Thematic Bible: Court


Thematic Bible



Your rulers are rebels, friends with thieves. They all love bribes and run after gifts. They never defend orphans. They do not listen to the widows' pleas. Verse ConceptsGiftsBribery, Results OfExploitationsWicked RulersOppression, Nature OfOrphansReward, HumanRiches, Dangers OfRulersStealingLeadershipRulers, WickedCovetousness, Example OfEvil AssociationsCompanionshipNot Helping Widows

You let the guilty go free for a bribe and you keep the innocent from getting justice. Verse ConceptsAcquittalGuiltAcquitting The Guilty

They diligently seek to do evil with their hands. The prince asks and the judge is ready for a bribe. The great man utters his own evil desire. They weave it together. Verse ConceptsGiftsAliancesAmbition, negative aspects ofWicked RulersJudgesPower, HumanReward, HumanSkillRulers, WickedCharacter Of WickedGuileAmbidextrousTwo Of Body PartsContinuing In SinLording It



Many seek favor from the ruler; but every man's judgment comes from Jehovah. Verse ConceptsFalse ConfidenceCelebritiesPleasing MenSeeking The Favour Of GodMaking DecisionsFavor

How horrible it will be for those who enact unjust laws and who decree oppressive regulations. They deprive the poor of justice. They take away the rights of the needy among my people. They prey on widows and rob orphans.

Her princes (rulers) within her are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves. They leave nothing till the morning. Verse ConceptsLionsWolvesIn The Morning

The chief priests and all the Sanhedrin were looking for false witness against Jesus. They wanted to put him to death. They failed, even though a number of false witnesses came. Later two witnesses came. They said: This man said, 'I am able to destroy the Temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.' read more.
The high priest stood up and said to him: Have you no answer? What is it these say against you?

He knew it was because of envy they gave him up. While he was seated in judgment his wife sent a message to him. She said, Do not judge that righteous man. I have had much trouble this day in a dream because of him. The chief priests and elders got the people to request Barabbas, and for Jesus to be put to death. read more.
The governor responded to them. He asked: Which of the two do you want me to set free? They shouted: Barabbas! Pilate said to them: What am I to do with Jesus, the one called Christ? They all said: Put him to death. Impale him! What evil has he done? Pilate asked. But they shouted: Impale him! Pilate saw that he could do nothing. The people were ready to cause much trouble. He took water and washed his hands in front of the people. He said: The blood of this man is not on my hands. You are responsible. The people answered: Let his blood be on us, and on our children. He set Barabbas free. He had Jesus whipped. Then he commanded that he be put to death on the stake.

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They led Jesus away to the high priest. The chief priests, elders and scribes came together with him. Verse ConceptsOld Age, Attitudes ToAssembling LeadersOpposition To Christ From ScribesThe Chief Priests Convened

Now the chief priests and the whole council looked for witness against Jesus to put him to death. They found none. Many gave false witness against him. But their witness was not in agreement. One person falsely witnessed against him by 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 witness did not agree. The high priest stood in the middle of them, and said to Jesus: Do you not answer? What is it these say against you? But he kept quiet and said nothing. Again the high priest questioned him: Are you the Christ, the son of the Holy One? Jesus said: I am and you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven. Violently parting his robes, the high priest said: What need do we have for more witnesses? We have heard his words against God. What is your opinion? They all said he should be put to death. Some spit on him and covering his face they gave him blows. Guess who hit you, they said. The leaders took him and beat him with their hands.


They ordered them to leave the council. Then they conferred among themselves. They said: What shall we do to these men? The fact that a notable miracle has been done by them is evident to all who live in Jerusalem. And we cannot deny it. We must warn these men not to speak about it in order to stop this from spreading further among the people. read more.
They called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

They secretly induced me to say: We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. They stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and pursued him. They caught him and brought him to the council. They brought false witnesses, which said: This man will not stop speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law. read more.
We heard him say: 'This Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.'

He hoped that Paul would give him money to free him. He sent for him frequently and conversed with him. After two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix. Felix was willing to show the Jews a favor. He left Paul in prison.

Peter and the other apostles answered: We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed. You hanged him on a stake. God exalted him to his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. read more.
We are witnesses of these things. The Holy Spirit, which God gave to those who obey him, also witnessed.

They called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. Peter and John answered: You judge whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God. We cannot stop speaking the things we have seen and heard.

The priests and the prophets said to the leaders and to the people: This man deserves to be sentenced to death because he has spoken against our city. You heard him with your own ears. Then I Jeremiah said: Jehovah sent me to proclaim everything that you heard me say against this Temple and against this city. You must change the way you are living and the things you are doing. You must obey Jehovah your God. If you do, he will change his mind about the destruction that he said he would bring on you. read more.
I am in your hand (power)! Do with me whatever you think is fair and right. But if you put me to death, you and everyone else in Jerusalem will be guilty of murdering an innocent man. This is because everything I spoke came from Jehovah. The judges and the other people told the priests and prophets: Since Jeremiah only told us what Jehovah our God had said, we do not think he deserves to die.

The chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate again asked him: Do you not answer? See how many things they testify against you! But Jesus gave no answer. Pilate wondered.

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said: You rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, If we are on trial for a good deed done to a sick man, concerning how this man was made well; Let it be known to you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you impaled and whom God raised from the dead, even by him this man stands before you healed. read more.
This is the stone that was rejected by you builders. It became the chief corner stone. There is no salvation in anyone else. For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

The high priest asked: Are these things so? He said: Men, brothers and fathers, listen; The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. He said to him: 'Get out of your country and away from your relatives. Go to the land that I will show you. read more.
He went out of the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. After his father died, God moved him to this land, where you now dwell. He gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on. Yet he promised that he would give it to him and his seed after him for a possession. This promise was made before he had a child. God spoke to this effect, that his seed would be alien residents in a strange land. They would enslave them, and mistreat them for four hundred years. I will judge the nation to whom they shall be in bondage,' said God, 'and after they will come serve me in this place.' He gave him the covenant of circumcision. Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him the eighth day. Isaac became father to Jacob and Jacob fathered the twelve family heads. The family heads were jealous of Joseph and sold him as a slave into Egypt. However, God was with him. And God delivered him out of all his afflictions. He gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Pharaoh made him governor over Egypt and his entire house. A famine and great suffering came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan. Our fathers found no food. When Jacob heard there was food in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit. The second time Joseph got acquainted with his brothers and Pharaoh was told about Joseph's family. Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob and all his family, seventy-five people. Jacob went down into Egypt and died, he and our fathers. Their bodies were brought to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem. When the time of God's promise to Abraham drew near, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt. Another king arose. He did not know Joseph. He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our fathers so that they cast out their young children and they did not survive. Moses was born then. He was divinely beautiful. He was nursed three months in his father's house. And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him and nourished him as her own son. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers the children of Israel. Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged the oppressed one by killing the Egyptian. He supposed his brothers would understand how God by his hand would deliver them but they did not understand. The next day he appeared to them while they were fighting. He wanted to unite them and said, 'You are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?' The one who was treating his neighbor unjustly pushed him away, saying: 'Who made you our ruler and judge? Will you kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?' When he heard this talk Moses fled and became a stranger in the land of Median, where he became father to two sons. At the end of forty years, Jehovah's angel appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai in a flame of fire in a bush. (Exodus 3:3) When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. He drew near to look at it and the voice of Jehovah came to him. He said: I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled and did not dare to look further. Jehovah said: Take the sandals from your feet for the place where you stand is holy ground. (Exodus 3:5) I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come to deliver them. Come, I will send you into Egypt. This Moses whom they refused, saying: Who made you ruler and judge? God sent him to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel that appeared to him in the bush. He brought them out. He showed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. This is the Moses that said to the children of Israel, your God will raise up a prophet like me from your brothers. This one was with our father in the congregation in the wilderness. The angel spoke to him on Mount Sinai. He received the living oracles to give to us. Our fathers would not obey him. They sent him away, and in their hearts turned back again to Egypt. They said to Aaron: Make us gods to go in front of us. We do not know what happened to this Moses, who led us out of Egypt. They made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven. It is written in the book of the prophets: O you house of Israel, have you offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? Yes, you took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan. You made figures to worship them. I will carry you away beyond Babylon. Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking to Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Joshua into the possession of the nations, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, until the days of David; Who found favor before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built him a house. The most High does not dwell in houses made with hands as the prophet says, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. What house will you build me? Said Jehovah God. What is the place of my rest? (Isaiah 66:1) Did my hand make all these things? You obstinate men who are uncircumcised in heart and ears. You always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers did. Which of the prophets have your fathers not persecuted? They killed those who announced in advance the coming of the righteous one whom you have betrayed and murdered. You have received the law by the disposition of angels and have not obeyed it. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart. They gnashed their teeth at him. Being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He said, Behold, 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: Fellow Israelites! My conscience is perfectly clear about the way in which I have lived before God to this very day. The high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Paul said to him: God will strike you, white washed wall! Do you sit judging me according to the Law, and against law command me to be struck? read more.
Those who stood near him said, Do you revile the high priest of God? Then Paul said, I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest. It is written: You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people. When Paul saw that part of them were Sadducees and the other part Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin: Men! Brothers! I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee! I am being judged because of the hope and resurrection of the dead. When he said this dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The crowd was divided.

His father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown. Verse ConceptsGatesComing To Gates

When you flee to one of these cities you must go to the place of judgment at the entrance to the city, and explain to the leaders what happened. Then they will let you into the city and give you a place to live in, so that you can stay there. Verse ConceptsGatesWaiting At Gates

The girl's father and her mother must present evidence of the girl's virginity to the elders of the city at the gate. Verse ConceptsTownComing To Gatesvirginity

If the man does not desire to take his brother's wife, his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say: My husband's brother refuses to establish a name for his brother in Israel. He is not willing to perform the duty of a husband's brother to me. Verse ConceptsOld Age, Attitudes ToTownComing To GatesPeople UnwillingBrothers in lawMarriage Between Man And Woman

Boaz went to the public place in the town and sat down. When the kinsman-redeemer came along, the one he had mentioned, Boaz said: Come here, and sit down. He came and was seated. Verse ConceptsGatesSitting In The Gateway

These are the things that you should do. Every man should speak the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates (towns). Verse ConceptsLawsuitsBusiness At The GatewayJudging RightlyPerforming The TruthSpeaking TruthDoing God's WorksSeek PeaceJudgmentsTelling The Truth


From the Izharites: Kenaniah and his sons were assigned duties away from the temple, as officials and judges over Israel. From the Hebronites: Hashabiah and his relatives, seventeen hundred able men, were responsible in Israel west of the Jordan for all the work of Jehovah and for the king's service. As for the Hebronites, Jeriah was their chief according to the genealogical records of their families. In the fortieth year of David's reign a search was made in the records, and capable men among the Hebronites were found at Jazer in Gilead. read more.
Jeriah had twenty-seven hundred relatives, who were able men and heads of families, and King David put them in charge of the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh for every matter pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king.

Jehoshaphat also appointed some Levites, some priests, and some of the family leaders to serve as judges in Jerusalem. He told them: Faithfully serve Jehovah! Warn your relatives living in other cities about every case they bring to you, even if the case involves bloodshed or commandments, rules, or regulations derived from the law. Then your relatives will not become guilty in front of Jehovah. Otherwise, he will become angry with you and your relatives. Do this and you will not be guilty of anything. read more.
The chief priest Amariah will be in charge of you in every matter involving Jehovah. Zebadiah, who is the son of Ishmael and the leader of the tribe of Judah, will be in charge of every matter involving the king. The Levites will serve as officers of the court. Be strong and do your job. May Jehovah be with those who do right.

If your brother does wrong to you, go to him in private. Clearly explain his error between you and him. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother back. If he does not listen to you, take one or two more people with you. Two or three witnesses may prove every case. If he will not listen to them, let it come to the attention of the congregation. If he will not listen to the congregation, let him be to you as a heathen and a tax collector. read more.
I tell you; whatever things are fixed by you on earth will be declared improper and unlawful in heaven. Whatever you make free on earth will be declared lawful in heaven.

You should choose capable men from all the people. Find men who respect God. These must be men you can trust who hate corruption. Put them in charge of groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. They must be the ones who usually settle disagreements among the people. They should bring all-important cases to you. But they should settle all minor cases themselves. Make it easier for yourself by letting them help you. If you do this, as God commands, you will not wear yourself out. All these people can go home with their disputes settled. read more.
Moses took Jethro's advice and chose capable men from among all the Israelites. He appointed them as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They judged the people on a permanent basis. The difficult cases were taken to Moses but they decided the smaller disputes themselves.

So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men and known, and made them rulers over you. I made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes. I charged your judges to hear the cases between your countrymen and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger with him. You will not show partiality in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great. You will not fear man for the judgment is God's. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.'

If any case is too difficult for you to decide, between one kind of homicide or another, between one kind of lawsuit or another, and between one kind of assault or another, being cases of dispute in your courts, then you should go to the place Jehovah your God chooses. Approach the Levitical priest or the judge who is in office in those days. Inquire of them and they will declare to you the verdict in the case. Act according to the terms of the verdict they declare to you from that place Jehovah chooses. Be careful to abide by all that they teach you. read more.
Act according to the verdict and the terms they tell you. Do not turn away from the word they declare to you. The man who acts presumptuously and does not listen to the priest or the judge will die. This way you will purge the evil from Israel. The priests and judges are there to serve Jehovah your God. Then all the people will hear and be afraid. They will not act presumptuously again.

He appointed judges in the country, in each fortified city of Judah. He told the judges: Be careful when you make your decisions in court. Remember these are Jehovah's people. He will know the judgements you decide. Do your work in honor of him and know that he will not allow you to be unfair to anyone or to take bribes. read more.
Jehoshaphat also appointed some Levites, some priests, and some of the family leaders to serve as judges in Jerusalem. He told them: Faithfully serve Jehovah! Warn your relatives living in other cities about every case they bring to you, even if the case involves bloodshed or commandments, rules, or regulations derived from the law. Then your relatives will not become guilty in front of Jehovah. Otherwise, he will become angry with you and your relatives. Do this and you will not be guilty of anything.

