to walk in all his ways and to love him and to serve the LORD thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul, that thou keep the commandments of the LORD and his ordinances which I command thee this day, for thy wealth?

{A Psalm of David} Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? Who shall rest upon thy holy hill? Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life, and doeth the thing which is right, and speaketh the truth from his heart. He that hath used no deceit in his tongue, nor done evil to his neighbour, and hath not slandered his neighbours.read more.
He that sitteth not by himself, but is lowly in his own eyes, and maketh much of them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth unto his neighbour, and disappointeth him not, though it were to his own hindrance. He that hath not given his money upon usury, nor taken reward against the innocent. Whoso doeth these things shall never fall.

He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

But in all things follow righteousness, that thou mayest live and enjoy the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

And all these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the waterside, that will bring forth his fruit in due season. His leaf, also, shall not wither; and, look, whatsoever he doeth, it shall prosper.

For the LORD God is a light and defense; the LORD will give grace and worship, and no good thing shall he withhold from them that live a godly life.

Thus sayeth the LORD: Keep equity, and do right, for my saving health shall come shortly, and my righteousness shall be opened. Blessed is the man that doth this, and the man's child which keepeth the same. He that taketh heed, that he unhallow not the Sabbath; that is, he that keepeth himself that he do no evil.

Then shouldest thou call, and the LORD answer; then shouldest thou cry, and he shall say, "Lo, here am I. For I the LORD thy God am merciful." Yea If thou layest away thy burdens, and holdest thy fingers, and ceasest from blasphemous talking; if thou hast compassion upon the hungry, and refreshest the troubled soul: Then shall thy light spring out in the darkness, and thy darkness shall be as the noon day. The LORD shall ever be thy guide, and satisfy the desire of thine heart, and fill thy bones with marrow. Thou shalt be like a fresh watered garden, and like the fountain of water, that never leaveth running.read more.
Then the places that have ever been waste, shall be builded of thee: there shalt thou lay a foundation for many kindreds. Thou shalt be called the maker-up of hedges, and the builder-again of the way of the Sabbath. Yea, if thou turn thy feet from the Sabbath, so that thou do not the thing which pleaseth thyself in my holy day: then shalt thou be called unto the pleasant, holy, and glorious Sabbath of the LORD, where thou shalt be in honor - so that thou do not after thine own imagination, neither seek thine own will, nor speak thine own words. Then shalt thou have thy pleasure in the LORD, which shall carry thee high above the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the LORD's own mouth hath so promised.

that it appear not unto men how that thou fastest, but unto thy father which is in secret: and thy father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind, and thou shalt be happy: For they cannot recompense thee. But thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just men."