25 Bible Verses about Citizens

Paul said to them: They have beaten us publicly uncondemned, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison. Do they now throw us out privately? No I say, but let them come in person to bring us out.

Should anyone even say to a king: You good-for-nothing scoundrel! Or to nobles, you wicked people!

In the multitude of people is the king's honor, but the lack of people is the destruction of the prince.

The king's favor is toward a wise servant. His anger is against the one who causes shame.

He who loves pureness of heart, for the charm of his lips the king will be his friend.

Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David's rescue. Abishai attacked the giant and killed him. Then David's men made David promise that he would never again go out with them to battle. You are the hope of Israel. We do not want to lose you! They said.

The people cried loudly as David's followers left. The king crossed Kidron Brook. His men followed him. They went to the wilderness.

They answered Joshua: All that you command us we will do. Wherever you send us we will go. Just as we listened to Moses in all things, we will listen to you in all things. May Jehovah your God be with you, as he was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your commandment, and does not listen to your words in all that you command him must be put to death. Be strong and of a good courage.

All the people understood and approved of everything the king did. That day all the people of Israel knew the king was not responsible for killing Ner's son Abner.

David went up the slope of the Mount of Olives. He was barefoot and crying. He covered his head to show his sorrow. Everyone with him was crying. They covered their heads too.

This is primarily for those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble at glorious ones but speak abusively.

In like manner these men also in their dreams defile the flesh, reject authority and speak evil of glorious ones.

An evil man seeks only rebellion. Therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

Delight is not the custom of a fool much less for a servant to rule over princes.

The king's anger is like the roaring of a lion but his favor is like dew upon the grass.

David asked: Why were you not afraid to take it upon yourself to destroy Jehovah's (YHWH) anointed king?

He told his men: Stop talking foolishly. We are not going to attack Saul. He is my king. I pray that Jehovah will keep me from doing anything to harm his chosen king. David stopped his men by saying this to them. He did not let them attack Saul. Saul left the cave and went out onto the road. Then David got up and left the cave. He called to Saul: My lord! When Saul looked back. David knelt down with his face touching the ground. read more.
David asked Saul: Why do you listen to rumors that I am trying to harm you? Today you saw how Jehovah handed you over to me in the cave. Although I was told to kill you I spared you. I said: 'I will not raise my hand against my lord because you are Jehovah's anointed.'

David asked Ahimelech the Hittite, and Abishai the brother of Joab: Who will go to Saul's camp with me? I will, Abishai answered. David and Abishai entered Saul's camp at night. They found Saul sleeping in the center of the camp. His spear was stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the troops were sleeping around him. Abishai said to David: God put your enemy in your power tonight. Let me plunge his own spear through him and pin him to the ground. I will do it with just one blow. I will not have to strike twice! read more.
But David said: Do not harm him! Jehovah will certainly punish whoever harms his chosen king. By the living God Jehovah, David declared, I know that Jehovah will kill Saul, either when his time comes to die a natural death or when he dies in battle. Jehovah forbid that I should try to harm the one Jehovah anointed to be king. Just take his spear and his water jar and go. David took the spear and the water jar from beside Saul's head. Then he and Abishai left. No one saw it or knew what happened. No one woke up. They were all sound asleep, because Jehovah sent a heavy sleep on them all. Then David crossed over to the other side of the valley. He went to the top of the hill a great distance away. David shouted to Saul's troops and to Abner: Abner! Can you hear me? Who is calling to the king? Abner asked. David answered, Abner, are you the greatest man in Israel? Why are you not protecting your master, the king? Someone entered the camp to kill your master. You failed in your duty, Abner! I swear by the living God Jehovah all of you deserve to die. You have not protected your master, whom Jehovah made king. Look for the king's spear? Where is the water jar that was near his head?

Some good-for-nothing people asked: How can this man save us? They despised him and would not bring him presents. He did not respond.

When all Israel realized that the king would not respond to their request, the people in answer said to the king: What share do we have in David? What is our heritage in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel; now see to your people, David. So Israel went away to their tents. Rehoboam was still king over those of the children of Israel who were living in the towns of Judah. Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, the overseer of the forced work. He was stoned to death by all Israel. King Rehoboam went quickly and got into his carriage to escape to Jerusalem. read more.
Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

The man told Joab: Even if I felt the weight of twenty pounds of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king's son. We heard the order the king gave you, Abishai, and Ittai. Protect the young man Absalom for my sake. Would you have stood by me if I did something treacherous to him? There is nothing hidden from the king. You would turn against me.

David grew homesick. He said: I wish someone would bring me a drink of water from the well by the gate at Bethlehem! The three famous soldiers forced their way through the Philistine camp. They then drew some water from the well, and brought it back to David. But he would not drink it. He poured it out as an offering to Jehovah.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens. You are fellow citizens with the holy ones and of the household of God.

However, our citizenship is in heaven. We also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The rest of the history of Jehoash is recorded in The Annals of the Kings of Judah. His own officials plotted against him and killed him at the House of the Mound on the road that goes down to Silla. Jehoash's officials Jozacar, son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad, son of Shomer, executed him. They buried him with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Amaziah succeeded him as king.

