Thematic Bible: Judges of


Thematic Bible



You who ride on light-colored female donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, you who walk on the road, pay attention!

As he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent a message to him: "Have nothing to do with that innocent man; I have suffered greatly as a result of a dream about him today."

On the next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening.



But a Pharisee whose name was Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the council and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. Then he said to the council, "Men of Israel, pay close attention to what you are about to do to these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and nothing came of it. read more.
After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census, and incited people to follow him in revolt. He too was killed, and all who followed him were scattered. So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people, it will come to nothing, but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found fighting against God." He convinced them, and they summoned the apostles and had them beaten. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.

Then, after conferring with his council, Festus replied, "You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go!"

So the king got up, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them, and as they were leaving they said to one another, "This man is not doing anything deserving death or imprisonment."


He commanded them: "Carry out your duties with respect for the Lord, with honesty, and with pure motives.

He told the judges, "Be careful what you do, for you are not judging for men, but for the Lord, who will be with you when you make judicial decisions. Respect the Lord and make careful decisions, for the Lord our God disapproves of injustice, partiality, and bribery."



The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb and said, "You have stayed in the area of this mountain long enough.


Samuel did what the Lord told him. When he arrived in Bethlehem, the elders of the city were afraid to meet him. They said, "Do you come in peace?"

But if the man does not want to marry his brother's widow, then she must go to the elders at the town gate and say, "My husband's brother refuses to preserve his brother's name in Israel; he is unwilling to perform the duty of a brother-in-law to me!"



You must not pervert justice or show favor. Do not take a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and distort the words of the righteous.


and you must not show partiality to a poor man in his lawsuit.

"You must not turn away justice for your poor people in their lawsuits.


The judges will thoroughly investigate the matter, and if the witness should prove to be false and to have given false testimony against the accused,


Then the high priest tore his clothes and declared, "He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Now you have heard the blasphemy! What is your verdict?" They answered, "He is guilty and deserves death."


These are the things you must do: Speak the truth, each of you, to one another. Practice true and righteous judgment in your courts.


"'In a controversy they will act as judges; they will judge according to my ordinances. They will keep my laws and my statutes regarding all my appointed festivals and will observe my Sabbaths.


You who ride on light-colored female donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, you who walk on the road, pay attention!


As you are going with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, so that he will not drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.


When you examine him yourself, you will be able to learn from him about all these things we are accusing him of doing."


Reach agreement quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison.

I furthermore admonished your judges at that time that they should pay attention to issues among your fellow citizens and judge fairly, whether between one citizen and another or a citizen and a resident foreigner.

Year after year he used to travel the circuit of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; he used to judge Israel in all of these places.

If a man sins against a man, one may appeal to God on his behalf. But if a man sins against the Lord, who then will intercede for him?" But Eli's sons would not listen to their father, for the Lord had decided to kill them.

You must appoint judges and civil servants for each tribe in all your villages that the Lord your God is giving you, and they must judge the people fairly.

He appointed judges throughout the land and in each of the fortified cities of Judah.

If controversy arises between people, they should go to court for judgment. When the judges hear the case, they shall exonerate the innocent but condemn the guilty.

On the next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening.

He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people.


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