He appointed judges in the country, in each fortified city of Judah. He told the judges: Be careful when you make your decisions in court. Remember these are Jehovah's people. He will know the judgements you decide. Do your work in honor of him and know that he will not allow you to be unfair to anyone or to take bribes. read more.
Jehoshaphat also appointed some Levites, some priests, and some of the family leaders to serve as judges in Jerusalem. He told them: Faithfully serve Jehovah! Warn your relatives living in other cities about every case they bring to you, even if the case involves bloodshed or commandments, rules, or regulations derived from the law. Then your relatives will not become guilty in front of Jehovah. Otherwise, he will become angry with you and your relatives. Do this and you will not be guilty of anything.

Do not follow the majority to do wrong. Do not give testimony that perverts justice. Do not show partiality to a poor man at his trial.

Do not deny justice to a poor person at his trial. Do not make false accusations. Do not put an innocent person to death. I will condemn anyone who does this evil thing. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe makes the discerning blind to what is right and perverts the words of the righteous.

I charged your judges to hear the cases between your countrymen and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger with him. You will not show partiality in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great. You will not fear man for the judgment is God's. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.'

When there is a dispute between men and they go to court, and the judges decide their case. They justify the righteous and condemn the wicked. Verse Conceptsethics, incentives towardsInnocence, Teaching OnJustification, Necessity OfLawsuitsMagistrates

If any case is too difficult for you to decide, between one kind of homicide or another, between one kind of lawsuit or another, and between one kind of assault or another, being cases of dispute in your courts, then you should go to the place Jehovah your God chooses. Approach the Levitical priest or the judge who is in office in those days. Inquire of them and they will declare to you the verdict in the case. Act according to the terms of the verdict they declare to you from that place Jehovah chooses. Be careful to abide by all that they teach you. read more.
Act according to the verdict and the terms they tell you. Do not turn away from the word they declare to you. The man who acts presumptuously and does not listen to the priest or the judge will die. This way you will purge the evil from Israel. The priests and judges are there to serve Jehovah your God. Then all the people will hear and be afraid. They will not act presumptuously again.

Now you will gather in troops, O daughter of troops! He has attacked us. They will strike the judge of Israel on the cheek with a rod. Verse ConceptsCheeksRulersNames And Titles For ChristChrist, Names ForSmitten CheeksMustering TroopsStriking People With A StaffNations Attacking IsraelMessianic Prophecies

Paul looked straight at the Council and said: Fellow Israelites! My conscience is perfectly clear about the way in which I have lived before God to this very day. The high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Paul said to him: God will strike you, white washed wall! Do you sit judging me according to the Law, and against law command me to be struck? read more.
Those who stood near him said, Do you revile the high priest of God? Then Paul said, I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest. It is written: You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people.

Samuel judged Israel as long as he lived. Every year he went around to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah in order to judge Israel in all those places. Then he returned home to Ramah where he judged Israel. And in Ramah he built an altar to Jehovah.

If any case is too difficult for you to decide, between one kind of homicide or another, between one kind of lawsuit or another, and between one kind of assault or another, being cases of dispute in your courts, then you should go to the place Jehovah your God chooses. Approach the Levitical priest or the judge who is in office in those days. Inquire of them and they will declare to you the verdict in the case. Act according to the terms of the verdict they declare to you from that place Jehovah chooses. Be careful to abide by all that they teach you. read more.
Act according to the verdict and the terms they tell you. Do not turn away from the word they declare to you. The man who acts presumptuously and does not listen to the priest or the judge will die. This way you will purge the evil from Israel. The priests and judges are there to serve Jehovah your God.

They came to Moses and stood in front of him, the priest Eleazar, the leaders, and the entire congregation at the entrance to the tent of meeting. They said:

She held court under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim. The children of Israel came to her for judgment. Verse ConceptsPalm TreesCourts

Then Esther sent for Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs whom he had given her to wait on her. She gave him orders to go to Mordecai and see what this was and why it was. So Hathach went out and saw Mordecai in the open square of the town before the king's gate.

Hathach returned and gave Esther an account of what Mordecai said. Then Esther sent Hathach to say to Mordecai:

The man who acts presumptuously and does not listen to the priest or the judge will die. This way you will purge the evil from Israel. The priests and judges are there to serve Jehovah your God. Verse Conceptsethics, socialDeath penaltyHigh Priest, In OtIrreverenceJudgesMinistry, Nature OfSin, Nature OfStubbornnessAnarchyDeath Penalty For Violence