Exodus 18:21

For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor. You shall not charge him interest.

So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and respected men, and made them heads over you, captains of thousands, captains of hundreds, captains of fifties, captains of tens, and officers, according to your tribes.

You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality. You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

Samuel said, “Has Yahweh as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying Yahweh’s voice? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

Therefore select from among you, brothers, seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

If others partake of this right over you, don’t we yet more? Nevertheless we didn’t use this right, but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the Good News of Christ.

When I was present with you and was in need, I wasn’t a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do so.

Therefore putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another.

Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

No one is greater in this house than I am, and he has not kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

The land of Egypt is before you. Make your father and your brothers dwell in the best of the land. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen. If you know any able men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”

You shall not rule over him with harshness, but shall fear your God.

These are those who were called of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel.

the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ houses, offered. These were the princes of the tribes. These are they who were over those who were counted;

Take wise men of understanding who are respected among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.”

‘Cursed is he who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

For who is God, besides Yahweh? Who is a rock, besides our God?

They said to him, “See now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. Perhaps Yahweh’s Spirit has taken him up, and put him on some mountain, or into some valley.” He said, “Don’t send them.”

For Yahweh’s eyes run back and forth throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. You have done foolishly in this; for from now on you will have wars.”

Hanani, one of my brothers, came, he and certain men out of Judah; and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple, for the wall of the city, and for the house that I will occupy.” The king granted my requests, because of the good hand of my God on me.

He who walks blamelessly and does what is right, and speaks truth in his heart;

When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more; but the righteous stand firm forever.

“I sought for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.

Dominion was given him, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his kingdom that which will not be destroyed.

and I will make that which was lame a remnant, and that which was cast far off a strong nation: and Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever.”

Yahweh of Armies says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months shall be for the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.”

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch didn’t see him any more, for he went on his way rejoicing.

Open your hearts to us. We wronged no one. We corrupted no one. We took advantage of no one.

For neither were we at any time found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (God is witness),

Here I am. Witness against me before Yahweh, and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Of whose hand have I taken a bribe to make me blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.”

But the former governors who were before me were supported by the people, and took bread and wine from them, plus forty shekels of silver; yes, even their servants ruled over the people; but I didn’t do so, because of the fear of God.

Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

“Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: ‘Because you have forgotten me, and cast me behind your back, therefore you also bear your lewdness and your prostitution.’ ”

The kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole sky, will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey him.’

and said, “What are you willing to give me, that I should deliver him to you?” They weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver.

If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus,

But I have used none of these things, and I don’t write these things that it may be done so in my case; for I would rather die, than that anyone should make my boasting void.

What then is my reward? That when I preach the Good News, I may present the Good News of Christ without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News.

Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my requirements, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this, and live, for I fear God.

Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Everyone kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal Peor.”

Your house and your kingdom will be made sure forever before you. Your throne will be established forever.” ’ ”

The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, ‘One who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God,

Help, Yahweh; for the godly man ceases. For the faithful fail from among the children of men.

They have all gone aside. They have together become corrupt. There is no one who does good, no, not one.

I have set Yahweh always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Cast your burden on Yahweh and he will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be moved.

For he will never be shaken. The righteous will be remembered forever.

Turn my heart toward your statutes, not toward selfish gain.

he who hasn’t lent to them with interest, hasn’t taken any increase from them, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,

who has withdrawn his hand from the poor, who hasn’t received interest or increase, has executed my ordinances, has walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father. He shall surely live.

Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he will save his soul alive.

But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many will run back and forth, and knowledge will be increased.”

Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

“ ‘When a ruler sins, and unwittingly does any one of all the things which Yahweh his God has commanded not to be done, and is guilty,

“ ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great; but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness.

With you there shall be a man of every tribe, each one head of his fathers’ house.

If they blow just one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves to you.

The elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him.

With him were ten princes, one prince of a fathers’ house for each of the tribes of Israel; and they were each head of their fathers’ houses among the thousands of Israel.

His sons didn’t walk in his ways, but turned away after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

He will appoint them to him for captains of thousands, and captains of fifties; and he will assign some to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots.

These were the princes whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest;

Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared Yahweh greatly;

It will happen, as soon as I leave you, that Yahweh’s Spirit will carry you I don’t know where; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he can’t find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared Yahweh from my youth.

As he went to Ziklag, some from Manasseh joined him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of thousands who were of Manasseh.

Also I said, “The thing that you do is not good. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the nations our enemies?

I put my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the governor of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem; for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.

I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him who I didn’t know.

“If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me,

he who doesn’t lend out his money for usury, nor take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be shaken.

God presides in the great assembly. He judges among the gods.

He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, but he who hates bribes will live.

In rebellion, a land has many rulers, but order is maintained by a man of understanding and knowledge.

A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment. One who hates ill-gotten gain will have long days.

This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.

the captain of fifty, the honorable man, the counselor, the skilled craftsman, and the clever enchanter.

A throne will be established in loving kindness. One will sit on it in truth, in the tent of David, judging, seeking justice, and swift to do righteousness.

He who walks righteously and speaks blamelessly, he who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing to take a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from looking at evil—

No one sues in righteousness, and no one pleads in truth. They trust in vanity, and speak lies. They conceive mischief, and give birth to iniquity.

“Run back and forth through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in its wide places, if you can find a man, if there is anyone who does justly, who seeks truth, then I will pardon her.

But your eyes and your heart are only for your covetousness, for shedding innocent blood, for oppression, and for doing violence.”

In you have they taken bribes to shed blood. You have taken interest and increase, and you have greedily gained of your neighbors by oppression, and have forgotten me,” says the Lord Yahweh.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.

“Thus has Yahweh of Armies spoken, saying, ‘Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother.

These are the things that you shall do: speak every man the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates,

I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and don’t fear me,” says Yahweh of Armies.

saying, “There was a judge in a certain city who didn’t fear God, and didn’t respect man.

He wouldn’t for a while, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God, nor respect man,

I coveted no one’s silver, gold, or clothing.

But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints;

not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God, and turned away from evil.