Verse 12

If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials become wicked.

Other Translations

Referenced Verses

  • 1 Sam 22:8-9 : 8 'You have all conspired against me! No one reveals to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you feels sorry for me or tells me that my son has stirred up my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.' 9 Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul's servants, answered, 'I saw the son of Jesse come to Nob, to Ahimelech son of Ahitub.' 10 Ahimelech inquired of the Lord for him, gave him provisions, and also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. 11 The king sent for Ahimelech the priest, son of Ahitub, and his entire family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. 12 Saul said, 'Listen now, son of Ahitub!' And he replied, 'Here I am, my lord.' 13 Saul said to him, 'Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has risen against me to lie in wait, as he does today?' 14 Ahimelech answered the king, 'Who among all your servants is as faithful as David, the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard, and highly respected in your house?' 15 Was this the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Far be it from me! Let not the king accuse me or any of my father's family, for your servant knows nothing about this whole affair—whether great or small.' 16 The king said, 'You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and your whole family.' 17 Then the king ordered the guards standing by him, 'Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they are allies of David. They knew he was fleeing but didn’t inform me.' But the king's servants were unwilling to raise their hands to strike the priests of the Lord. 18 The king then commanded Doeg, 'Turn and strike down the priests!' So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 19 He also put to the sword Nob, the city of the priests, killing its men and women, children and infants, and also its oxen, donkeys, and sheep. 20 But one son of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to David. His name was Abiathar. 21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 David said to Abiathar, 'That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would surely tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your whole family.' 23 Stay with me; don’t be afraid. The one who seeks my life is seeking yours as well. You will be safe with me.
  • 1 Sam 23:19-23 : 19 The Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, 'Isn't David hiding among us in the strongholds in the woods, on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon?' 20 Now, O king, come down whenever you desire, and it will be our duty to surrender him into your hand. 21 Saul replied, 'May you be blessed by the LORD, for you have shown compassion on me.' 22 Please go and make further preparations. Investigate and find out where David is and who has seen him there, because I have been told he is very crafty. 23 Carefully identify all the hiding places where he could be staying and return to me with reliable information. Then I will come with you, and if he is indeed in the land, I will search for him among all the clans of Judah.
  • 2 Sam 3:7-9 : 7 Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, daughter of Aiah. Ishbosheth said to Abner, 'Why have you slept with my father's concubine?' 8 Abner became very angry over Ishbosheth's words and said, 'Am I a dog's head at Judah's disposal? Today I am loyal to the house of Saul your father, to his relatives and friends, and I have not delivered you into David's hand. Yet now you accuse me of sinning with this woman!' 9 May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not carry out what the Lord swore to David. 10 I will transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David's throne over Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba. 11 Ishbosheth was unable to answer Abner a word, because he was afraid of him.
  • 2 Sam 4:5-9 : 5 The sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, traveled during the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who was lying on his bed during his midday rest. 6 They entered the house under the pretense of fetching wheat and struck him in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped. 7 After entering the house while Ishbosheth was lying on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him, killed him, and cut off his head. Taking his head with them, they traveled along the road through the Arabah all night. 8 They brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, "Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life. Today the LORD has given my lord the king revenge against Saul and his descendants." 9 David answered Rechab and Baanah, his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, "As surely as the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from every trouble... 10 When someone told me, 'Saul is dead,' thinking he was bringing me good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much more, then, when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed! Should I not now demand his blood from your hand and remove you from the earth? 12 So David commanded his young men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in Abner's tomb in Hebron.
  • 1 Kgs 21:11-13 : 11 So the elders and nobles of this city, who lived there, carried out Jezebel’s instructions, just as she had written in the letters she sent them. 12 They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 13 Two worthless men came and sat opposite Naboth. They testified against him before the people, saying, 'Naboth has cursed God and the king.' So they took him outside the city, stoned him to death, and he died.
  • 2 Kgs 10:6-7 : 6 Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, "If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow." Now the king’s sons, seventy in all, were being raised by the prominent men of the city. 7 When the letter reached them, they took the king’s sons, slaughtered all seventy of them, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.
  • Ps 52:2-4 : 2 When Doeg the Edomite came and reported to Saul, saying, 'David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.' 3 Why do you boast about evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all day long. 4 Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, you worker of deceit.
  • Ps 101:5-7 : 5 Whoever secretly slanders their neighbor, I will silence. Whoever has proud eyes and an arrogant heart, I cannot endure. 6 My eyes will be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me. The one who walks in integrity, they will serve me. 7 No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks lies will stand in my presence.
  • Prov 20:8 : 8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment disperses all evil with his eyes.
  • Prov 25:23 : 23 As the north wind brings rain, so a sly tongue brings angry looks.