'Judgment' in the Bible

But on that nation whom your descendants will serve I will bring judgment, and afterward they will come out [of that land] with great possessions.

Far be it from You to do such a thing—to strike the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right [by executing just and righteous judgment]?”

Therefore, say to the children of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will free you from their bondage. I will redeem and rescue you with an outstretched (vigorous, powerful) arm and with great acts of judgment [against Egypt].

But Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I shall lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts [like a defensive army, tribe by tribe], My people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment (the plagues).

For I [the Lord] will pass through the land of Egypt on this night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and animal; against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments [exhibiting their worthlessness]. I am the Lord.

Tell all the skilled and talented people whom I have endowed with a spirit of wisdom, that they are to make Aaron’s garments to sanctify him and set him apart to serve as a priest for Me.

“You are to make a breastpiece of judgment, the work of a skilled and talented craftsman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric and of fine twisted linen.

So Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob) in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the Holy Place, to bring them in continual remembrance before the Lord.

In the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim (Lights) and the Thummim (Perfections) [to be used for determining God’s will in a matter]. They shall be over Aaron’s heart whenever he goes before the Lord, and Aaron shall always carry the judgment (verdict, judicial decisions) of the sons of Israel over his heart before the Lord.

Then Aaron said to Moses, “This very day they have [obediently] presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, but [such terrible things] as these have happened to me [and to them]; if I [and my sons] had eaten a sin offering today would it have been acceptable and pleasing in the sight of the Lord?”

‘You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement of weight or quantity.

Then one of the Israelites came and presented to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and the whole congregation of the Israelites, while they were weeping [over God’s judgment] at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle).

He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the judgment (decision) of the Urim. At Joshua’s command the people shall go out and at his command they shall come in, he and all the congregation of Israel with him.”

You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear and pay attention to the [cases of the] least [important] as well as the great. You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you [to judge], you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’

“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your cities (gates) which the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

“If any case is too difficult for you to judge—between one kind of homicide and another, between one kind of lawsuit and another, between one kind of assault and another, being controversial issues in your courts—then you shall arise and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses.

You shall act in accordance with the law which they teach you and the judgment which they tell you. You shall not turn aside from their verdict, to the right or to the left.

If I sharpen the lightning of My sword,And My hand takes hold of judgment,I will render vengeance on My adversaries,And I will repay those who hate Me.

She used to sit [to hear and decide disputes] under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment.

He would get up early and stand beside the road to the gate [of the city, where court was held]; and when any man who had a dispute came to the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him, “From what city are you?” And he would say, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.”

This is how Absalom dealt with everyone in Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

When the [avenging] angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the disaster and said to the angel who destroyed the people, “It is enough! Now relax your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

When all [the people of] Israel heard about the judgment which the king had made, they [were in awe and reverently] feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was within him to administer justice.

He made the hall for the throne where he was to judge, the Hall of Judgment; it was paneled with cedar from [one] floor to [another] floor.

His house where he was to live, the other courtyard behind the hall, was of similar workmanship. Solomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.

So David reigned over all Israel and administered justice and righteousness for all his people.

and he said to the judges, “Be careful what you do, for you do not judge for man, but for the Lord who is with you in the matter of judgment.

In Jerusalem also Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites, priests, and heads of the fathers’ households of Israel to render the judgment of the Lord and to judge disputes among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

‘If evil comes on us, or the sword of judgment, or plague, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your Name and Your Presence is in this house) and we will cry out to You in our distress, and You will hear and save us.’

O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless against this great multitude which is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”

It came about that when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the leaders of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s [murdered] brothers ministering to Ahaziah, and he killed them.

Though the army of the Arameans came with a small company of men, the Lord handed over a very large army into their hands, because Joash and Judah had abandoned (turned away from) the Lord, the God of their fathers. So the Arameans executed judgment against Joash.

Whoever does not observe and practice the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him strictly and promptly, whether it be for death or banishment or confiscation of property or imprisonment.”

