Thematic Bible: Corrupt


Thematic Bible






Your rulers are rebellious, and companions of thieves. Everyone loves bribes, and follows after rewards. They do not judge the fatherless, neither does the cause of the widow come to them.

who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice for the innocent.

Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.

Her leaders judge for bribes, and her priests teach for a price, and her prophets of it tell fortunes for money: yet they lean on the LORD, and say, "Isn't the LORD in the midst of us? No disaster will come on us."


Many seek the ruler's favor, but a man's justice comes from the LORD.

Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers who write oppressive decrees; to deprive the needy from justice, and to rob the poor among my people of their rights, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey.

Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves. They leave nothing until the next day.

Now the chief priests and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus so they could put him to death; and they found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward. But at last two false witnesses came forward, and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.'" read more.
The high priest stood up, and said to him, "Have you no answer? What is this that these testify against you?"

For he knew that because of envy they had delivered him up. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him." Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. read more.
But the governor answered them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" They said, "Barabbas." Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do to Jesus, who is called Messiah?" They all said, "Let him be crucified." But he said, "Why? What evil has he done?" But they shouted all the louder, saying, "Let him be crucified." So when Pilate saw that nothing was being gained, but rather that a disturbance was starting, he took water, and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this man. You see to it." All the people answered, "May his blood be on us, and on our children." Then he released to them Barabbas, but Jesus he flogged and delivered to be crucified.

They led Jesus away to the high priest. All the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes came together.

Now the chief priests and the whole council sought witnesses against Jesus to put him to death, and found none. For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree with each other. Some stood up, and gave false testimony against him, saying, read more.
"We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.'" Even so, their testimony did not agree. The high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, "Have you no answer? What is it which these testify against you?" But he stayed quiet, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus said, "I am. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of the sky." The high priest tore his clothes, and said, "What further need have we of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" They all condemned him to be worthy of death. Some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to beat him with fists, and to tell him, "Prophesy." The officers struck him with the palms of their hands.


But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, "What shall we do to these men? Because indeed a notable miracle has been done through them, as can be plainly seen by all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that this spreads no further among the people, let us threaten them, that from now on they do not speak to anyone in this name." read more.
They called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and came against him and seized him, and brought him in to the council, and set up false witnesses who said, "This man never stops speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the Law. read more.
For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us."

Meanwhile, he also hoped that money would be given to him by Paul. Therefore also he sent for him more often, and talked with him. But when two years were fulfilled, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and desiring to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul in bonds.


Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests, and said, "What are you willing to give me, that I should deliver him to you?" They weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver.

So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles who were in his city, who lived with Naboth. She wrote in the letters, saying, "Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. Set two men, base fellows, before him, and let them testify against him, saying, 'You cursed God and the king.' Then carry him out, and stone him to death." read more.
The men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, according as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them. They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. The two men, the base fellows, came in and sat before him. The base fellows testified against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, "Naboth cursed God and the king." Then they carried him out of the city, and stoned him to death with stones. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, "Naboth has been stoned, and is dead."

There stood before them seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel; and in their midst stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, every man with his censer in his hand; and the odor of the cloud of incense went up. Then he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his rooms of imagery? For they say, 'The LORD doesn't see us. The LORD has forsaken the land.'"

Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that Jesus was condemned, felt remorse, and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood." But they said, "What is that to us? You see to it."


Her priests have done violence to my law, and have profaned my holy things: they have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they caused men to discern between the unclean and the clean, and have hidden their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

for both prophet and priest are profane; yes, in my house have I found their wickedness," says the LORD. "Therefore their way shall be to them as slippery places in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein; for I will bring evil on them, even the year of their visitation," says the LORD.

By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.


When therefore the chief priests and the officers saw him, they shouted, saying, "Crucify. Crucify." Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves, and crucify him, for I find no basis for a charge against him."

Likewise the chief priests also mocking, with the scribes, and the elders, said,

Her leaders judge for bribes, and her priests teach for a price, and her prophets of it tell fortunes for money: yet they lean on the LORD, and say, "Isn't the LORD in the midst of us? No disaster will come on us."

Her prophets are arrogant and treacherous people. Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law.

But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, that he should release Barabbas to them instead.

The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it?

Her priests have done violence to my law, and have profaned my holy things: they have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they caused men to discern between the unclean and the clean, and have hidden their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

"Listen to this, you priests. Listen, house of Israel, and give ear, house of the king. For the judgment is against you; for you have been a snare at Mizpah, and a net spread on Tabor.

As gangs of robbers wait to ambush a man, so the company of priests murder in the way toward Shechem, committing shameful crimes.

Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.










Like a muddied spring, and a polluted well, so is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.

Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water?