15 Bible Verses about Riots

And all in the synagogue, when they heard this, were filled with wrath. And they rose up, and forced him out of the city and took him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, to cast him down headlong; but he, passing through the midst of them, went away.

And about that time there arose no small tumult concerning the faith. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, made silver shrines of Diana, and brought no small gain to the craftsmen. And having called them together, with the workmen of like occupation, he said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth;read more.
and ye see and hear, that this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, not only of Ephesus, but of almost all Asia, saying, that those are not gods, which are made with hands. And there is not only danger that this branch of our business will come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will be despised, and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship. And hearing this they became full of wrath, and kept crying out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians! And the city was filled with confusion; and they rushed with one accord into the theatre, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Pauls companions in travel. And when Paul wished to go in to the people, the disciples would not suffer him. And some also of the Asiarchs, who were his friends, sent to him, and entreated him not to venture into the theatre. Some therefore were crying one thing, and some another; for the assembly was in confusion, and the greater part knew not wherefore they had come together. And they brought forward Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward; and Alexander beckoned with his hand, desiring to make his defence to the people. But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice for about two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians!

in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings;

But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas, and to destroy Jesus. And the governor answering said to them, Which of the two will ye that I release to you? And they said, Barabbas. Pilate saith to them, What then shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ? They all say, Let him be crucified.read more.
And he said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. And when Pilate saw that it availed nothing, but that rather a tumult was arising, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of this blood; see ye to it.

Now at the feast he was wont to release to them one prisoner, whom they might ask. And there was one named Barabbas, who lay bound with insurgents who had committed murder in the insurrection. And the multitude, coming up, began to ask him to do as he had been wont to do for them.read more.
And Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release to you the king of the Jews? For he knew that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up. But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should rather release to them Barabbas. And Pilate answering again said to them, What then would ye have me do with him whom ye call the king of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him! Then Pilate said to them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more, Crucify him! And Pilate, wishing to satisfy the multitude, released to them Barabbas; and, when he had scourged Jesus, delivered him up to be crucified.

And Stephen, full of grace and power, wrought great wonders and signs among the people. But some of those who belonged to the socalled synagogue of the Freedmen, and of the Cyrenaeans and Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen; and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.read more.
Then they suborned men, who said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and God. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and seized him, and brought him to the council, and set up false witnesses, who said, This man ceaseth not to speak words against the holy place, and the Law. For we have heard him say, This Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place, and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.

But the unbelieving Jews, taking with them certain bad men of the idlers in the marketplace, and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar; and having come to the house of Jason, they endeavored to bring them out to the people; but not finding them, they dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the city magistrates, crying out, These men that have turned the world upside down have come hither also; whom Jason hath entertained; and they are all acting in opposition to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.read more.
And they alarmed the multitude and the city magistrates when they heard these things. And having taken security of Jason and of the others, they let them go.

And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, having seen him in the temple, stirred up the whole multitude, and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help! This is the man that teacheth every one everywhere against the people, and the Law, and this place; and besides he even brought Greeks into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. For they had before seen with him in the city Trophimus, the Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.read more.
And the whole city was in motion, and the people ran together; and they laid hold of Paul and dragged him out of the temple; and forthwith the doors were shut. And while they were endeavoring to kill him, tidings came up to the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar; who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And seeing the chief captain and the soldiers, they left off beating Paul. Then the chief captain came near and laid hold of him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and inquired who he was, and what he had done. And some cried one thing, and some another, among the multitude. And not being able to gain certain knowledge on account of the uproar, he ordered him to be carried into the castle. And when he reached the stairs, he was obliged to be borne by the soldiers, on account of the violence of the crowd;

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the court of the palace of the highpriest, named Caiaphas; and took counsel together that they might seize Jesus by craft, and put him to death. But they said, Not at the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.

And two days after was the passover, and the feast of unleavened bread; and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might seize him by craft, and put him to death. For they said, Not at the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.

But when the Recorder had quieted the multitude, he said, Men of Ephesus, who is there among men that doth not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the great Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? Since then these things cannot be denied, ye ought to be quiet, and do nothing rashly. For ye have brought hither these men, who are neither robbers of temples, nor blasphemers of your goddess.read more.
If then Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against any one, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls; let them bring their charges against each other. But if ye ask for any thing further, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly. For we are in danger of being called to answer concerning this days riot, there being no ground on which we shall be able to give an account of this concourse. And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

For we have found this man to be a pest, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes; who also attempted to profane the temple, and we apprehended him; (...)read more.
and from him thou canst thyself ascertain by examination all these things of which we accuse him. And the Jews also joined in the charges against him, affirming that these things were so. Then Paul, after the governor had beckoned to him to speak, answered, Since I know that thou hast been for many years a judge for this nation, I answer for myself cheerfully; for it is in thy power to ascertain that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. And neither in the temple did they find me disputing with any one, or stirring up a tumult of the people, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city;

Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in lewdness and wantonness, not in strife and envy;

The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us then throw off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light.

receiving the wages of unrighteousness. Counting it pleasure to riot in the daytime, spots and blemishes, reveling in their deceits while they feast with you,