Justice has two sides in the Bible: God is just and makes people righteous – and he calls them to stand up for justice in the world. Here you will find 21 Bible verses about justice.
Do right and justice
God's call to a just life.
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But let justice be revealed like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.
Amos 5:24Water
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It is said to you, O man, what is good and what the LORD requires of you, namely to keep God's word, to practice love, and to be humble before your God.
Micah 6:8HumilityConfirmation verses
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Learn to do good, seek justice, help the oppressed, establish justice for the orphan, and defend the widow.
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Thus says the LORD: Keep justice and righteousness, and deliver the robbed from the hand of the wrongdoer, and do not oppress the stranger, the orphan, or the widow, and do not commit violence, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.
Jeremiah 22:3
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Doing good and right is dearer to the LORD than sacrifice.
Proverbs 21:3Sacrifice
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Open your mouth for the mute and for the cause of all who are forsaken. Open your mouth and judge right, and avenge the afflicted and the poor.
Proverbs 31:8-9PovertyCare and medicine
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Establish justice for the poor and the orphan, and help the afflicted and needy to justice. Deliver the lowly and the poor, and redeem them from the violence of the wicked.
Psalm 82:3-4
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Thus said the LORD of hosts: Judge right, and let every one of you show kindness and mercy to his brother; and do not wrong the widow, the stranger, or the poor; and let no one think evil of his brother in his heart!
Zechariah 7:9-10
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Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; for they shall be filled.
Matthew 5:6DesireBeatitudes
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Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Matthew 6:33DecisionsKingdom of God
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Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, namely justice, mercy, and faith! This is to be done, and that is not to be left undone.
Matthew 23:23
God is just
God's justice – judging and saving.
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Justice and judgment are the stronghold of your throne; mercy and truth are before your face.
Psalm 89:15
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The LORD is just and loves justice; the righteous shall behold his face.
Psalm 11:7
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He loves justice and judgment; the earth is full of the LORD's goodness.
Psalm 33:5
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He is a rock. His works are blameless; for all that he does is right. God is faithful and no evil is in him; he is just and upright.
Deuteronomy 32:4Rock
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Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and he has set himself to have compassion on you; for the LORD is a God of judgment. Blessed be all who wait for him!
Isaiah 30:18
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For in this righteousness shall be revealed, which is before God, which comes from faith to faith; for it is written: "The righteous shall live by his faith."
Romans 1:17Reformation DayFaith
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But I speak of such righteousness before God, which comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
Romans 3:22
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For he made him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might have in him righteousness before God.
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And in him I was found to be, that I have not my righteousness, which is of the law, but which comes through faith in Christ, namely the righteousness which is imputed to us by God through faith.
Philippians 3:9
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But we wait for a new heaven and a new earth according to his promise, in which righteousness shall dwell.
Bible texts: Luther Bible 1912 (public domain), carefully adapted to modern spelling.
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Justice in the Old Testament
The prophets of Israel are passionate advocates of justice. Amos calls: "But let justice be revealed like water and righteousness like a mighty stream" (Amos 5:24) – not as an addition to worship, but as its condition. Isaiah demands: "Learn to do good, seek justice, help the oppressed, establish justice for the orphan, and defend the widow" (Isaiah 1:17). Justice (Hebrew zedaka) is more than fairness: It is a life that heals relationships and protects the weakest.
The righteousness that is before God
Paul discovers a second side: God speaks people righteous, who are not so by their own strength. In the Gospel, according to Paul, "is revealed … the righteousness before God, which comes from faith to faith" (Romans 1:17). This discovery moved Martin Luther so much that it became the core of the Reformation. Both sides belong together: Who is spoken righteous by God also stands up for justice among people. More on this at Bible verses for Reformation Day, Bible verses about innocence and justification and Bible verses about poverty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does it say "But let justice be revealed like water"?
In Amos 5:24. The Luther Bible 1912 translates: "But let justice be revealed like water and righteousness like a mighty stream." The Luther Bible 2017 writes: "But let justice flow like water."
What does "the righteousness before God" mean?
In Romans 1:17, Paul means that God speaks people righteous by grace through faith. This became the core of the Reformation.
