JESUS said:
Matthew 5:6
King James Version
6 Blessed are they which do hunger
and thirst after righteousness:
for they shall be filled.
What is righteousness?
What does the Bible say?
Matthew 5:10
King James Version
10 Blessed are they
which are persecuted for righteousness' sake:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:20
King James Version
20 For I say unto you,
That except your righteousness shall exceed
the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,
ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:48
King James Version
48 Be ye therefore perfect,
even as your Father which is in heaven
is perfect.
Matthew 6:31-33
King James Version
31 Therefore take no thought,
saying,
What shall we eat?
or, What shall we drink?
or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:)
for your heavenly Father knoweth
that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God,
and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you.
Genesis 6:8-9
King James Version
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
9 These are the generations of Noah:
Noah was a just man
and perfect in his generations,
and Noah walked with God.
Genesis 15:6
King James Version
6 And he believed in the Lord;
and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Deuteronomy 6:24-25
King James Version
24 And the Lord commanded us
to do all these statutes,
to fear the Lord our God,
for our good always,
that he might preserve us alive,
as it is at this day.
25 And it shall be our righteousness,
if we observe to do all these commandments
before the Lord our God,
as he hath commanded us.
Job 29:14
King James Version
14 I put on righteousness,
and it clothed me:
my judgment was as a robe
and a diadem.
Psalm 5:12
King James Version
12 For thou, Lord,
wilt bless the righteous;
with favour wilt thou compass him
as with a shield.
Psalm 11:2-7
King James Version
2 For, lo,
the wicked bend their bow,
they make ready their arrow upon the string,
that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
3 If the foundations be destroyed,
what can the righteous do?
4 The Lord is in his holy temple,
the Lord's throne is in heaven:
his eyes behold,
his eyelids try,
the children of men.
5 The Lord trieth the righteous:
but the wicked and him that loveth violence
his soul hateth.
6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares,
fire and brimstone,
and an horrible tempest:
this shall be the portion of their cup.
7 For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness;
his countenance doth behold the upright.
Psalm 15:1-3
King James Version
15 Lord,
who shall abide in thy tabernacle?
who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
2 He that walketh uprightly,
and worketh righteousness,
and speaketh the truth in his heart.
3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue,
nor doeth evil to his neighbour,
nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
Psalm 23:1-3
King James Version
23 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Psalm 34:15-19
King James Version
15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,
and his ears are open unto their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against them that do evil,
to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry,
and the Lord heareth,
and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;
and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous:
but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
Psalm 106:3
King James Version
3 Blessed are they that keep judgment,
and he that doeth righteousness at all times.
Psalm 112:1-6
King James Version
112 Praise ye the Lord.
Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord,
that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth:
the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house:
and his righteousness endureth for ever.
4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness:
he is gracious,
and full of compassion,
and righteous.
5 A good man sheweth favour,
and lendeth:
he will guide his affairs with discretion.
6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever:
the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
Proverbs 2:6-22
King James Version
6 For the Lord giveth wisdom:
out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous:
he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
8 He keepeth the paths of judgment,
and preserveth the way of his saints.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness,
and judgment,
and equity;
yea, every good path.
10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart,
and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
11 Discretion shall preserve thee,
understanding shall keep thee:
12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man,
from the man that speaketh froward things;
13 Who leave the paths of uprightness,
to walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who rejoice to do evil,
and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
15 Whose ways are crooked,
and they froward in their paths:
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman,
even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth,
and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
18 For her house inclineth unto death,
and her paths unto the dead.
19 None that go unto her return again,
neither take they hold of the paths of life.
20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men,
and keep the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land,
and the perfect shall remain in it.
22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth,
and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
Proverbs 10:16
King James Version
16 The labour of the righteous tendeth to life:
the fruit of the wicked to sin.
Proverbs 11:4-8
King James Version
4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath:
but righteousness delivereth from death.
5 The righteousness of the perfect
shall direct his way:
but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright
shall deliver them:
but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.
7 When a wicked man dieth,
his expectation shall perish:
and the hope of unjust men perisheth.
8 The righteous is delivered out of trouble,
and the wicked cometh in his stead.
Proverbs 11:18-19
King James Version
18 The wicked worketh a deceitful work:
but to him that soweth righteousness
shall be a sure reward.
19 As righteousness tendeth to life:
so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.
Proverbs 12:28
King James Version
28 In the way of righteousness is life:
and in the pathway thereof there is no death.
Proverbs 13:5-6
King James Version
5 A righteous man hateth lying:
but a wicked man is loathsome,
and cometh to shame.
6 Righteousness keepeth him that is upright
in the way:
but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.
Proverbs 14:34
King James Version
34 Righteousness exalteth a nation:
but sin is a reproach to any people.
Proverbs 21:3
King James Version
3 To do justice and judgment
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
Proverbs 29:2
King James Version
2 When the righteous are in authority,
the people rejoice:
but when the wicked beareth rule,
the people mourn.
Proverbs 29:7
King James Version
7 The righteous considereth the cause of the poor:
but the wicked regardeth not to know it.
Isaiah 28:16-17
King James Version
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God,
Behold,
I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone,
a tried stone,
a precious corner stone,
a sure foundation:
he that believeth shall not make haste.
17 Judgment also will I lay to the line,
and righteousness to the plummet:
and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies,
and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
Isaiah 32:17-18
King James Version
17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace;
and the effect of righteousness
quietness and assurance for ever.
18 And my people shall dwell
in a peaceable habitation,
and in sure dwellings,
and in quiet resting places;
Isaiah 33:15-17
King James Version
15 He that walketh righteously,
and speaketh uprightly;
he that despiseth the gain of oppressions,
that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes,
that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood,
and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
16 He shall dwell on high:
his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks:
bread shall be given him;
his waters shall be sure.
17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty:
they shall behold the land that is very far off.
Isaiah 53:11
King James Version
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul,
and shall be satisfied:
by his knowledge shall my righteous servant
justify many;
for he shall bear their iniquities.
Isaiah 56:1
King James Version
56 Thus saith the Lord,
Keep ye judgment,
and do justice:
for my salvation is near to come,
and my righteousness to be revealed.
Isaiah 61:10-11
King James Version
10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my soul shall be joyful in my God;
for he hath clothed me
with the garments of salvation,
he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments,
and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud,
and as the garden causeth the things
that are sown in it to spring forth;
so the Lord God will cause righteousness
and praise
to spring forth before all the nations.
Isaiah 62:1-3
King James Version
62 For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness,
and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.
2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness,
and all kings thy glory:
and thou shalt be called by a new name,
which the mouth of the Lord shall name.
3 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory
in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.
Isaiah 64:4-8
King James Version
4 For since the beginning of the world
men have not heard,
nor perceived by the ear,
neither hath the eye seen,
O God,
beside thee,
what he hath prepared for him
that waiteth for him.
5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth
and worketh righteousness,
those that remember thee in thy ways:
behold,
thou art wroth;
for we have sinned:
in those is continuance,
and we shall be saved.
6 But we are all as an unclean thing,
and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;
and we all do fade as a leaf;
and our iniquities,
like the wind,
have taken us away.
7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name,
that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee:
for thou hast hid thy face from us,
and hast consumed us,
because of our iniquities.
8 But now,
O Lord,
thou art our father;
we are the clay,
and thou our potter;
and we all are the work of thy hand.
Jeremiah 23:5-6
King James Version
5 Behold,
the days come,
saith the Lord,
that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch,
and a King shall reign and prosper,
and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6 In his days Judah shall be saved,
and Israel shall dwell safely:
and this is his name whereby he shall be called,
The Lord Our Righteousness.
Ezekiel 18:20-28
King James Version
20 The soul that sinneth,
it shall die.
The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father,
neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son:
the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him,
and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins
that he hath committed,
and keep all my statutes,
and do that which is lawful and right,
he shall surely live,
he shall not die.
22 All his transgressions that he hath committed,
they shall not be mentioned unto him:
in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
23 Have I any pleasure at all
that the wicked should die?
saith the Lord God:
and not that he should return from his ways,
and live?
