Ezra 4:13

In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I have given this land to your offspring, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:

A nation which you don’t know will eat the fruit of your ground and all of your work. You will only be oppressed and crushed always,

Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

Also we inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll, on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or laborers of this house of God.

Therefore give everyone what you owe: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if customs, then customs; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Only he didn’t buy the land of the priests, for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and ate their portion which Pharaoh gave them. That is why they didn’t sell their land.

David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah to Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion by the river Euphrates.

But you are forgers of lies. You are all physicians of no value.

My soul is among lions. I lie among those who are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.

The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels: they go down into a person’s innermost parts.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.

How the city sits solitary, that was full of people! She has become as a widow, who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave!

and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; that these local governors might give account to them, and that the king should suffer no loss.

Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.

On the next day, he was determined to go out into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”

Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.

For Yahweh your God will bless you, as he promised you. You will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. You will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.

They will eat the fruit of your livestock and the fruit of your ground, until you are destroyed. They also won’t leave you grain, new wine, oil, the increase of your livestock, or the young of your flock, until they have caused you to perish.

Some of the children of Israel, including some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

I, even I Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, requires of you, it shall be done with all diligence,

There were also some who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral.

Then I sent to him, saying, “There are no such things done as you say, but you imagine them out of your own heart.”

For there is no faithfulness in their mouth. Their heart is destruction. Their throat is an open tomb. They flatter with their tongue.

Behold, they spew with their mouth. Swords are in their lips, “For”, they say, “who hears us?”

With my whole heart, I have sought you. Don’t let me wander from your commandments.

There is one who speaks rashly like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise heals.

He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity, and who give wicked counsel in this city;

But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’

Show me the tax money.” They brought to him a denarius.

They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

“Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit.” “The poison of vipers is under their lips.”

but God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world that he might put to shame the things that are strong.

let’s draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our body washed with pure water,

“If a man borrows anything of his neighbor’s, and it is injured, or dies, its owner not being with it, he shall surely make restitution.

If Yahweh your God enlarges your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers;

You will plant vineyards and dress them, but you will neither drink of the wine, nor harvest, because worms will eat them.

therefore you will serve your enemies whom Yahweh sends against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in lack of all things. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.

The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? He has surely come up to defy Israel. The king will give great riches to the man who kills him, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.”

In the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make you a name like the name of the great ones who are in the earth.

There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all the country beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll, was paid to them.

Be careful that you not be slack doing so. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

It yields much increase to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. Also they have power over our bodies and over our livestock, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.

Remember me, my God, concerning this, and don’t wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its observances.

Consider my enemies, for they are many. They hate me with cruel hatred.

in whose hands is wickedness, their right hand is full of bribes.

Unrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don’t know about.

“You give your mouth to evil. Your tongue frames deceit.

Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue.

Give me understanding, and I will keep your law. Yes, I will obey it with my whole heart.

The arrogant mock me excessively, but I don’t swerve from your law.

I sought your favor with my whole heart. Be merciful to me according to your word.

The proud have smeared a lie upon me. With my whole heart, I will keep your precepts.

Many are my persecutors and my adversaries. I haven’t swerved from your testimonies.

Deliver my soul, Yahweh, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.

There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and their jaws like knives, to devour the poor from the earth, and the needy from among men.

Then they said, “Come! Let’s devise plans against Jeremiah; for the law won’t perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let’s strike him with the tongue, and let’s not give heed to any of his words.”

Thus you were decked with gold and silver. Your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered work. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and you prospered to royal estate.

It had strong branches for the scepters of those who ruled. Their stature was exalted among the thick boughs. They were seen in their height with the multitude of their branches.

But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him.

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.

As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him.

Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, who was also called Thaddaeus;

He said, “Yes.” When he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive toll or tribute? From their children, or from strangers?”

Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death;

Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot;

When they had come, they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and don’t defer to anyone; for you aren’t partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?

Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Simon, who was called the Zealot;

Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

They answered him, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, ‘You will be made free’?”

When they had come in, they went up into the upper room where they were staying; that is Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the enrollment, and drew away some people after him. He also perished, and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered abroad.

After five days, the high priest, Ananias, came down with certain elders and an orator, one Tertullus. They informed the governor against Paul.

For we have found this man to be a plague, an instigator of insurrections among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.

Nor can they prove to you the things of which they now accuse me.

For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, continually doing this very thing.

But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ’s apostles.

to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood,

He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.