46 Bible Verses about Zeal

He went into a cave and spent the night. The word of Jehovah came to him, saying: What are you doing here, Elijah? He said: I have been zealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts. The children of Israel have not kept your agreement (covenant). They have destroyed your altars. They killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I, am the only one living. Now they seek to take my life too.

While Israel remained at Shittim, the people indulged in sexual immorality with the Moabite women. The Moabites invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods. The people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel joined itself to Baal of Peor. Jehovah was angry against Israel.read more.
Jehovah said to Moses: Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before Jehovah so that the fierce anger of Jehovah may turn away from Israel. Moses said to the judges of Israel: Each of you put to death those men who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor. One of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman to his brothers. He did this right in front of Moses and the entire congregation of Israel while they were crying at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of the priest Aaron, saw this. He left the assembly and grabbed a spear in his hand. He went into the tent after the Israelite man. He drove the spear through the man and into the woman's body. Because of this, the plague that the Israelites were experiencing stopped. Twenty-four thousand people died from that plague. Jehovah continued speaking to Moses: Jehovah said to Moses: Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of the priest Aaron, turned my fury away from the Israelites. Since he stood up for me, I did not have to stand up for myself and destroy them. Tell Phinehas that I now make a promise of peace to him. My promise is that he and his descendants will be priests for a very long time because he stood up for his God. He made peace with Jehovah for the Israelites.

Elijah heard it and went out covering his face with his robe. He stood by the entrance of the cave. He heard a voice saying: What are you doing here, Elijah? He replied: I have been very zealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts. The children of Israel have not kept your agreement. They have torn down your altars. They killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I, am the only one living. Now they seek to take my life.

When he left there he met Jehonadab, the son of Rechab. He greeted him and said to him: Is your heart true to mine, as mine is to yours? Jehonadab in answer said: It is. Jehu said: If it is give me your hand. He gave him his hand and he made him come up into his chariot. He said: Come with me and see how I am on fire with zeal for Jehovah's cause. So he made him go with him in his chariot. When Jehu arrived at Samaria, he put to death all those of Ahab's family who were still in Samaria. There were no more of them, as Jehovah had said to Elijah.read more.
Jehu assembled all the people and said to them: Ahab was Baal's servant in a small way, but Jehu will be his servant on a great scale. Now send for all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and priests, to come to me. Let no one stay away for I have a great offering to make to Baal. Anyone who is not present will be put to death. Jehu did this with deceit. It was his purpose to destroy the servants of Baal. Jehu said: Let there be a special holy meeting for the worship of Baal. So a public statement was made. Jehu sent through all Israel; and all the servants of Baal came, not one kept away. They entered the house of Baal. It was full from one end to the other end. Jehu said to the keeper of the robes: Get out robes for all the servants of Baal. So he got out robes for them. Jehu, with Jehonadab, the son of Rechab, went into the house of Baal. He said to the servants of Baal: Make a search with care, to see that no servant of Jehovah is with you, but only servants of Baal. They went in to make offerings and burned offerings. Jehu put eighty men outside. He told them: If any man whom I give into your hands escapes, he who lets him go will forfeit his own life for that life. As soon as he finished offering the burned offering Jehu said to the armed men and the captains: Go in and put them to death! Do not let one come out! So they put them to the sword. Pulling the images to the ground, they went into the holy place of the house of Baal. They removed the image of Asherah from the house of Baal and burned it. The altar of Baal was pulled down and the house of Baal was broken up and made an unclean place, as it is to this day. Jehu put an end to the worship of Baal in Israel.

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but reverence Jehovah all day long.

Because for your sake, I have borne reproach. Shame has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's children. Zeal for your house consumes me. The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.

The Passover of the Jews was at hand and Jesus went to Jerusalem. He found the merchants who sold oxen, sheep and doves. The moneychangers were sitting nearby. He made a whip of cords, and chased them all out of the temple, including the sheep and the oxen. He poured out the coins of the moneychangers and overturned the tables.read more.
He told those who sold doves: Take these things away. Do not make my Father's house a house of merchandise. His disciples remembered what was written. 'Zeal for your house shall eat me up.' (Psalm 69:9)

Do not lag behind in diligence. Be fervent in spirit serving God.

