18 Bible Verses about Riots
Most Relevant Verses
Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from the youngest to the oldest all the people from every quarter. And they called to Lot, and said to him, Where are the men that have come in to thee to-night? bring them out to us that we may know them. And Lot went out to them to the entrance, and shut the door after him,read more.
and said, I pray you, my brethren, do not wickedly! Behold now, I have two daughters who have not known a man: let me now bring them out to you; and do to them as is good in your sight: only, to these men do nothing; for therefore have they come under the shadow of my roof. And they said, Back there! And they said again, This one came to sojourn, and he must be a judge? Now we will deal worse with thee than with them. And they pressed hard on the man on Lot; and drew near to break the door. And the men stretched out their hand, and brought Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. And they smote the men that were at the entrance of the house with blindness, from the smallest to the greatest; and they wearied themselves to find the entrance.
Then the men of the town said to Jo'ash, "Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has pulled down the altar of Ba'al and cut down the Ashe'rah beside it." But Jo'ash said to all who were arrayed against him, "Will you contend for Ba'al? Or will you defend his cause? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been pulled down."
And it came to pass when Jeremiah had ended speaking all that Jehovah had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, Thou shalt certainly die. Why hast thou prophesied in the name of Jehovah, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of Jehovah. And the princes of Judah heard these things; and they went up from the king's house unto the house of Jehovah, and sat in the entry of the new gate of Jehovah.read more.
And the priests and the prophets spoke unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die, for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.
And they were all filled with rage in the synagogue, hearing these things; and rising up they cast him forth out of the city, and led him up to the brow of the mountain upon which their city was built, so that they might throw him down the precipice; but he, passing through the midst of them, went his way,
And there took place at that time no small disturbance about the way. For a certain man by name Demetrius, a silver-beater, making silver temples of Artemis, brought no small gain to the artisans; whom having brought together, and those who wrought in such things, he said, Men, ye know that our well-living arises from this work,read more.
and ye see and hear that this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great crowd, not only of Ephesus, but almost of all Asia, saying that they are no gods which are made with hands. Now not only there is danger for us that our business come into discredit, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be counted for nothing, and that her greatness should be destroyed whom the whole of Asia and the world reveres. And having heard this, and being filled with rage, they cried out, saying, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians. And the whole city was filled with confusion, and they rushed with one accord to the theatre, having seized and carried off with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, fellow-travellers of Paul. But Paul intending to go in to the people, the disciples suffered him not; and some of the Asiarchs also, who were his friends, sent to him and urged him not to throw himself into the theatre. Different persons therefore cried out some different thing; for the assembly was tumultuous, and the most did not know for what cause they had come together. But from among the crowd they put forward Alexander, the Jews pushing him forward. And Alexander, beckoning with his hand, would have made a defence to the people. But, recognising that he was a Jew, there was one cry from all, shouting for about two hours, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.
But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds that they should beg for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. And the governor answering said to them, Which of the two will ye that I release unto you? And they said, Barabbas. Pilate says to them, What then shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ? They all say, Let him be crucified.read more.
And the governor said, What evil then has he done? But they cried more than ever, saying, Let him be crucified. And Pilate, seeing that it availed nothing, but that rather a tumult was arising, having taken water, washed his hands before the crowd, saying, I am guiltless of the blood of this righteous one: see ye to it.
But at the feast he released to them one prisoner, whomsoever they begged of him. Now there was the person named Barabbas bound with those who had made insurrection with him, and that had committed murder in the insurrection. And the crowd crying out began to beg that he would do to them as he had always done.read more.
But Pilate answered them saying, Will ye that I release to you the King of the Jews? for he knew that the chief priests had delivered him up through envy. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd that he might rather release Barabbas to them. And Pilate answering said to them again, What will ye then that I do to him whom ye call King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him. And Pilate said to them, What evil then has he done? But they cried out the more urgently, Crucify him. And Pilate, desirous of contenting the crowd, released to them Barabbas, and delivered up Jesus, when he had scourged him, that he might be crucified.
