Thematic Bible: Court


Thematic Bible



Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. All of them are lovers of bribes and are runners after gifts. They don't bring justice to orphans, and the widow's case never comes up for review in their court."

who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of justice!"

And speaking of evil, they practice it eagerly with both hands! Both leader and judge demand a bribe, the famous confess their perverted desires, and they scheme together.

Her leaders judge for the money, her priests teach only when they're paid, and her prophets prophesy for cash. Even so, don't they all rely on the LORD as they ask, "The LORD is among us, is he not? Nothing bad can possibly happen to us!'


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

"How terrible it will be for the one who enacts unjust decrees, for those who write oppressive laws that they have prescribed to deprive the needy of justice and to rob the poor of my people of their rights, so that widows may become their spoil and so that they may plunder orphans!

Its national officials are roaring lions; its judges are like wolves of the night that don't leave the bones for the morning.

Meanwhile, the high priests and the whole Council were looking for false testimony against Jesus in order to have him put to death. But they couldn't find any, even though many false witnesses had come forward. At last two men came forward and stated, "This man said, "I can destroy the sanctuary of God and rebuild it in three days.'" read more.
At this, the high priest stood up and asked Jesus, "Don't you have any answer to what these men are testifying against you?"

He did this because he knew that they had handed him over out of jealousy. While he was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him a message that said, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, because today I have suffered terribly due to a dream I had about him." But the high priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to demand that Jesus be put to death. read more.
So the governor asked them, "Which of the two men do you want me to release for you?" "Barabbas!" they replied. Pilate asked them, "Then what should I do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!" He asked, "What has he done wrong?" But they kept shouting louder and louder, "Let him be crucified!" Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was about to break out instead. So he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood. Attend to that yourselves." All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and our children!" Then he released Barabbas for them, but he had Jesus whipped and handed over to be crucified.

Then they took Jesus to the high priest. All the high priests, elders, and scribes had gathered together.

Meanwhile, the high priests and the whole Council were looking for some testimony against Jesus in order to have him put to death, but they couldn't find any. Although many people gave false testimony against him, their testimony didn't agree. Then some men stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, read more.
"We ourselves heard him say, "I will destroy this sanctuary made by human hands, and in three days I will build another one not made by human hands.'" But even on this point their testimony didn't agree. Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Don't you have any answer to what these men are testifying against you?" But he kept silent and didn't answer at all. The high priest asked him again, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus said, "I AM, and "you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power' and "coming with the clouds of heaven.'" Then the high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we still need witnesses?" he asked. "You have heard his blasphemy! What is your verdict?" All of them condemned him as deserving death. Some of them began to spit on him. They blindfolded him and kept hitting him with their fists and telling him, "Prophesy!" Even the servants took him and slapped him around.


So they ordered them to leave the Council and began to discuss the matter among themselves. They said, "What should we do with these men? For it's obvious to everybody living in Jerusalem that an unmistakable sign has been done by them, and we cannot deny it. But to keep it from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them never again to speak to anyone in this name." read more.
So they called Peter and John back in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

So they secretly got some men to say, "We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God." They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes. Then they rushed at Stephen, grabbed him, and brought him before the Council. They had false witnesses stand up and say, "This man never stops saying things against this Holy Place and against the Law. read more.
For we have heard him say that this Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us."

At the same time he was hoping to receive a bribe from Paul, and so he would send for him frequently to talk with him. After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. Since Felix wanted to do the Jews a favor, he left Paul in prison.


But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus to life after you killed him by hanging him on a tree. God has exalted to his right hand this very man as our Leader and Savior in order to extend repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. read more.
We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who keep on obeying him."

So they called Peter and John back in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, "You must decide whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God, for we cannot stop talking about what we've seen and heard."

The priests and prophets told the officials and all the people, "A death sentence for this man, because he prophesied against this city, as you heard with your own ears!" Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and to all the people: "The LORD has sent me to prophesy all the things you heard against this house and against this city. Now, change your habits and your deeds and obey the LORD your God, and the LORD will change his mind about the disaster that he told you about. read more.
Look, I'm in your hands, so do with me what you think is good and right. But know for certain that if you kill me, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and its residents because the LORD really did send me to you to say all these things for you to hear." The officials and all the people told the priests and the prophets, "No death sentence for this man because he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God."

The high priests kept accusing him of many things. So Pilate asked him again, "Don't you have any answer? Look how many accusations they're bringing against you!" But since Jesus no longer answered, Pilate was astonished.

Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, told them, "Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being questioned today for a good deed done for someone who was sick or to learn how this man was healed, you and all the people of Israel must understand that this man stands healthy before you because of the name of Jesus from Nazareth, whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead. read more.
He is "the stone that was rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone.' There is no salvation by anyone else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved."

