18 Bible Verses about Riots

But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called to Lot, and said to him, Where are the men who came in to thee this night? bring them out to us, that we may know them. And Lot went out at the door to them, and shut the door after him,read more.
And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters who have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out to you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only to these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one man came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: Now will we deal worse with thee than with them. And they pressed hard upon the man, Lot, and came near to break the door. But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

Then the men of the city said to Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it. And Joash said to all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he is a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.

Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die. Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah, in the house of the LORD. When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king's house to the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD'S house.read more.
Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.

And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them, went away,

And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silver-smith, who made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain to the artificers; Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth:read more.
Moreover, ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away many people, saying, that they are no gods which are made with hands. So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at naught; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia, and the world worshipeth. And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theater. And when Paul would have entered in to the people, the disciples suffered him not. And certain of the chief of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theater. Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused, and the greater part knew not why they had come together. And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defense to the people. But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of 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 elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said to them, Which of the two will ye that I release to you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith to them, What shall I do then with Jesus, who is called Christ? They all say to him, Let him be crucified.read more.
And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

Now at that feast he released to them one prisoner, whom they desired. And there was one named Barabbas, who lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. And the multitude crying aloud, began to desire him to do as he had ever done to them.read more.
But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release to you the King of the Jews? (For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.) But the chief priests moved the people that he should rather release Barabbas to them. And Pilate answered, and said again to them, What will ye then that I shall do to 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 exceedingly, Crucify him. And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas to them, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

And Stephen, full of faith and power, performed great wonders and miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia, and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke.read more.
Then they suborned men, who said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, And set up false witnesses, who said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us.

But the Jews who believed not, moved with envy, took to them certain vile fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city in an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren to the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down, have come hither also; Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cesar, saying, That there is another king, one Jesus.read more.
And they troubled the people, and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. And when they had taken security of Jason and of the other, they let them go.

And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews who were from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, Crying out, Men of Israel, help. This is the man that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further, hath brought Greeks also into the temple; and hath polluted this holy place. (For they had seen before with him in the city, Trophimus, an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)read more.
And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul and drew him out of the temple. And forthwith the doors were shut. And as they went about to kill him, tidings came 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 when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating Paul. Then the chief captain came near and took 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, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. And when he came upon the stairs, so it was that he was borne by the soldiers, for the violence of the people.

Then assembled the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. But they said, Not on the feast-day, lest there be an uproar among the people.

After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests, and the scribes, sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. But they said, Not on the feast-day, lest there should be an uproar of the people.

And when the town-clerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not that the city of the Ephesians is a worshiper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? Seeing then that these things cannot be contradicted, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly. For ye have brought hither these men, who are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.read more.
Wherefore, if Demetrius and the artificers who are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another. But if ye inquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly. For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause by which we may give an account of this concourse.\ And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

For we have found this a pestilent man, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ring-leader of the sect of the Nazarenes: Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law. But the chief captain Lysias came and with great violence took him out of our hands,read more.
Commanding his accusers to come to thee: by examining whom, thou thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things of which we accuse him. And the Jews also assented, saying, that these things were so. Then Paul, after the governor had beckoned to him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been for many years a judge to this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself: That thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither exciting the people to sedition, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:

Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day-time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;