And Stephen, full of grace and power, wrought wonders and great signs among the people. And there arose up certain of those of the synagogue called of freedmen, and of Cyrenians, and of Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.read more.
Then they suborned men, saying, We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God. And they roused the people, and the elders, and the scribes. And coming upon him they seized him and brought him to the council. And they set false witnesses, saying, This man does not cease speaking words against the holy place and the law; for we have heard him saying, This Jesus the Nazaraean shall destroy this place, and change the customs which Moses taught us.
But the Jews having been stirred up to jealousy, and taken to themselves certain wicked men of the lowest rabble, and having got a crowd together, set the city in confusion; and having beset the house of Jason sought to bring them out to the people; and not having found them, dragged Jason and certain brethren before the politarchs, crying out, These men that have set the world in tumult, are come here also, whom Jason has received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying, that there is another king, Jesus.read more.
And they troubled the crowd and the politarchs when they heard these things. And having taken security of Jason and the rest, they let them go.
And when the seven days were nearly completed, the Jews from Asia, having seen him in the temple, set all the crowd in a tumult, and laid hands upon him, crying, Israelites, help! this is the man who teaches all everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place, and has brought Greeks too into the temple, and profaned this holy place. For they had before seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.read more.
And the whole city was moved, and there was a concourse of the people; and having laid hold on Paul they drew him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. And as they were seeking to kill him, a representation came to the chiliarch of the band that the whole of Jerusalem was in a tumult; who, taking with him immediately soldiers and centurions, ran down upon them. But they, seeing the chiliarch and the soldiers, ceased beating Paul. Then the chiliarch came up and laid hold upon him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he might be, and what he had done. And different persons cried some different thing in the crowd. But he, not being able to know the certainty on account of the uproar, commanded him to be brought into the fortress. But when he got upon the stairs it was so that he was borne by the soldiers on account of the violence of the crowd.
Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together to the palace of the high priest who was called Caiaphas, and took counsel together in order that they might seize Jesus by subtlety and kill him; but they said, Not in the feast, that there be not a tumult among the people.
Now the passover and the feast of unleavened bread was after two days. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might seize him by subtlety and kill him. For they said, Not in the feast, lest perhaps there be a tumult of the people.
And the townclerk, having quieted the crowd, said, Ephesians, what man is there then who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple-keeper of Artemis the great, and of the image which fell down from heaven? These things therefore being undeniable, it is necessary that ye should be calm and do nothing headlong. For ye have brought these men, who are neither temple-plunderers, nor speak injuriously of your goddess.read more.
If therefore Demetrius and the artisans who are with him have a matter against any one, the courts are being held, and there are proconsuls: let them accuse one another. But if ye inquire anything concerning other matters, it will be settled in the regular assembly. For also we are in danger to be put in accusation for sedition for this affair of to-day, no cause existing in reference to which we shall be able to give a reason for this concourse. And having said these things, he dismissed the assembly.
For finding this man a pest, and moving sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a leader of the sect of the Nazaraeans; who also attempted to profane the temple; whom we also had seized, and would have judged according to our law; but Lysias, the chiliarch, coming up, took him away with great force out of our hands,read more.
having commanded his accusers to come to thee; of whom thou canst thyself, in examining him, know the certainty of all these things of which we accuse him. And the Jews also joined in pressing the matter against Paul, saying that these things were so. But Paul, the governor having beckoned to him to speak, answered, Knowing that for many years thou hast been judge to this nation, I answer readily as to the things which concern myself. As thou mayest know that there are not more than twelve days since I went up to worship at Jerusalem, and neither in the temple did they find me discoursing to any one, or making any tumultuous gathering together of the crowd, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city;
As in the day, let us walk becomingly; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and lasciviousness, not in strife and emulation.
The night is far spent, and the day is near; let us cast away therefore the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
receiving the reward of unrighteousness; accounting ephemeral indulgence pleasure; spots and blemishes, rioting in their own deceits, feasting with you;