Then the king spoke to the wise men who understood the times [asking for their advice]—for it was the custom of the king to speak before all those who were familiar with law and legal matters—

“If God passes by or arrests,Or calls an assembly [of judgment], who can restrain Him?[If He is against a man, who can call Him to account for it?]

“You also open Your eyes upon himAnd bring him into judgment with Yourself.

“Then beware and be afraid of the sword [of divine vengeance] for yourselves,For wrathful are the punishments of that sword,So that you may know there is judgment.”

“Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you,That He enters into judgment against you?

“Why does the Almighty not set seasons for judgment?Why do those who know Him not see His days [for punishment of the wicked]?

“For He sets no appointed time for a man,That he should appear before Him in judgment.

“Even though you say that you do not see Him [when missing His righteous judgment on earth],Yet your case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!

“But you [Job] were full of judgment on the wicked,Judgment and justice take hold of you.

“For by these [mighty acts] He judges the peoples;He gives food in abundance.

“Will you really annul My judgment and set it aside as void?Will you condemn Me [your God] that you may [appear to] be righteous and justified?

Therefore the wicked will not stand [unpunished] in the judgment,Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

But the Lord will remain and sit enthroned forever;He has prepared and established His throne for judgment.

The Lord has made Himself known;He executes judgment;The wicked are trapped by the work of their own hands. Higgaion (meditation) Selah.

Against You, You only, have I sinnedAnd done that which is evil in Your sight,So that You are justified when You speak [Your sentence]And faultless in Your judgment.

May he judge Your people with righteousness,And Your afflicted with justice.

When God arose to [establish] judgment,To save all the humble of the earth. Selah.

God stands in the divine assembly;He judges among the gods (divine beings).

“When your fathers tested Me,They tried Me, even though they had seen My work [of miracles].

Then Phinehas [the priest] stood up and interceded,And so the plague was halted.

He will execute judgment [in overwhelming punishment] among the nations;He will fill them with corpses,He will crush the chief men over a broad country.

Teach me good judgment (discernment) and knowledge,For I have believed and trusted and relied on Your commandments.

For there the thrones of judgment were set,The thrones of the house of David.

And do not enter into judgment with Your servant,For in Your sight no man living is righteous or justified.

To execute on them the judgment written.This is the honor for all His godly ones.Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

So find favor and high esteemIn the sight of God and man.

Riches will not provide security in the day of wrath and judgment,But righteousness rescues from death.

A divine decision [given by God] is on the lips of the king [as His representative];His mouth should not be unfaithful or unjust in judgment.

He who [willfully] separates himself [from God and man] seeks his own desire,He quarrels against all sound wisdom.

A [discerning] king who sits on the throne of judgmentSifts all evil [like chaff] with his eyes [and cannot be easily fooled].

Buy truth, and do not sell it;Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

Wisdom is too exalted for a [hardened, arrogant] fool;He does not open his mouth in the gate [where the city’s rulers sit in judgment].

For oppression makes a wise man foolish,And a bribe corrupts the [good judgment of the] heart.

For there is a proper time and [appropriate] procedure for every delight,Though mankind’s misery and trouble lies heavily upon him [who rebels against the king].

Rejoice, young man, in your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant in the days of your young manhood. And walk in the ways of your heart and in the desires of your eyes, but know that God will bring you into judgment for all these things.

For God will bring every act to judgment, every hidden and secret thing, whether it is good or evil.

The Lord enters into judgment with the elders of His people and their princes,“For it is you who have devoured the vineyard [with your oppression, you have robbed the people and ruined the country];The plunder of the poor is in your houses.

When the Lord has washed away the [moral] filth of the daughters of Zion and has cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning,

They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute, and wine at their feasts;But they do not regard nor even pay attention to the deeds of the Lord,Nor do they consider the work of His hands.

Therefore the anger of the Lord has burned against His people,And He has stretched out His hand against them and has struck them down.And the mountains trembled, and their dead bodies lay like rubbish in the middle of the streets.In spite of all this God’s anger is not turned away,But His hand is still stretched out [in judgment].

He will lift up a flag to [call] the distant nations [to bring His judgment on Judah],And will whistle for them from the ends of the earth;And indeed, they will come with great speed swiftly.