24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness,
and committeth iniquity,
and doeth according to all the abominations
that the wicked man doeth,
shall he live?
All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned:
in his trespass that he hath trespassed,
and in his sin that he hath sinned,
in them shall he die.
25 Yet ye say,
The way of the Lord is not equal.
Hear now,
O house of Israel;
Is not my way equal?
are not your ways unequal?
26 When a righteous man
turneth away from his righteousness,
and committeth iniquity,
and dieth in them;
for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
27 Again,
when the wicked man turneth away
from his wickedness that he hath committed,
and doeth that which is lawful and right,
he shall save his soul alive.
28 Because he considereth,
and turneth away from all his transgressions
that he hath committed,
he shall surely live,
he shall not die.
Daniel 9:24
King James Version
24 Seventy weeks are determined
upon thy people
and upon thy holy city,
to finish the transgression,
and to make an end of sins,
and to make reconciliation for iniquity,
and to bring in everlasting righteousness,
and to seal up the vision and prophecy,
and to anoint the most Holy.
Daniel 12:1-3
King James Version
12 And at that time shall Michael stand up,
the great prince which standeth
for the children of thy people:
and there shall be a time of trouble,
such as never was since there was a nation
even to that same time:
and at that time thy people shall be delivered,
every one that shall be found written in the book.
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth
shall awake,
some to everlasting life,
and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 And they that be wise
shall shine as the brightness of the firmament;
and they that turn many to righteousness
as the stars for ever and ever.
Hosea 10:12
King James Version
12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness,
reap in mercy;
break up your fallow ground:
for it is time to seek the Lord,
till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
Malachi 3:1-4
King James Version
3 Behold,
I will send my messenger,
and he shall prepare the way before me:
and the Lord,
whom ye seek,
shall suddenly come to his temple,
even the messenger of the covenant,
whom ye delight in:
behold,
he shall come,
saith the Lord of hosts.
2 But who may abide the day of his coming?
and who shall stand when he appeareth?
for he is like a refiner's fire,
and like fullers' soap:
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver:
and he shall purify the sons of Levi,
and purge them as gold and silver,
that they may offer unto the Lord
an offering in righteousness.
4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
be pleasant unto the Lord,
as in the days of old,
and as in former years.
Malachi 4:1-3
King James Version
4 For, behold,
the day cometh,
that shall burn as an oven;
and all the proud, yea,
and all that do wickedly,
shall be stubble:
and the day that cometh shall burn them up,
saith the Lord of hosts,
that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
2 But unto you that fear my name
shall the Sun of righteousness arise
with healing in his wings;
and ye shall go forth,
and grow up as calves of the stall.
3 And ye shall tread down the wicked;
for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet
in the day that I shall do this,
saith the Lord of hosts.
Romans 1:16-18
King James Version
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:
for it is the power of God unto salvation
to every one that believeth;
to the Jew first,
and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God
revealed from faith to faith:
as it is written,
The just shall live by faith.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,
who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Romans 3:9-12
King James Version
9 What then?
are we better than they?
No, in no wise:
for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles,
that they are all under sin;
10 As it is written,
There is none righteous,
no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth,
there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way,
they are together become unprofitable;
there is none that doeth good,
no, not one.
Romans 3:23-26
King James Version
23 For all have sinned,
and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation
through faith in his blood,
to declare his righteousness
for the remission of sins that are past,
through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say,
at this time his righteousness:
that he might be just,
and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Romans 4:13
King James Version
13 For the promise,
that he should be the heir of the world,
was not to Abraham,
or to his seed,
through the law,
but through the righteousness of faith.
Romans 5:17-21
King James Version
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one;
much more they which receive abundance of grace
and of the gift of righteousness
shall reign in life by one,
Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one
judgment came upon all men to condemnation;
even so by the righteousness of one
the free gift came upon all men
unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners,
so by the obedience of one
shall many be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered,
that the offence might abound.