Then the high priest asked, "Is this true?" Stephen replied: "Listen, brothers and fathers! "The glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran. God told him, "Leave your country and your relatives and go to the land I'll show you.' read more.
So he left the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. Then after the death of his father, God had him move to this country where you now live. God gave him no property here, not even a foot of land, yet he promised to give it to him and to his descendants after him as a permanent possession, even though he had no child. "This is what God promised: His descendants would be strangers in a foreign country, and its people would enslave them and oppress them for 400 years. "But I will punish the nation they serve,' said God, "and afterwards they will leave and worship me in this place.' Later, God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. Later, he fathered Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. Then Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered the twelve patriarchs. "Joseph's brothers became jealous of him and sold Joseph as a slave in Egypt. However, God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler of Egypt and of his whole household. "But a famine spread throughout Egypt and Canaan, and with it great suffering, and our ancestors couldn't find any food. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors on their first trip. On their second trip, Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph introduced his family to Pharaoh. Then Joseph invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come to him in Egypt 75 persons in all. So Jacob went down to Egypt. Then he and our ancestors died. They were brought back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought at a high price from Hamor's descendants in Shechem. "Now as the time approached for the fulfillment of the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people's population increased a great deal in Egypt. Eventually, a different king who had not known Joseph became ruler of Egypt. By shrewdly scheming against our people, he oppressed our ancestors and forced them to abandon their infants to the elements, so that they wouldn't live. "At this time Moses was born. He was beautiful in the sight of God, and for three months he was cared for in his father's house. When he was placed outside, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. So Moses learned all the wisdom of the Egyptians and became a great man, both in words and in deeds. "When he was 40 years old, he decided to visit his brothers, the descendants of Israel. When he saw one of them being mistreated, he defended him and avenged the man who was being mistreated by killing the Egyptian. He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was using him to rescue them, but they didn't understand. The next day, he presented himself to some of them while they were fighting and tried to reconcile them. He said, "Men, you are brothers. Why should you be hurting another?' "But the man who was harming his neighbor pushed Moses away and said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? You don't want to kill me like you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?' Because of this, Moses fled and lived as a foreigner in the land of Midian. There he had two sons. "After 40 years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and when he approached the bush to look at it, the voice of the Lord said, "I am the God of your ancestors the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses became terrified and didn't dare to look. Then the Lord told him, "Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have surely seen the oppression of my people in Egypt, I've heard their groans, and I've come down to rescue them. Now come, I'll send you to Egypt.' "This same Moses whom they rejected by saying, "Who made you ruler and judge?' was the man whom God sent to be both their ruler and deliverer with the help of the angel who had appeared to him in the bush. It was he who led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for 40 years. It was this Moses who told the Israelis, "God will raise up a prophet for you from among your own brothers, just as he did me.' This Moses is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and to our ancestors. He received living truths to give to us, but our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and wished to return to Egypt. They told Aaron, "Make gods for us who will lead us. This Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt we don't know what happened to him!' "At that time they even made a calf to be their idol, offered a sacrifice to it, and delighted in what they had made with their hands. So God turned away from them and gave them over to worship the heavenly bodies. As it is written in the book of the Prophets: "O house of Israel, you didn't offer me slaughtered animals and sacrifices those 40 years in the wilderness, did you? You even took along the tent of Moloch, the star of your god Rephan, and the images you made in order to worship them. So I will take you into exile as far as Babylon.' "Our ancestors had the Tent of Testimony in the wilderness constructed, just as the one who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern he had seen. Our ancestors brought it here with Joshua when they replaced the nations that God drove out in front of our ancestors, and it was here until the time of David. He found favor with God and asked to design a dwelling for the house of Jacob, but it was Solomon who built a house for him. However, the Most High does not live in buildings made by human hands. As the prophet says, ""Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house can you build for me,' declares the Lord, "or what place is there in which I can rest? It was my hand that made all these things, wasn't it?'" "You stubborn people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Which of the prophets did your ancestors fail to persecute? They killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. You received the Law as ordained by angels, and yet you haven't obeyed it!" While they were listening to these things, they became more and more furious and began to grind their teeth at him. But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"

Paul looked straight at the Council and said, "Brothers, with a clear conscience I have done my duty before God up to this very day." Then the high priest Ananias ordered the men standing near him to strike him on the mouth. At this Paul told him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! How can you sit there and judge me according to the Law, and yet in violation of the Law order me to be struck?" read more.
The men standing near him asked, "Do you mean to insult God's high priest?" Paul answered, "I didn't realize, brothers, that he is the high priest. After all, it is written, "You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.'" When Paul saw that some of them were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he shouted in the Council, "Brothers, I'm a Pharisee and a descendant of Pharisees. I'm on trial concerning the hope that the dead will be resurrected." After he said that, an angry quarrel broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided,


then his parents are to seize him and bring him before the elders at the gate of his city.

