Thematic Bible




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.


Evil schemes are in their hands. Their right hands are full of bribes.

A wicked man takes a bribe to pervert the ways of judgment.

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

He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil.



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.

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

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.



Many seek favor from the ruler; but every man's judgment comes from Jehovah.

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.

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.

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

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.


Cursed are those who are joining house to house, and putting field to field, till there is no more living-space for any but themselves in all the land! With my own ears I heard Jehovah of Hosts say: Many houses will become empty. Large, beautiful houses will be without people to live in them. A ten-acre vineyard will produce only six gallons of wine, and two quarts of seed will produce only four quarts of grain. read more.
How horrible it will be for those who get up early in the morning to look for a drink and who sit up late at night until they are drunk from wine. At their feasts there are lyres and harps, tambourines and flutes, and wine. Yet, they do not pay attention to what Jehovah is doing or respect what his hands have done. My people will go into exile because they do not understand what I am doing. Honored men will starve, and common people will be parched with thirst. That is why the grave's appetite increases. It opens its mouth very wide so that honored people and common people will go down into it. Those who are noisy and joyous will go down into it. People will be brought down. Everyone will be humiliated and the eyes of arrogant people will be abased (humbled). Jehovah of Hosts shows his greatness by doing what is right. He reveals his holiness by judging his people. In the ruins of the cities lambs will eat grass and young goats will find pasture. Woe to those who scatter sin with cords of falsehood and iniquity with a cart rope! You say: Let Jehovah hurry up and do what he says he will, so that we can see it. Let Israel's holy God carry out his plans. Let us see what he has in mind. You are doomed! You call evil good and you call good evil. You turn darkness into light and light into darkness. You make what is bitter, sweet, and what is sweet you make bitter. You are doomed! You think you are wise. You think you are so very clever. You are doomed! Heroes of the wine bottle! Brave and fearless when it comes to mixing drinks! You let the guilty go free for a bribe and you keep the innocent from getting justice. You will go up in flames like straw and hay! You have rejected the law of the holy God Jehovah the All-Powerful Holy One of Israel. Now your roots will rot, and your blossoms will turn to dust. You are Jehovah's people, but you made him terribly angry, and he struck you with his mighty arm. Mountains shook, and dead bodies covered the streets like garbage. Jehovah is still angry. He is ready to strike you again. Jehovah raises up a flag for the nations far away. With a whistle he signals those at the ends of the earth. Look, they are coming very quickly! None of them grow tired or stumble. None of them slumber or sleep. The belts on their waists are not loose or their sandal straps broken. Their arrows are sharpened. All their bows are strung and ready to shoot. Their horses' hoofs are as hard as flint. Their chariot wheels are as quick as the wind. They roar like a lioness. They growl like a young lion. They growl as they snatch their prey and carry it off to where no one can rescue it. In that day they will roar over their prey as the sea roars. If they look at the land, they will see only darkness and distress. Thick clouds will darken even the light.


The people curse and the nations abhor the man who says to the wicked, You are righteous.


You are doomed! Heroes of the wine bottle! Brave and fearless when it comes to mixing drinks! You let the guilty go free for a bribe and you keep the innocent from getting justice.


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.


Evil schemes are in their hands. Their right hands are full of bribes.

A wicked man takes a bribe to pervert the ways of judgment.

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

He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil.