Nation

Passages on this topic

From Nave’s Topical Bible (1896), a historical reference index. The groupings are Nave’s; the verses are shown in the text used across this site.

Sins of

• Isaiah 30:1–2 “Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin. They set out to go down to Egypt without asking My advice, to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protection and take refuge in Egypt’s…

Chastised

• Isaiah 14:26–27 This is the plan devised for the whole earth, and this is the hand stretched out over all the nations. The LORD of Hosts has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is outstretched, so who can turn it back?
• Jeremiah 5:29 Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
• Jeremiah 18:6–10 “O house of Israel, declares the LORD, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay? Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. At any time I might announce that a nation or kingdom will be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed. But if that nation I warned tur…
• Jeremiah 25:12–33 But when seventy years are complete, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, declares the LORD, and I will make it an everlasting desolation. I will bring upon that land all the words I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this bo…
• Ezekiel 2:3–5 “Son of man,” He said to me, “I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me. To this very day they and their fathers have rebelled against Me. They are obstinate and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you are to say to them, ‘This is what the…
• Ezekiel 39:23–24 And the nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their iniquity, because they were unfaithful to Me. So I hid My face from them and delivered them into the hands of their enemies, so that they all fell by the sword. I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and transgre…
• Daniel 7:9–12 As I continued to watch, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from His presence. Thousa…
• Daniel 9:3–16 So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed, “O, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sin…
• Hosea 7:12 As they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like birds of the air. I will chastise them when I hear them flocking together.
• Joel 1:1–20 This is the word of the LORD that came to Joel son of Pethuel: Hear this, O elders; and give ear, all who dwell in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your fathers? Tell it to your children; let your children tell it to their children, and their children to…

Perish

• Psalm 9:17 The wicked will return to Sheol— all the nations who forget God.
• Isaiah 60:12 For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly destroyed.

National adversity, prayer in

• Judges 21:2–4 So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly. “Why, O LORD God of Israel,” they cried out, “has this happened in Israel? Today in Israel one tribe is missing!” The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and presen…
• 2 Chronicles 7:13–14 If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and…
• Psalm 74 A Maskil of Asaph. Why have You rejected us forever, O God? Why does Your anger smolder against the sheep of Your pasture? Remember Your congregation, which You purchased long ago and redeemed as the tribe of Your inheritance — Mount Zion, where You dwell. Turn Your steps to the everlasting ruins… (whole chapter)
• Joel 2:12 “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”

Lamented

• Ezra 9 After these things had been accomplished, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the surrounding peoples whose abominations are like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moa… (whole chapter)
• Nehemiah 1:4–11 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Then I said: “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion with those who love Him and keep His commandments, let Your eyes be open and Your…
• Jeremiah 6:14 They dress the wound of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all.
• Jeremiah 8:11 They dress the wound of the daughter of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all.

See SIN, NATIONAL

Prayer for

• Psalm 85:1–7 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. You showed favor to Your land, O LORD; You restored Jacob from captivity. You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin. Selah You withheld all Your fury; You turned from Your burning anger. Restore us, O God of our salvation…
• Lamentations 2:20–22 Look, O LORD, and consider: Whom have You ever treated like this? Should women eat their offspring, the infants they have nurtured? Should priests and prophets be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord? Both young and old lie together in the dust of the streets. My young men and maidens have fallen by…
• Lamentations 5 Remember, O LORD, what has happened to us. Look and see our disgrace! Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to foreigners. We have become fatherless orphans; our mothers are widows. We must buy the water we drink; our wood comes at a price. We are closely pursued; we are wea… (whole chapter)
• Daniel 9:3–21 So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed, “O, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sin…

Involved in sins of rulers

• Genesis 20:4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent?
• Genesis 20:9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such tremendous guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.”
• 2 Samuel 24:10–17 After David had numbered the troops, his conscience was stricken and he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg You to take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.” When David got up in the morning, the word of the LORD had come t…
• 1 Chronicles 21:7–17 This command was also evil in the sight of God; so He struck Israel. Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. Now I beg You to take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.” And the LORD instructed Gad, David’s seer, “Go and tell Davi…

Involved in the sins of other individuals, as Achan

• Joshua 7:1 The Israelites, however, acted unfaithfully regarding the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart. So the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites.
• Joshua 7:11–26 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions. This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They…

Peace of

• Job 34:29 But when He remains silent, who can condemn Him? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both man and nation,
• Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His inheritance!
• Psalm 89:15–18 Blessed are those who know the joyful sound, who walk, O LORD, in the light of Your presence. They rejoice in Your name all day long, and in Your righteousness they exult. For You are the glory of their strength, and by Your favor our horn is exalted. Surely our shield belongs to the LORD, and our…

Promises of peace to

• Leviticus 26:6 And I will give peace to the land, and you will lie down with nothing to fear. I will rid the land of dangerous animals, and no sword will pass through your land.
• 1 Kings 2:33 Their blood will come back upon the heads of Joab and his descendants forever; but for David, his descendants, his house, and his throne, there shall be peace from the LORD forever.”
• 2 Kings 20:19 But Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “Will there not at least be peace and security in my lifetime?”
• 1 Chronicles 22:9 But a son will be born to you who will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name will be Solomon, and I will grant to Israel peace and quiet during his reign.
• Psalm 29:11 The LORD gives His people strength; the LORD blesses His people with peace.
• Psalm 46:9 He makes wars to cease throughout the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields in the fire.
• Psalm 72:3 May the mountains bring peace to the people, and the hills bring righteousness.
• Psalm 72:7 May the righteous flourish in his days and prosperity abound until the moon is no more.
• Psalm 128:6 that you may see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!
• Isaiah 2:4 Then He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation, nor train anymore for war.

Prayer for peace

• Jeremiah 29:7 Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
• 1 Timothy 2:1–2 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone— for kings and all those in authority— so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity.

Peace given by God

• Joshua 21:44 And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.
• 1 Chronicles 22:18 “Is not the LORD your God with you, and has He not granted you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land has been subdued before the LORD and His people.
• 1 Chronicles 23:25 For David had said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, has given rest to His people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever.
• Psalm 147:13–14 For He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses the children within you. He makes peace at your borders; He fills you with the finest wheat.
• Ecclesiastes 3:8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
• Isaiah 45:7 I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.

Instances of national peace

• Joshua 14:15 (Hebron used to be called Kiriath-arba, after Arba, the greatest man among the Anakim.) Then the land had rest from war.
• Judges 3:11 So the land had rest for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.
• Judges 3:30 So Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel that day, and the land had rest for eighty years.
• 1 Kings 4:24–25 For Solomon had dominion over everything west of the Euphrates — over all the kingdoms from Tiphsah to Gaza — and he had peace on all sides. Throughout the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel dwelt securely from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree.

See War

Righteousness exalts

• Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

See Government

See King

See Rulers