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 reigned over Israel two years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in his sins with which he made Israel 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 had laid siege to Gibbethon.read more.
Even in the third year of Asa, king of Judah, did Baasha slay him and reigned in his stead. And when he came into the kingdom, he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not a living soul of those of Jeroboam, until he had destroyed him, according unto the word of the LORD, which he spoke by his slave Ahijah, the Shilonite, because of the sins of Jeroboam with which he sinned and with which he made Israel sin and because of his provocation with which he provoked the LORD 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 that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni, the son of Ginath; so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.

Have ye not known what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? Could peradventure the gods of the Gentiles of those lands deliver their lands out of my hand? Who was there among all the gods of those Gentiles that my fathers utterly destroyed that could deliver his people out of my hands? Why should your God be able to deliver you out of my hand? Now, therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you nor persuade you in this matter neither believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hands and out of the hands of my fathers; how much less shall your God deliver you out of my hand?read more.
And his slaves spoke yet more against the LORD God and against his slave Hezekiah. In addition to this, he wrote letters that blasphemed the LORD God of Israel and spoke against him, saying, As the gods of the Gentiles of other lands could not deliver their people out of my hand, neither shall the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of my hand. Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews' speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to make them afraid and to trouble them, that they might take the city. And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem as against the gods of the peoples of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man. And for this cause Hezekiah, the king, and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven. And the LORD sent an angel who cut off all the mighty men of valour and the captains and the princes in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And as he entered into the house of his god, those that had come forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword. Thus, the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hands of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, and from the hands of all others and guided them concerning everything.

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

And Hezekiah took the letters from the hand of the messengers and read them; and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD and spread them before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, saying, O LORD of the hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubim, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made the heavens 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 his messengers to blaspheme the living God. Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their countries 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 art the LORD, even thou only. Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria: This is the word which the LORD has spoken concerning him, Has he despised thee? Has he laughed thee to scorn O virgin daughter of Zion? Has he shaken his head behind thy back O daughter of Jerusalem? Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel. By the hand of thy slaves thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, By the multitude of my chariots I shall come up to the height of the mountains to the sides of Lebanon, and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof and the choice fir trees thereof; and I will enter into the height of his border and the forest of his Carmel. I have dug and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet shall I dry up all the rivers of sustenance. Hast thou not heard long ago how I have done it and of ancient times that I have formed it? Now I have brought it to pass, that thou should be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps. And their inhabitants, of little strength, dismayed and confounded shall be as the grass of the field and as the green shrub as the grass on the housetops, that before it comes to maturity it is dried up. I have understood thy state, thy going out and thy coming in, and thy rage against me. Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is 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 didst come. And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such as grows of itself; and the second year that which springs of the same: and in the third year ye shall sow and shall reap and shall plant vineyards and shall eat the fruit thereof. 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 from Mount Zion shall come an escape; the zeal of the LORD of the hosts shall do this. Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. For I will defend this city to save it for my own sake and for my slave David's sake. Then the angel of the LORD went forth and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. 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 Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

And Jacob boiled pottage; and Esau came from the field, and he was faint; and Esau said to Jacob, Give me to eat, I pray thee, of that red pottage; for I am faint. Therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.read more.
And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die; and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he swore unto him and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau of the bread and of the pottage of lentils; and he ate and drank, and rose up, and went away. Thus 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 slay my brother Jacob.

And her rival provoked her to anger and sorrow because the LORD had shut up her womb. And this would happen year by year when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she would provoke her; therefore, she would weep and not eat.

And the women sang as they played and said, Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands. And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him, and he said, They have ascribed unto 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 land, thou shalt not be established nor thy kingdom. Therefore, now send and bring him unto me, for he shall surely die.

And it came to pass after this that Absalom prepared himself chariots and horses and fifty men to run before him. And Absalom rose up early and stood beside the way of the gate; and when anyone that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto them and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy slave is of one of the tribes of Israel. And Absalom would say unto them, See, thy matters are good and just; but there is no one delegated by the king to hear thee.read more.
And Absalom would say, Oh, that I were made judge in the land, that everyone who has any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice! And it was so, that when anyone came near unto him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand and took him and kissed him. And Absalom did according to this manner with all Israel that came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts of those of Israel. And at the end of a predetermined period of forty years, it came to pass that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go to Hebron and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD. For thy slave vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the LORD shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD. And the king said unto 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 shofar, then ye shall say, Absalom reigns in Hebron. And two hundred men of Jerusalem went with Absalom, that were invited by him, and they went in their integrity, without knowing anything. Absalom also sent for Ahithophel, the Gilonite, of David's counsel, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom. And the word came to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.

And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David if this people go up to sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem; for the heart of this people shall turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam, king of Judah, and they shall kill me and go again to Rehoboam, king of Judah.

Neither shalt thou take a woman together with her sister, to make her a rival, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her lifetime.

Then there arose a dispute among them, which of them should be the greatest. But Jesus, seeing the thoughts of their heart, took a child and set him by him, and said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receives me, and whosoever shall receive me receives him that sent me; for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.

At the same time the disciples came unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens? And Jesus called a little child unto him and set him in the midst of them and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of the heavens.read more.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of the heavens.

But they were silent; for on the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. Then, sitting down, he called the twelve and said unto them, If anyone desires to be first, the same shall be last of all and servant of all. And taking a child, he set him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said unto them,read more.
Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receives me; and whosoever shall receive me, receives not me, but him that sent me.

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, worshipping him and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What dost thou desire? She said unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit the one on thy right hand and the other on the left in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.read more.
And he said unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but it shall be given to those for whom it is prepared of my Father. And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brothers.

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou should do for us whatever we shall ask. And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one at thy right hand and the other at thy left hand in thy glory.read more.
Then Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask; can ye drink the cup that I drink? Or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink the cup that I drink, and of the baptism that I am baptized with ye shall be baptized; but to sit at my right hand and at my left hand is not mine to give, but it shall be given to those for whom it is prepared. And when the ten heard it, they began to be angry against James and John.

But, as for you, desire not to be called Rabbi, for one is your Master, the Christ; and you are all brothers. And call no one your father upon the earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens. Neither be ye called masters, for one is your Master, the Christ.read more.
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions, are ye not carnal and walk as men? For while one says, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos, are ye not carnal?

In other words, that each one of you says, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. Is the Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized into the name of Paul?

For ye are all sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Here there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

But Jesus, calling unto them, said unto them, Ye know that those who are seen to be princes among the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those that are great among them wield power over them. But it shall not be like this among you, for whosoever desires to make himself great among you shall be your servant; and whosoever of you that desires to be first shall be slave of all.read more.
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to serve and to give his life in ransom for many.

But Jesus called them unto him and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and those that are great wield power over them. But it shall not be so among you, but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your slave,read more.
even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many.

Some indeed preach the Christ even out of envy and strife, but others also out of good will. Some preach the Christ out of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add tribulation to my bonds, but the others out of charity, knowing that I am placed here for the defense of the gospel.read more.
What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice, and will even rejoice.