Romans 13:4
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4 for it is God’s agent for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority[a] does not bear the sword in vain! It is the agent of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer.
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- 13.4 Gk it
Romans 12:19
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19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God,[a] for it is written, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”(A)
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- 12.19 Gk the wrath
Proverbs 20:2
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2 The dread anger of a king is like the growling of a lion;
anyone who provokes him to anger forfeits life itself.(A)
Proverbs 16:14
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14 A king’s wrath is a messenger of death,
and whoever is wise will appease it.(A)
2 Chronicles 19:6
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6 and said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for you judge not on behalf of humans but on the Lord’s behalf; he is with you in giving judgment.(A)
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1 Thessalonians 4:6
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6 that no one wrong or exploit a brother or sister in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we have already told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.(A)
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Romans 13:6
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6 For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s agents, busy with this very thing.
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Micah 3:1-4
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Wicked Rulers and Prophets
3 And I said:
Listen, you heads of Jacob
and rulers of the house of Israel!
Should you not know justice?—(A)
2 you who hate the good and love the evil,
who tear the skin off my people[a]
and the flesh off their bones,(B)
3 who eat the flesh of my people,
flay their skin off them,
break their bones in pieces,
and chop them up like meat[b] in a kettle,
like flesh in a caldron.(C)
4 Then they will cry to the Lord,
but he will not answer them;
he will hide his face from them at that time
because they have acted wickedly.(D)
Proverbs 24:23-24
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Further Sayings of the Wise
23 These also are sayings of the wise:
Partiality in judging is not good.(A)
24 Whoever says to the wicked, “You are innocent,”
will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations,(B)
Psalm 82:2-4
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2 “How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked? Selah(A)
3 Give justice to the weak and the orphan;
maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.(B)
4 Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”(C)
Micah 3:9
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9 Hear this, you rulers of the house of Jacob
and chiefs of the house of Israel,
who abhor justice
and pervert all equity,(A)
Ezekiel 25:14
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14 I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they shall act in Edom according to my anger and according to my wrath, and they shall know my vengeance, says the Lord God.(A)
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Ezekiel 22:27
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27 Its officials within it are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain.(A)
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Jeremiah 5:28
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28 they have grown fat and sleek.
They know no limits in deeds of wickedness;
they do not judge with justice
the cause of the orphan, to make it prosper,
and they do not defend the rights of the needy.(A)
Isaiah 1:17
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17 learn to do good;
seek justice;
rescue the oppressed;
defend the orphan;
plead for the widow.(A)
Ecclesiastes 8:2-5
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2 Keep[a] the king’s command, and because of your sacred oath(A) 3 do not be terrified; go from his presence; do not delay when the matter is unpleasant, for he does whatever he pleases. 4 For the word of the king is powerful, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”(B) 5 Whoever obeys a command will meet no harm, and the wise mind will know the time and way.
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- 8.2 Heb I keep
Proverbs 31:8-9
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8 Speak out for those who cannot speak,
for the rights of all the destitute.[a](A)
9 Speak out; judge righteously;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.(B)
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- 31.8 Heb all children of passing away
Proverbs 20:26
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26 A wise king winnows the wicked
and drives the wheel over them.
Proverbs 20:8
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8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment
winnows all evil with his eyes.
1 Kings 10:9
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9 Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king to execute justice and righteousness.”(A)
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Joshua 20:9
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9 These were the cities designated for all the Israelites and for the aliens residing among them, that anyone who killed a person without intent could flee there, so as not to die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until there was a trial before the congregation.(A)
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Numbers 35:19-27
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19 The avenger of blood is the one who shall put the murderer to death; when they meet, the avenger of blood shall execute the sentence.(A) 20 Likewise, if someone pushes another from hatred or hurls something at another, lying in wait, and death ensues, 21 or in enmity strikes another with the hand, and death ensues, then the one who struck the blow shall be put to death; that person is a murderer; the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when they meet.
22 “But if someone pushes another suddenly without enmity or hurls any object without lying in wait,(B) 23 or, while handling any stone that could cause death, unintentionally[a] drops it on another and death ensues, though they were not enemies and no harm was intended, 24 then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these ordinances,(C) 25 and the congregation shall rescue the slayer from the avenger of blood. Then the congregation shall send the slayer back to the original city of refuge. The slayer shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if the slayer shall at any time go outside the bounds of the original city of refuge 27 and is found by the avenger of blood outside the bounds of the city of refuge and is killed by the avenger, no bloodguilt shall be incurred.
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- 35.23 Heb without seeing
Joshua 20:5
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5 And if the avenger of blood is in pursuit, they shall not give up the slayer because the neighbor was killed by mistake, there having been no enmity between them before.(A)
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