As soon as he firmly established the kingdom he immediately put to death those servants who had taken the life of his father, the king.

They asked him: Do you know that King Baalis of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael, Nethaniah's son, to kill you? However, Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, did not believe them. Then Johanan, Kareah's son, secretly asked Gedaliah at Mizpah: Let me kill Ishmael, Nethaniah's son. No one will know about it. Why should he kill you? All the Jews who have gathered around you would scatter. What is left of Judah would disappear. Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, told Johanan, Kareah's son: Do not do that! What you are saying about Ishmael is a lie.

Jehovah sent Hadad the Edomite to make trouble for Solomon. He was of the king's seed in Edom. When David had sent destruction on Edom, and Joab, the commander of the army went to bury the dead. They put to death every male in Edom. Joab and all Israel stayed there six months until they had destroyed every male in Edom. read more.
Hadad was a young boy at the time. He and some of his father's Edomite servants fled to Egypt. They left Midian and went to Paran. Taking some men from Paran with them, they went to Pharaoh the king of Egypt. Pharaoh gave Hadad a home, a food allowance, and land. Pharaoh approved of Hadad. So he gave Hadad his sister-in-law, the sister of Queen Tahpenes, to be Hadad's wife. Tahpenes' sister had a son named Genubath. Tahpenes presented the boy to Pharaoh in the palace, and Genubath lived in the palace among Pharaoh's children. When the news reached Hadad in Egypt that David had died and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to the king: Let me go back to my own country. Why? The king asked. Have I failed to give you something? Is that why you want to go back home? Hadad answered: Just let me go. He went back to his country. As king of Edom, Hadad was an evil, bitter enemy of Israel. God also caused Rezon son of Eliada to turn against Solomon. Rezon had fled from his master, King Hadadezer of Zobah, and had become the leader of a gang of outlaws. This happened after David defeated Hadadezer and slaughtered his Syrian allies. Rezon and his gang lived in Damascus, where his followers made him king of Syria. He was trouble to Israel all through the days of Solomon. This is the damage Hadad did: he was cruel to Israel while he was ruler over Edom. Jeroboam rebelled against the king. He was the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zeredah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother was Zeruah, a widow.

He sent messengers to all the tribes of Israel. He told them: When you hear the sound of trumpets, shout: 'Absalom is king in Hebron!' Absalom had two hundred men who at his invitation traveled from Jerusalem with him. They knew nothing of the plot and went in good faith. Absalom was offering sacrifices. He sent for Ahithophel, David's adviser, to come from his home in Giloh. Meanwhile, the conspiracy grew stronger. The number of people siding with Absalom kept getting larger. read more.
A messenger told David: Absalom has the hearts of the people of Israel.

Say now to the rebellious house: Do you not know what these things mean? Say, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and princes and brought them to him in Babylon. He took one of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. He also took away the mighty of the land, that the kingdom might be in subjection, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant that it might continue. read more.
But he rebelled against him! He sent his envoys to Egypt that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape?' As I am alive,' says the Lord Jehovah, 'this king will die in Babylon because he broke his oath and the treaty with the one who put him on the throne the king of Babylon. Even the powerful army of the king of Egypt will not be able to help him fight when the Babylonians build earthworks and dig trenches in order to kill many people. He broke his oath and the treaty he had made. He did all these things, and now he will not escape.' The Lord Jehovah says: As surely as I am the living God, I will punish him for breaking the treaty that he swore in my name to keep. I will spread out a hunter's net and catch him in it. I will take him to Babylon and punish him there, because he was unfaithful to me.

Hushai told the priests Zadok and Abiathar: Ahithophel advised Absalom and the leaders of Israel to do one thing. But I advised them to do something else. Quickly send messengers to tell David: 'Do not rest tonight in the river crossings in the desert. Make sure you cross the river. Otherwise Your Majesty and all the troops with him will be wiped out.'

and Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram were the sons of Eliab. It was Dathan and Abiram, men chosen by the community, who defied Moses and Aaron's authority. They joined Korah's followers when they defied Jehovah's authority.

In the seventh year Jehoiada the priest sent for the officers in charge of the royal bodyguard and of the palace guards, and told them to come to the Temple. He made them agree under oath to what he planned to do. He showed them King Ahaziah's son Joash and gave them the following orders: When you come on duty on the Sabbath, one third of you are to guard the palace. One third are to stand guard at the Sur Gate. The other third are to stand guard at the gate behind the other guards. read more.
The two groups that go off duty on the Sabbath are to stand guard at the Temple to protect the king. You are to guard King Jehoash with drawn swords and stay with him wherever he goes. Anyone who comes near you is to be killed. The officers obeyed Jehoiada's instructions and brought their men to him, those going off duty on the Sabbath and those going on duty. He gave the officers the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and had been kept in the Temple. He stationed the men with drawn swords all around the front of the Temple, to protect the king. Then Jehoiada led Joash out and placed the crown on his head. He gave him a copy of the laws governing kingship. Then Jehoash was anointed and proclaimed king. The people clapped their hands and shouted: Long live the king!

