25 Bible Verses about Rivalry

And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah. And he reigned over Israel two years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin. And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.read more.
Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead. And it came to pass that, as soon as he was king, he smote all the house of Jeroboam. He left to Jeroboam not any who breathed, until he had destroyed him according to the saying of LORD, which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Sh for the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and with which he made Israel to sin, because of his provocation with which he provoked LORD, the God of Israel, to anger. Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts; half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. But the people who followed Omri prevailed against the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died, and Omri reigned.

Know ye not what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands in any way able to deliver their land out of my hand? Who was there among all the gods of those nations, which my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of my hand that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand? Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you after this manner, neither believe ye him. For no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hand, and out of the hand of my fathers. How muchread more.
And his servants spoke yet more against LORD God, and against his servant Hezekiah. He also wrote letters, to rail on LORD, the God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of the lands, which have not delivered their people out of my hand, so shall the God of Hezekiah not deliver hi And they cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them, and to trouble them, that they might take the city. And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem, as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of men's hands. And Hezekiah the king, and Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, prayed because of this, and cried out to heaven. And LORD sent a [heavenly] agent who cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains, in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he came into the house of his g Thus LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all [others], and guided them on every side.

Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God in whom thou trust deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, thou have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly. And shall thou be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar?read more.
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?

And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it. And Hezekiah went up to the house of LORD, and spread it before LORD. And Hezekiah prayed to LORD, saying, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, who sit [above] the cherubim, thou are the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. Thou have made heaven and earth.read more.
Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear. Open thine eyes, O LORD, and see, and hear all the words of Sennacherib, who has sent to defy the living God. Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the countries, and their land, and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou are LORD, even thou only. Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus says LORD, the God of Israel, Whereas thou have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word which LORD has spoken concerning him: The virgin daughter of Zion has despised thee and laughed thee to scorn. The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at thee. Whom have thou defied and blasphemed? And against whom have thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high? [Even] against the Holy One of Israel. By thy servants thou have defied LORD, and have said, With the multitude of my chariots I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon. And I will cut down the tall cedars of it, and the choice fir I have dug and drunk water, and with the sole of my feet I will dry up all the rivers of Egypt. Have thou not heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it of ancient times? Now I have brought it to pass, that it should be thine to lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps. Therefore their inhabitants were of small power. They were dismayed and confounded. They were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb. As the grass on the housetops, and as a field [of grain] before it is grown up. But I know thy sitting down, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy raging against me. Because of thy raging against me, and because thine arrogance has come up into my ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou came. And this shall be the sign to thee. Ye shall eat this year that which grows of itself, and in the second year that which springs of the same, and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of it. And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and out of mount Zion those who shall escape. The zeal of LORD of hosts will perform this. Therefore thus says LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come to this city, nor shoot an arrow there. Neither shall he come before it with shield, nor cast up a mound against it. By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come to this city, says LORD. For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake. And the agent of LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and eighty-five thousand. And when men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword, and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.

And Jacob boiled pottage. And Esau came in from the field, and he was faint. And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red [pottage], for I am faint. Therefore his name was called Edom. And Jacob said, First sell me thy birthright.read more.
And Esau said, Behold, I am about to die, and what profit shall the birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me first. And he swore to him, and he sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils. And he ate and drank, and rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.

And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. And Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Jacob.

And her rival provoked her greatly, to make her fret, because LORD had shut up her womb. And [as] he did so year by year when she went up to the house of LORD, so she provoked her. Therefore she wept, and did not eat.

And the women sang one to another as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him, and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands, and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the ground, thou shall not be established, nor thy kingdom. Therefore now send and fetch him to me, for he shall surely die.

And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared for him a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate. And it was so, that, when any man had a suit which should come to the king for judgment, then Absalom called to him, and said, Of what city are thou? And he said, Thy And Absalom said to him, See, thy matters are good and right, but there is no man appointed by the king to hear thee.read more.
Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man who has any suit or case might come to me, and I would do for him justice! And it was so, that, when any man came near to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took hold of him, and kissed him. And on this manner Absalom did to all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. And it came to pass at the end of forty years, that Absalom said to the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to LORD, in Hebron. For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If LORD shall indeed bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will serve LORD. And the king said to him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron. But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom is king in Hebron. And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem who were invited, and went in their simplicity. And they did not know anything. And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom. And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.

