Proverbs 24:21

¹Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. ²Therefore he who resists the authority withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment. ³For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the authority, ⁴for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil. ⁵Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. ⁶For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, continually doing this very thing. ⁷Therefore give everyone what you owe: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if customs, then customs; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

¹³Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme, ¹⁴or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well. ¹⁵For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. ¹⁶Live as free people, yet not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.

¹⁷Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

¹⁶When all Israel saw that the king didn’t listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? We don’t have an inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, Israel! Now see to your own house, David.” So Israel departed to their tents.

¹Remind them to be in subjection to rulers and to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,

³¹Israel saw the great work which the LORD did to the Egyptians, and the people feared the LORD; and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

²¹They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

¹²“When you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the LORD your God was your king. ¹³Now therefore see the king whom you have chosen and whom you have asked for. Behold, the LORD has set a king over you. ¹⁴If you will fear the LORD, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then both you and also the king who reigns over you are followers of the LORD your God. ¹⁵But if you will not listen to the LORD’s voice, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the LORD’s hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.

¹⁶“Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes. ¹⁷Isn’t it wheat harvest today? I will call to the LORD, that he may send thunder and rain; and you will know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the LORD’s sight, in asking for a king.”

¹⁸So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day. Then all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

¹⁹All the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for a king.”

²I say, “Keep the king’s command!” because of the oath to God. ³Don’t be hasty to go out of his presence. Don’t persist in an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him, ⁴for the king’s word is supreme. Who can say to him, “What are you doing?” ⁵Whoever keeps the commandment shall not come to harm, and his wise heart will know the time and procedure.

¹Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took some men. ²They rose up before Moses, with some of the children of Israel, two hundred fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown. ³They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much on yourself, since all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and the LORD is among them! Why do you lift yourselves up above the LORD’s assembly?”

⁵They said to him, “Behold, you are old, and your sons don’t walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” ⁶But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” Samuel prayed to the LORD.

⁷The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me as the king over them.