He may run to one of those cities, stand at the entrance to the city gate, and tell his side of the story to the elders of the city. They are to bring him inside the city with them and provide him a place to live among them.

Then the father of the young lady, along with her mother, is to bring evidence of the young lady's virginity to the elders at the gate.

But if the man does not want to marry his brother's widow, then she must go to the elders at the city gate and declare, "My husband's brother refuses to perform the duty of a brother-in-law in order to preserve the name of his brother in Israel. He is not willing to perform the duty of a brother-in-law.'

Meanwhile, Boaz approached the city gate and sat down there. Just then, the very same related redeemer whom Boaz had mentioned came by, so Boaz called out to him, "Come over and sit down here, my friend!" So the man came over and sat down.

Here's what you must do: tell the truth to your neighbors, administer true and peaceful justice in your courtrooms,



From the descendants of Izhar, Chenaniah and his sons were assigned as officers and judges with responsibilities relating to external duties. From the descendants of Hebron, Hashabiah and his relatives 1,700 outstanding men were assigned oversight of Israel west of the Jordan regarding all of the LORD's work and services on behalf of the king. From the descendants of Hebron, Jerijah was assigned chief of the descendants of Hebron. During the fortieth year of David's administration, a search was made by genealogical record, family by family, to find men of great ability, including those found at Jazer in Gilead. read more.
King David appointed Jerijah, his relatives, and 2,700 competent men who were each family heads, to oversee the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh regarding everything pertaining to God as well as matters relating to the king.

In Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat also appointed certain descendants of Levi, priests, and family leaders of Israel to render verdicts for the LORD and to decide difficult cases. Their offices were in Jerusalem. He issued this reminder to them: "You are to carry out your duties in the fear of the LORD, serving him faithfully with your whole heart. No matter what case comes before you from your fellow citizens who live in their own cities, whether it's a dispute between blood relatives or a dispute regarding the Law and the commands, statutes, or verdicts, you are to warn the parties so that they do not become guilty in the LORD's presence and so that anger does not come upon you and your fellow citizens. read more.
Take notice, please, that Amariah the Chief Priest is presiding over all cases that pertain to the LORD, Ishmael's son Zebadiah is presiding as ruler of the household of Judah with respect to all cases that pertain to the national government, and the descendants of Levi will preside over your other civil cases. Serve courageously, and the LORD will be with the upright."

"If your brother sins against you, go and confront him while the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. But if he doesn't listen, take one or two others with you so that "every word may be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If, however, he ignores them, tell it to the congregation. If he also ignores the congregation, regard him as an unbeliever and a tax collector. read more.
"I tell all of you with certainty, whatever you prohibit on earth will have been prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will have been permitted in heaven.


You are to look for capable men among the people, men who fear God, men of integrity who hate dishonest gain. You are to set these men over them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They are to judge the people at all times. Let them bring every major matter to you, but let them judge every minor matter. It will lighten your burden, and they'll bear it with you. If you do this, and God so commands you, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will also go to their homes in peace." read more.
Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. Moses chose capable men from all Israel and appointed them as heads over the people, as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They judged the people at all times; the difficult matters they brought to Moses, but every minor matter they judged.

So I chose leaders from your tribes, wise and respected men, and I appointed them over you commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. I charged your judges at that time, "When you hold a hearing between brothers, judge fairly between a man and his brother or between foreigners. When you hold a hearing, don't be partial in judgment toward the least important or toward the great. Never fear men, because judgment belongs to God. If the matter is difficult for you, bring it to me for a hearing.'

"If a case is too difficult for you to decide with respect to bloodshed, civil claims, assault and battery, or other matters of dispute within your courts, bring it to the place that the LORD your God will choose. Present the case to the Levitical priest or the judge at that time. When you have inquired and they have announced the verdict, carry out the verdict that was declared to you at the place that the LORD will choose. Carefully observe all of their instructions to you read more.
in accordance with what the Law says, and in accordance with the verdict that will be handed to you. You must not deviate from the verdict that they declare to you either to the right or to the left. If a man presumptuously disregards the priest who is serving the LORD your God there or the judge, that person must die so you will purge evil from Israel. Then all the people who hear will be afraid and will not act presumptuously again."

