Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



Your rulers are rebels,
friends of thieves.
They all love graft
and chase after bribes.
They do not defend the rights of the fatherless,
and the widow’s case never comes before them.

who acquit the guilty for a bribe
and deprive the innocent of justice.

Both hands are good at accomplishing evil:
the official and the judge demand a bribe;
when the powerful man communicates his evil desire,
they plot it together.

Her leaders issue rulings for a bribe,
her priests teach for payment,
and her prophets practice divination for money.
Yet they lean on the Lord, saying,
“Isn’t the Lord among us?
No disaster will overtake us.”


Many seek a ruler’s favor,
but a man receives justice from the Lord.

Woe to those enacting crooked statutes and writing oppressive laws to keep the poor from getting a fair trial and to deprive the afflicted among my people of justice, so that widows can be their spoil and they can plunder the fatherless.

The princes within her are roaring lions;
her judges are wolves of the night,
which leave nothing for the morning.

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so they could put Him to death. But they could not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. Finally, two who came forward stated, "This man said, 'I can demolish God's sanctuary and rebuild it in three days.' " read more.
The high priest then stood up and said to Him, "Don't You have an answer to what these men are testifying against You?"

For he knew they had handed Him over because of envy. While he was sitting on the judge's bench, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I've suffered terribly in a dream because of Him!" The chief priests and the elders, however, persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to execute Jesus. read more.
The governor asked them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" "Barabbas!" they answered. Pilate asked them, "What should I do then with Jesus, who is called Messiah?" They all answered, "Crucify Him!" Then he said, "Why? What has He done wrong?" But they kept shouting, "Crucify Him!" all the more. When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, "I am innocent of this man's blood. See to it yourselves!" All the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!" Then he released Barabbas to them. But after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes convened.

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but they could find none. For many were giving false testimony against Him, but the testimonies did not agree. Some stood up and were giving false testimony against Him, stating, read more.
"We heard Him say, 'I will demolish this sanctuary made by [human] hands, and in three days I will build another not made by hands.' " Yet their testimony did not agree even on this. Then the high priest stood up before them all and questioned Jesus, "Don't You have an answer to what these men are testifying against You?" But He kept silent and did not answer anything. Again the high priest questioned Him, "Are You the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?" "I am," said Jesus, "and all of 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 robes and said, "Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy! What is your decision?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. Then some began to spit on Him, to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, saying, "Prophesy!" Even the temple police took Him and slapped Him.


After they had ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, they conferred among themselves, saying, "What should we do with these men? For an obvious sign, evident to all who live in Jerusalem, has been done through them, and we cannot deny it! But so this does not spread any further among the people, let's threaten them against speaking to anyone in this name again." read more.
So they called for them and ordered them not to preach or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

Then they induced men to say, "We heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God!" They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; so they came up, dragged him off, and took him to the Sanhedrin. They also presented false witnesses who said, "This man does not stop speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law. read more.
For we heard him say that Jesus, this Nazarene, will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us."

At the same time he was also hoping that money would be given to him by Paul. For this reason he sent for him quite often and conversed with him. After two years had passed, Felix received a successor, Porcius Festus, and because he wished to do a favor for the Jews, Felix left Paul in prison.


Both hands are good at accomplishing evil:
the official and the judge demand a bribe;
when the powerful man communicates his evil desire,
they plot it together.

Woe to those enacting crooked statutes and writing oppressive laws to keep the poor from getting a fair trial and to deprive the afflicted among my people of justice, so that widows can be their spoil and they can plunder the fatherless.

The princes within her are roaring lions;
her judges are wolves of the night,
which leave nothing for the morning.


Woe to the city that is rebellious and defiled, the oppressive city! She has not obeyed; she has not accepted discipline. She has not trusted in the Lord; she has not drawn near to her God. The princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are wolves of the night, which leave nothing for the morning. read more.
Her prophets are reckless- treacherous men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to instruction.

"Therefore, this decree is for you priests: If you don't listen, and if you don't take it to heart to honor My name," says the Lord of Hosts, "I will send a curse among you, and I will curse your blessings. In fact, I have already begun to curse them because you are not taking it to heart. "Look, I am going to rebuke your descendants, and I will spread animal waste over your faces, the waste from your festival sacrifices, and you will be taken away with it. read more.
Then you will know that I sent you this decree so My covenant with Levi may continue," says the Lord of Hosts. "My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave these to him; it called for reverence, and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name. True instruction was in his mouth, and nothing wrong was found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and fairness and turned many from sin. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts. "You, on the other hand, have turned from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have violated the covenant of Levi," says the Lord of Hosts. "So I in turn have made you despised and humiliated before all the people because you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality in [your] instruction."



Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much. So if you have not been faithful with the unrighteous money, who will trust you with what is genuine? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own?


An unjust man is detestable to the righteous,
and one whose way is upright
is detestable to the wicked.

Woe to the city that is rebellious and defiled, the oppressive city! She has not obeyed; she has not accepted discipline. She has not trusted in the Lord; she has not drawn near to her God. The princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are wolves of the night, which leave nothing for the morning. read more.
Her prophets are reckless- treacherous men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to instruction. The righteous Lord is in her; He does no wrong. He applies His justice morning by morning; He does not fail at dawn, yet the one who does wrong knows no shame.


Therefore, a lion from the forest will strike them down.
A wolf from an arid plain will ravage them.
A leopard keeps watch over their cities.
Anyone who leaves them will be torn to pieces
because their rebellious acts are many,
their unfaithful deeds numerous.

The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them.

Benjamin is a wolf; he tears his prey.
In the morning he devours the prey,
and in the evening he divides the plunder.”

The princes within her are roaring lions;
her judges are wolves of the night,
which leave nothing for the morning.

“Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood, and destroying lives in order to make profit dishonestly.


The princes within her are roaring lions;
her judges are wolves of the night,
which leave nothing for the morning.

“Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood, and destroying lives in order to make profit dishonestly.