And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now the kingdom will return to the house of David. If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah. And they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.

And thou shall not take a wife in addition to her sister, to be a rival [to her], to uncover her nakedness, besides the other in her life-time.

But a thought entered among them, which of them may be greater. But having perceived the thought of their heart, having taken a child, Jesus stood it beside him, and he said to them, Whoever may receive this child in my name receives me, and whoever may receive me receives him who sent me, for he who exists smaller among you all, this man will be great.

In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who then is greater in the kingdom of the heavens? And having called in a child, Jesus set it in the midst of them. And he said, Truly I say to you, if ye are not turned, and become as children, ye will, no, not enter into the kingdom of the heavens.read more.
He therefore who will make himself lowly as this child, this man is the greater in the kingdom of the heavens.

But they were silent, for on the way they discussed among each other, who is greater. And having sat down, he called the twelve, and he says to them, If any man wants to be first, he will be last of all, and helper of all. And having taken a child, he set it in the midst of them. And after embracing it, he said to them,read more.
Whoever may receive one of such children in my name, receives me, and whoever may receive me, does not receive me, but him who sent me.

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, worshiping, and asking something from him. And he said to her, What do thou want? She says to him, Speak that these my two sons may sit, one at thy right hand and one at thy left hand in thy kingdom. But having answered, Jesus said, Ye know not what ye are asking. Are ye able to drink the cup that I am going to drink, or to be immersed the immersion that I am immersed? They say to him, We are able.read more.
And he says to them, Ye will indeed drink my cup, and ye will be immersed the immersion that I am immersed. But to sit at my right hand and at my left hand is not mine to give, but to whom it has been prepared by my Father. And when the ten heard it, they were indignant about the two brothers.

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come to him, saying, Teacher, we wish that thou would do for us whatever we ask. And he said to them, What do ye want me to do for you? And they said to him, Grant to us that we may sit, one at thy right hand, and one at thy left hand, in thy glory.read more.
But Jesus said to them, Ye know not what ye are asking. Are ye able to drink the cup that I drink? And to be immersed the immersion that I am immersed? And they said to him, We are able. And Jesus said to them, Ye will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and the immersion that I am immersed ye will be immersed. But to sit at my right hand or at my left hand is not mine to give, but for whom it has been prepared. And when the ten heard it they began to indignant about James and John.

But be ye not designated Rabbi, for one is your leader, the Christ, and ye are all brothers. And do not designate a father of you upon the earth, for one is your Father, he in the heavens. And be ye not designated leaders, for one is your leader, the Christ.read more.
But the greater of you will be your helper.

for ye are still carnal. For whereas among you is envy and strife and divisions, are ye not carnal and walk according to man? For while one may say, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos, are ye not carnal?

Now I say this. That each of you actually say, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you, or were ye immersed in the name of Paul?

For ye are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many as were immersed into Christ have put on Christ. There is no Jew nor Greek, there is no bondman nor freeman, there is no male and female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

And having summoned them, Jesus says to them, Ye know that those who presume to rule over the Gentiles, lord over them, and their great men have power over them. But it is not so among you. Instead, whoever may want to become great among you, will be your helper, and whoever of you may want to become first, will be a bondman of all.read more.
For the Son of man also came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.

But having summoned them, Jesus said, Ye know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord over them, and their eminent men have power over them. But it shall not be so among you. Rather whoever wants to become great among you, he shall be your helper, and whoever wants be first among you shall be your bondman.read more.
Just as the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Actually some also preach the Christ because of envy and strife, and some also because of good-will. Some indeed proclaim the Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to bring affliction to my bonds. But some from love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the good-news.read more.
What then? Except in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice, but also I will rejoice.