But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish [for with judgment comes the promise of salvation]. In earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He will make them honored [by the presence of the Messiah], by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

The Arameans on the east and the Philistines on the west;And they devour Israel with gaping jaws.In spite of all this, God’s anger does not turn awayBut His hand is still stretched out [in judgment].

Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men,Nor does He have compassion on their fatherless or their widows;For every one of them is godless and an evildoer,And every mouth is speaking foolishness.In spite of all this, God’s anger does not turn awayBut His hand is still stretched out [in judgment].

[The tribe of] Manasseh devours [the tribe of his brother] Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh,And together they are against Judah (the southern kingdom, the house of David).In spite of all this, God’s anger does not turn awayBut His hand is still stretched out [in judgment].

Nothing remains but to crouch among the captivesOr fall [dead] among the slain [on the battlefield].In spite of all this, God’s anger does not turn away,But His hand is still stretched out [in judgment].

The [mournful, inspired] oracle (a burden to be carried) concerning the Desert of the Sea (the seasonally flooded plains just south of Babylon):As windstorms in the Negev (the South) sweep through,So it (God’s judgment) comes from the desert, from [the hostile armies of] a terrifying land.

On this mountain [Zion] the Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples [to welcome His reign on earth],A banquet of aged wines—choice pieces [flavored] with marrow,Of refined, aged wines.

A spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment [administering the law],A strength to those who drive back the battle at the gate.

But even these reel with wine and stagger from strong drink:The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink;They are confused by wine, they stagger from strong drink;They reel while seeing visions,They stagger when pronouncing judgment.

The heart (mind) of those who act impulsively will discern the truth,And the tongue of the stammerers will hurry to speak clearly.

For My sword is satiated [with blood] in heaven;Indeed, it will come down for judgment on EdomAnd on the people whom I have doomed for destruction.

“Listen to Me in silence, you islands and coastlands,And let the nations gain their strength;Let them come near, then let them speak;Let us come together for judgment [and decide the issue between us concerning the enemy from the east].

After oppression and judgment He was taken away;And as for His generation [His contemporaries], who [among them] concerned himself with the factThat He was cut off from the land of the living [by His death]For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke [of death] was due?

“No weapon that is formed against you will succeed;And every tongue that rises against you in judgment you will condemn.This [peace, righteousness, security, and triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,And this is their vindication from Me,” says the Lord.

For the Lord will execute judgment by fireAnd by His sword on all mankind,And those slain by the Lord will be many.

Yet you keep saying, ‘I am innocent;Surely His anger has turned away from me.’Behold (listen very carefully), I will bring you to judgment and will plead my case against youBecause you say, ‘I have not sinned.’

“Then [in the final time] I will give you [spiritual] shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and [true] understanding.

And if you swear [your oaths], ‘As the Lord lives,’In truth, in justice, and in righteousness,Then the nations will bless themselves in Him,And in Him they will glory.”

a wind too strong and full for this comes at My word. Now I will also speak judgment against My people.”

Then I said, “[Surely] these are only the poor (uneducated);They are [sinfully] foolish and have no [spiritual] understanding,For they do not know the way of the LordOr the ordinance of their God [and the requirements of His just and righteous law].

“I will go to the great [men]And speak to them,For they [must] know the way of the Lord,The ordinance of their God.”But [I found the reverse to be true, that] they too had all alike broken the yoke [of God’s law]And had burst the bonds [of obedience to Him].

but let the one who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me [and acknowledges Me and honors Me as God and recognizes without any doubt], that I am the Lord who practices lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on the earth, for in these things I delight,” says the Lord.

O Lord, correct me [along with Your people], but with mercy and in just measure—Not in Your anger, or You will crush me and bring me to nothing.

But as for me, I have not tried to escape from being a shepherd [walking] after You,Nor have I longed for the woeful day [of judgment];You know that, whatever I saidWas [spoken] in Your presence and was from You.

‘A noise has come to the end of the earth,For the Lord has a controversy with and an indictment against the nations.He is entering into judgment with all mankind;As for the wicked, He has given them to the sword,’ says the Lord.”