But where sin abounded,
grace did much more abound:
21 That as sin hath reigned unto death,
even so might grace reign
through righteousness unto eternal life
by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 8:1-4
King James Version
8 There is therefore now no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
hath made me free
from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do,
in that it was weak through the flesh,
God sending his own Son
in the likeness of sinful flesh,
and for sin,
condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law
might be fulfilled in us,
who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit.
Romans 10:1-4
King James Version
10 Brethren,
my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is,
that they might be saved.
2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God,
but not according to knowledge.
3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness,
and going about
to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves
unto the righteousness of God.
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
to every one that believeth.
Romans 14:17-19
King James Version
17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink;
but righteousness,
and peace,
and joy in the Holy Ghost.
18 For he that in these things serveth Christ
is acceptable to God,
and approved of men.
19 Let us therefore follow
after the things which make for peace,
and things wherewith one may edify another.
1 Corinthians 1:30
King James Version
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us wisdom,
and righteousness,
and sanctification,
and redemption:
2 Corinthians 5:21
King James Version
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us,
who knew no sin;
that we might be made
the righteousness of God in him.
2 Corinthians 6:14
King James Version
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together
with unbelievers:
for what fellowship hath righteousness
with unrighteousness?
and what communion hath light
with darkness?
Philippians 1:9-11
King James Version
9 And this I pray,
that your love may abound yet more and more
in knowledge and in all judgment;
10 That ye may approve things that are excellent;
that ye may be sincere and without offence
till the day of Christ.
11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness,
which are by Jesus Christ,
unto the glory and praise of God.
1 Timothy 6:9-11
King James Version
9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation
and a snare,
and into many foolish and hurtful lusts,
which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil:
which while some coveted after,
they have erred from the faith,
and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11 But thou,
O man of God,
flee these things;
and follow after righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
2 Timothy 2:22
King James Version
22 Flee also youthful lusts:
but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace,
with them that call on the Lord
out of a pure heart.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
King James Version
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof,
for correction,
for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect,
thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Titus 3:3-7
King James Version
3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish,
disobedient,
deceived,
serving divers lusts and pleasures,
living in malice and envy,
hateful,
and hating one another.
4 But after that the kindness
and love of God our Saviour toward man
appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness
which we have done,
but according to his mercy he saved us,
by the washing of regeneration,
and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace,
we should be made heirs
according to the hope of eternal life.
James 2:23
King James Version
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith,
Abraham believed God,
and it was imputed unto him for righteousness:
and he was called the Friend of God.
James 3:16-18
King James Version
16 For where envying and strife is,
there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure,
then peaceable,
gentle,
and easy to be intreated,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without partiality,
and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness
is sown in peace of them that make peace.
James 5:16
King James Version
16 Confess your faults one to another,
and pray one for another,
that ye may be healed.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much.
1 Peter 2:21-25
King James Version
21 For even hereunto were ye called:
because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example,
that ye should follow his steps:
22 Who did no sin,
neither was guile found in his mouth:
23 Who, when he was reviled,
reviled not again;
when he suffered,
he threatened not;
but committed himself to him
that judgeth righteously:
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body
on the tree,
that we,
being dead to sins,
should live unto righteousness:
by whose stripes ye were healed.
25 For ye were as sheep going astray;
but are now returned unto the Shepherd
and Bishop of your souls.
1 Peter 3:12
King James Version
12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous,
and his ears are open unto their prayers:
but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
1 Peter 3:13-14
King James Version
13 And who is he that will harm you,
if ye be followers of that which is good?
14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake,
happy are ye:
and be not afraid of their terror,
neither be troubled;
2 Peter 1:1-8
King James Version
1 Simon Peter,
a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to them that have obtained like precious faith with us
through the righteousness of God
and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you
through the knowledge of God,
and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us
all things that pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him that hath called us
to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us
exceeding great and precious promises:
that by these ye might be partakers
of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption
that is in the world through lust.
5 And beside this,
giving all diligence,
add to your faith virtue;
and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance;
and to temperance patience;
and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness;
and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you,
and abound,
they make you that ye shall neither be barren
nor unfruitful
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:9
King James Version
9 If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Philippians 4:8
King James Version
8 Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise,
think on these things.