Bible Verses About Civic Engagement

Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the Lord do that which is good in his sight.

And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:

Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:

Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,

For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,

And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.

Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.

Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord do that which seemeth him good.

Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.

But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.

Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.

And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.

They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.

Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.

Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the governor among the nations.

Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the Lord,

Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour;

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.