and appointing judges throughout the land in all of the walled cities of Judah, city by city. He issued this reminder to the judges: "Pay careful attention to your duties, because you are judging not only for the sake of human beings but also for the LORD and he is present with you as you make your rulings. So let the fear of the LORD rest upon you, be on your guard, and act carefully, because with the LORD our God there is neither injustice, nor partiality, nor bribery." read more.
In Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat also appointed certain descendants of Levi, priests, and family leaders of Israel to render verdicts for the LORD and to decide difficult cases. Their offices were in Jerusalem. He issued this reminder to them: "You are to carry out your duties in the fear of the LORD, serving him faithfully with your whole heart. No matter what case comes before you from your fellow citizens who live in their own cities, whether it's a dispute between blood relatives or a dispute regarding the Law and the commands, statutes, or verdicts, you are to warn the parties so that they do not become guilty in the LORD's presence and so that anger does not come upon you and your fellow citizens.


and appointing judges throughout the land in all of the walled cities of Judah, city by city. He issued this reminder to the judges: "Pay careful attention to your duties, because you are judging not only for the sake of human beings but also for the LORD and he is present with you as you make your rulings. So let the fear of the LORD rest upon you, be on your guard, and act carefully, because with the LORD our God there is neither injustice, nor partiality, nor bribery." read more.
In Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat also appointed certain descendants of Levi, priests, and family leaders of Israel to render verdicts for the LORD and to decide difficult cases. Their offices were in Jerusalem. He issued this reminder to them: "You are to carry out your duties in the fear of the LORD, serving him faithfully with your whole heart. No matter what case comes before you from your fellow citizens who live in their own cities, whether it's a dispute between blood relatives or a dispute regarding the Law and the commands, statutes, or verdicts, you are to warn the parties so that they do not become guilty in the LORD's presence and so that anger does not come upon you and your fellow citizens.

You are not to follow the majority in doing wrong, and you are not to testify in a lawsuit so as to follow the majority and pervert justice. You are not to show partiality to a poor man in his lawsuit.

"You are not to pervert justice for the poor among you in their lawsuits. Stay far away from a false charge, and don't kill the innocent or the righteous, because I won't acquit the guilty. You are not to take a bribe because a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and distorts the words of the righteous.

I charged your judges at that time, "When you hold a hearing between brothers, judge fairly between a man and his brother or between foreigners. When you hold a hearing, don't be partial in judgment toward the least important or toward the great. Never fear men, because judgment belongs to God. If the matter is difficult for you, bring it to me for a hearing.'

"When there is a conflict between individuals, let them come to court to judge the case, decide who is innocent, and condemn the guilty person.


"If a case is too difficult for you to decide with respect to bloodshed, civil claims, assault and battery, or other matters of dispute within your courts, bring it to the place that the LORD your God will choose. Present the case to the Levitical priest or the judge at that time. When you have inquired and they have announced the verdict, carry out the verdict that was declared to you at the place that the LORD will choose. Carefully observe all of their instructions to you read more.
in accordance with what the Law says, and in accordance with the verdict that will be handed to you. You must not deviate from the verdict that they declare to you either to the right or to the left. If a man presumptuously disregards the priest who is serving the LORD your God there or the judge, that person must die so you will purge evil from Israel. Then all the people who hear will be afraid and will not act presumptuously again."

"Now marshal yourselves as troops. He has laid siege to us. They will strike the judge of Israel on the cheek with a rod."

Paul looked straight at the Council and said, "Brothers, with a clear conscience I have done my duty before God up to this very day." Then the high priest Ananias ordered the men standing near him to strike him on the mouth. At this Paul told him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! How can you sit there and judge me according to the Law, and yet in violation of the Law order me to be struck?" read more.
The men standing near him asked, "Do you mean to insult God's high priest?" Paul answered, "I didn't realize, brothers, that he is the high priest. After all, it is written, "You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.'"


Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. He went on a circuit each year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all those places. He would return to Ramah because his house was there, and judged Israel from there. He also built an altar to the LORD there.


"If a case is too difficult for you to decide with respect to bloodshed, civil claims, assault and battery, or other matters of dispute within your courts, bring it to the place that the LORD your God will choose. Present the case to the Levitical priest or the judge at that time. When you have inquired and they have announced the verdict, carry out the verdict that was declared to you at the place that the LORD will choose. Carefully observe all of their instructions to you read more.
in accordance with what the Law says, and in accordance with the verdict that will be handed to you. You must not deviate from the verdict that they declare to you either to the right or to the left. If a man presumptuously disregards the priest who is serving the LORD your God there or the judge, that person must die so you will purge evil from Israel.


Moses, Eleazar the priest, the elders, and the entire community at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, stood before them, and said,


She regularly took her seat under the Palm Tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountainous region of Ephraim, where the Israelis would approach her for decisions.


Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs, whom he had assigned to her, and she ordered him to go to Mordecai to find out what was happening and why it was happening. Hathach went to Mordecai in the city square that was in front of the king's gate.

Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. Then Esther spoke to Hathach, instructing him to go back to Mordecai with this message:


If a man presumptuously disregards the priest who is serving the LORD your God there or the judge, that person must die so you will purge evil from Israel.


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