After him Baruch, the son of Zabbai, was hard at work on another part, from the turning of the wall to the door of the house of Eliashib, the chief priest.

But thanks to God, who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. For he accepted indeed our exhortation; but being himself very earnest, he went forth to you of his own accord. And we have sent together with him the brother, whose praise in the good news has spread through all the congregations,read more.
and not only so, but who was also appointed by the congregations to travel with us in the matter of this grace, which is ministered by us to the glory of the Lord, and to show our readiness. Avoid this, that any man should blame us in the matter of this bounty that is ministered by us: for we think of honorable things, not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of men. We send our brother with them, whom we have many times proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, by reason of the great confidence which he has in you.

Those who heard it glorified God. They said to him: You see brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews who have believed. They are all zealous for the law.

You are righteous, O Jehovah. Your judgments are upright. You have commanded your laws in righteousness and in exceeding faithfulness. My zeal has consumed me, for the reason that my adversaries have forgotten your words.read more.
Your word is very pure. Your servant loves it. I am small and despised. Even so I do not forget your precepts. Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness. Your law is truth. Trouble and anguish have come upon me. Even so I am fond of your commandments. Your laws are righteous forever. Give me understanding that I may live.

The Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were left over from the Amorites. The Israelites swore to spare them. Saul, in his eagerness, tried to destroy them for Israel and Judah. The king called the Gibeonites.

Jehovah goes out to fight like a warrior. He is ready and eager for battle. He gives a war cry, a battle shout and he shows his power against his enemies.

Jehovah continued speaking to Moses: Jehovah said to Moses: Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of the priest Aaron, turned my fury away from the Israelites. Since he stood up for me, I did not have to stand up for myself and destroy them.

Make sure that no man, woman, family, or tribe standing here today turns from Jehovah our God to serve the gods of other nations. This would be like a root that grows to be a bitter and poisonous plant. Be sure there is no one here today who hears these solemn demands and yet convinces himself that all will be well with him. He would go stubbornly on his own way. That would destroy all of you, good and evil alike. Jehovah will never be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of Jehovah and / His jealousy will burn against that man. Every curse which is written in this book will rest on him. Jehovah will blot out his name from under heaven.read more.
Jehovah will destroy you by piling on you all the curses that are written in this book of Law. You will be forgotten forever.

You are aware of our many rebellious acts. Our sins testify against us. Our rebellious acts are with us. We know our iniquities. We rebelled and denied Jehovah. We turned away from our God. We spoke about oppression and revolt. We conceived and uttered lies in our hearts. Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away. Truth has fallen in the street, and honesty cannot come in.read more.
Truth is missing. Those who turn away from evil become victims. Jehovah sees it, and what he saw displeased him because there is no justice. He sees that there is no one to help. He is astounded that there is no one to intercede. So he saves him with his own power. His righteousness supports him. He puts on righteousness like a coat of armor and a helmet of salvation on his head. He wears clothes of vengeance. He wraps himself with zeal as a coat. He will pay them back according to their deeds. He will pay back his opponents with wrath and punish his enemies. He will pay back the people who live on the coastlands. The people from the sunset (the west) will respect the name of Jehovah. Those from the rising of the sun (the east) will reverence his glory. He will come like a rushing stream that the Spirit (wind) (breath) of Jehovah drives.

Therefore, the Lord Jehovah says: 'Behold, I, even I, am against you! I will execute judgments against you in the sight of the nations. Because of all your abominations, I will do among you what I have not done before, and the like of which I will never do again. Fathers will eat their sons among you and sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments against you and scatter your entire remnant to every wind.'read more.
As I live, declares the Lord Jehovah,' 'because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable idols and with all your abominations I will withdraw, and my eye will have no pity and I will not spare you. One third of your people will die by plague or be consumed by famine! One third will fall by the sword! One third I will scatter to every wind! I will unsheathe a sword behind them (war will follow them). I will unleash my anger. I will use my fury against you, and I will get revenge. When my fury is unleashed against you, you will know that I, Jehovah, spoke to you with all my zeal.

