Bible Verses About Citizens: Duties of

The king's anger is a herald of death, and one who is wise will appease it.

When the king's face brightens, it means life; his favor is like the clouds that bring spring rain.

Don't put yourself forward in the king's presence; don't take a place among the great.

For it is better to be told, "Come up here,"than be degraded in the presence of a nobleman. What your eyes have seen,

Keep the king's command because of the oath before God.

Don't be quick to leave his presence, and don't persist in doing what is wrong, for he does whatever he pleases.

After all, his word is final; who can challenge him, "Why are you doing that?"

When they came to K'far-Nachum, the collectors of the half-shekel came to Kefa and said, "Doesn't your rabbi pay the Temple tax?"

"Of course he does," said Kefa. When he arrived home, Yeshua spoke first. "Shim`on, what's your opinion? The kings of the earth -- from whom do they collect duties and taxes? From their sons or from others?"

"From others," he answered. "Then," said Yeshua, "The sons are exempt.

But to avoid offending them -- go to the lake, throw out a line, and take the first fish you catch. Open its mouth, and you will find a shekel. Take it and give it to them for me and for you."

So tell us your opinion: does Torah permit paying taxes to the Roman Emperor or not?"

Yeshua, however, knowing their malicious intent, said, "You hypocrites! Why are you trying to trap me?

Show me the coin used to pay the tax!" They brought him a denarius;

and he asked them, "Whose name and picture are these?"

"The Emperor's," they replied. Yeshua said to them, "Nu, give the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor. And give to God what belongs to God!"

They came and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you tell the truth and are not concerned with what people think about you, since you pay no attention to a person's status but really teach what God's way is. Does Torah say that taxes are to be paid to the Roman Emperor, or not?"

But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why are you trying to trap me? Bring me a denarius so I can look at it."

They brought one; and he asked them, "Whose name and picture are these?" "The Emperor's," they replied.

Yeshua said, "Give the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor. And give to God what belongs to God!" And they were amazed at him.

Does Torah permit us to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor or not?”

But he, spotting their craftiness, said to them,

“Show me a denarius! Whose name and picture does it have?” “The Emperor’s,” they replied.

“Then,” he said to them, “give the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor. And give God what belongs to God!”

At last, the city clerk was able to quiet the crowd. “Men of Ephesus!” he said, “Is there anyone who doesn’t know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone which fell from the sky?