Sometime ago Theudas claimed to be somebody. About four hundred men joined and obeyed him. He was killed and they finally dispersed. After this man Judas of Galilee rose in the days of the taxing, and drew away many people after him. He also perished and all who obeyed him dispersed.

Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he was married to a Cushite woman from Sudan. They asked: Did Jehovah speak only through Moses? Did he not also speak through us? Jehovah heard their complaint. Moses was a very humble (meek) man. He was more humble than anyone else on earth. read more.
Suddenly, Jehovah said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam: All three of you come to the tent of meeting. So all three of them went to the tent. Then Jehovah came down in the column of smoke and stood at the entrance to the tent. He called to Aaron and Miriam. They both came forward. He said: Listen to my words: 'When there are prophets of Jehovah among you, I make myself known to them in visions or speak to them in dreams. But this is not the way I treat my servant Moses. He is the most faithful person in my household. I speak with him face to face. I speak plainly and not in riddles. He even sees the form of Jehovah. Why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?' Jehovah was angry with them, so he left. After the smoke left the tent, Miriam was covered with an infectious skin disease. She was as white as snow. Aaron turned to her and saw she was covered with the disease. He said to Moses: Please, do not make us suffer this punishment for our foolish sin.

Later Ahithophel said to Absalom: Let me choose twelve thousand men. Tonight I will set out after David. I will attack him while he is tired and discouraged. He will be frightened! All his men will run away. I will kill only the king. Then I will bring back all his men to you. It will be like a bride returning to her husband. Kill one man and the rest of the people return safely. read more.
This seemed like good advice to Absalom and all the Israelite leaders.

A worthless character named Sheba son of Bikri lived at Gilgal. He was of the tribe of Benjamin. He blew the trumpet and called out: Down with David! We will not follow him! Men of Israel, let us go home! The Israelites deserted David and went with Sheba. The men of Judah remained loyal and followed David from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

In those days, while Mordecai was seated at the king's gate two of the king's servants, Bigthan and Teresh, keepers of the gate, being angry, looked for a chance to attack King Ahasuerus. Mordecai had knowledge of their purpose and sent word of it to Esther the queen. Esther gave the news to the king in Mordecai's name. It was investigated and found to be true. The two men were put to death by hanging on a tree: and it was recorded in the records before the king.

Joab went to the house where David was staying and told him: You have made your soldiers ashamed! They saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and wives as well. You are more loyal to your enemies than to your friends. You show your officers and soldiers that they do not mean a thing to you. You would be happy if Absalom was still alive even if the rest of us were dead.

While he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, Adrammelech and Sharezer assassinated him. They escaped to the land of Ararat. His son Esarhaddon succeeded him as king.

The men of Ephraim were ready for battle. They crossed the Jordan River to Zaphon and said to Jephthah: Why did you cross the border to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We are going to burn the house down over your head! Jephthah replied: My people and I had a great struggle with the Ammonites. I called you, but you would not rescue me from them. When I realized you were not going to, I risked my life and crossed the border to fight them. Jehovah gave me victory over them. Why are you coming to fight me now? read more.
Jephthah brought all the men of Gilead together and fought the men of Ephraim and defeated them.

Adonijah, son of Haggith, was very handsome. His mother gave birth to him after Maacah had Absalom. Adonijah boasted about himself, saying, I will be king. He got a chariot and horses and fifty men to run ahead of him. His father never confronted him by asking: Why have you done this? But Adonijah had discussed his actions with Joab (son of Zeruiah) and with the priest Abiathar, so they supported him.

Conspiracy was plotted against him in Jerusalem. He went in flight to Lachish, but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there.

Shallum, the son of Jabesh conspired against him. He attacked him in Ibleam and killed him. Shallum became king in his place.

Then Menahem son of Gadi went up from Tirzah to Samaria. He attacked Shallum, son of Jabesh, in Samaria. He killed him and made himself king in his place.

And Baasha, the son of Ahijah, of the family of Issachar, made a secret design against him, attacking him at Gibbethon, a town of the Philistines. Nadab and the armies of Israel were making war on Gibbethon.

Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked him and killed him. He became king in his place. It was in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah.

Pekah son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him. He attacked him in the king's great house in Samaria. Fifty men of Gilead were with him. He killed the king and became king in his place.

The servants of Amon conspired against him. They killed the king in his house.

Barzillai was a very old man. He was eighty years old. He was very rich. He supplied the king with food while he was staying at Mahanaim.

Are you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand assassins into the desert?

His servant Zimri, commander of half his war-carriages made plans to kill him. He was in Tirzah, drinking hard at the house of Arza, controller of the king's house in Tirzah.

In those days, while Mordecai was seated at the king's gate two of the king's servants, Bigthan and Teresh, keepers of the gate, being angry, looked for a chance to attack King Ahasuerus.

When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,

Barabbas, a rebel and a murderer was available for this purpose.

There was a little city with a small population. A great king moved against it. He built great bulwarks against it and attacked it. Now there was found in it a poor wise man. By his wisdom he delivered the city. Yet no man remembered that same poor man. Then I said: Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.