'The Lord Jehovah says: 'Surely in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated my land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with scorn, to drive it out for a prey.'' Prophesy about Israel and tell the mountains and hills and the ravines and valleys: 'This is what the Lord Jehovah says: I am speaking in my anger and fury because you have been insulted by the nations. This is what the Lord Jehovah says: 'I raise my hand and swear that the nations that surround you will be insulted.

It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,' declares the Lord Jehovah, 'that my fury will mount up in my anger. In my zeal and in my blazing wrath I proclaim that on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the beasts of the field, all the creeping things that creep on the earth, and all the people who are on the face of the earth will shake at my presence! The mountains will be thrown down! The steep pathways will collapse and every wall will fall to the ground.'read more.
I will call for a sword against Gog on all my mountains,' declares the Lord Jehovah. 'Every man's sword will be against his brother. With pestilence and with blood I will enter into judgment on him. I will rain on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire and brimstone. I will magnify myself, sanctify myself, and make myself known in the sight of many nations! Then they will know that I am Jehovah.' (Matthew 6:9)

O Jehovah, your hand is lifted high, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame. Let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them.

This will be a sign for you, Hezekiah: You will eat what grows by itself this year and next year. But in the third year you will plant and harvest, plant vineyards, and eat what is produced. The remnant in Judah who survives will flourish like plants that send roots deep into the ground and produce fruit. There will be a remnant of people in Jerusalem and on Mount Zion who will survive. Jehovah is determined to make this happen.

This will be the sign for you, O Hezekiah: 'This year you will eat what grows by itself. The second year you will eat what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit. Again a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above. Out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord Jehovah will accomplish this.

There will be no more gloom for those who were suffering. In the past he humiliated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future he will honor Galilee of the Nations, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan. The people who walk in darkness (ignorance) (lies) have seen a great light (truth). A light has dawned on those who live in the land of the shadow of death (the grave) (calamity). You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy. They rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder.read more.
As in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke of his burdens: the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of Jehovah of Hosts will accomplish this.

Look down and see from heaven, from your holy and beautiful dwelling. Where is your determination (zeal) and might? Where is the longing of your heart and your compassion? Do not hold back.

This is what the Lord Jehovah says: 'Now I will bring back Jacob's captives and have compassion for the whole nation of Israel. I will stand up for (show exclusive devotion for) my holy name.

It is not good to be a person without knowledge. He who hurries often misses the way.

Brothers, my hearts desire and my prayer to God for Israel is for their salvation. I testify that they have zeal for God, but not according to [precise and correct] knowledge. They are ignorant of God's righteousness. They seek to establish their own righteousness and have not submitted to the righteousness of God.read more.
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who exerts active faith.

And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

You heard about the way I lived as a Jew. How I persecuted the congregation of God beyond measure. In fact I tried to destroy it! I advanced as a Jew beyond many of my own age among my countrymen. I was more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

They zealously (eagerly) seek you in no good way. They desire to shut you out, that you may seek them. It is good to be zealously sought in a good matter at all times, and not only when I am present with you.

as touching zeal, persecuting the church; as touching the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.

When they entered the city they went to the upper chamber where they were staying. Included were Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealous one, and Judas the son of James.

The following are the names of the twelve apostles (ambassadors of the good news) (messengers): first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed him.

The twelve included Simon whom he surnamed Peter, James the son of Zebedee, John the brother of James surnamed Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder: Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananaean.read more.
Also present was Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. Then he went into a house.

Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip and Bartholomew, and Matthew and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealous one, And finally there was Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, where you are going.

As much as you are zealous for spiritual gifts, strive to build-up (increase) the enlightenment (understanding) of the congregation.

It is good to be zealously sought in a good matter at all times, and not only when I am present with you.

For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God that is in you because of the laying on of my hands.

I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by reminding you.

I reprove and discipline those whom I love: be zealous therefore, and repent.