Bible Verses About Rulers

A king who judges the poor with fairness— his throne will be established forever.

Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:

a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food,

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink,

lest they drink and forget what is decreed, depriving all the oppressed of justice.

Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed.

Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.

Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”

Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was no comforter.

Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning.

For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom.

If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be astonished at the matter; for one official is watched by a superior, and others higher still are over them.

For the king’s word is supreme, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”

All this I have seen, applying my mind to every deed that is done under the sun; there is a time when one man lords it over another to his own detriment.

There is an evil I have seen under the sun— an error that proceeds from the ruler:

Folly is appointed to great heights, but the rich sit in lowly positions.

I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves.

Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth, and whose princes feast in the morning.

Blessed are you, O land whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes feast at the proper time— for strength and not for drunkenness.

Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.

Youths oppress My people, and women rule over them. O My people, your guides mislead you; they turn you from your paths.

The LORD brings this charge against the elders and leaders of His people: “You have devoured the vineyard; the plunder of the poor is in your houses.

Why do you crush My people and grind the faces of the poor?” declares the Lord GOD of Hosts.

For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the plant of His delight. He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard a cry of distress.