17 Bible Verses about Vengeance

Ye have heard that it hath been said, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." but I say unto you, don't return evil for evil; on the contrary, if any one strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other likewise. and if any man will go to law with you, to have your coat, let him have your cloke too.read more.
and if any one will press you to go a mile with him, go with him the other two. give to him that asks you, and from him that would borrow of you turn not away. You have heard that it hath been said, "you shall love your neighbour, and hate your enemy:" but I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who traduce you, and persecute you: that ye may be the children of your father who is in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. but if you love only them who love you, what reward can ye have? do not the heathens themselves do as much? and if ye salute your brethren only, what mighty matter is that? do not even the heathens do the same? be ye therefore perfect, even as your father who is in heaven is perfect.

but Jesus said to him, put up your sword in its place: for all that take to the sword, shall perish by the sword. do you think my father, if I should now desire it of him, would not instantly send me more than twelve legions of angels? but how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, which say, that thus it must happen?

whatever house you enter into, said he, there abide, till you leave the place. wherever they shall refuse to entertain you, or to hear you, at your departure shake off the dust of your feet, as a testimonial against them. I assure you, the people of Sodom and Gomorrha shall be treated with less severity in the day of judgment, than that city.

But as for you, who hear me, love your enemies: do good to those, who hate you: bless those, who curse you: and pray for those, who maliciously abuse you. if any one strike you on one cheek, present to him the other likewise: or if any one seize your cloak, surrender your coat also.read more.
give to all that ask: and if a man takes away your goods, don't demand them again. behave to others in the same manner, as you desire they would behave to you. for if you only love those, who love you, where's the obligation? the very heathen return love for love. if you return one kind office by another, where's the obligation? the heathen themselves do as much. if you lend with the expectation of gaining by it, where's the obligation? for the heathen lend to one another, for the prospect of an equivalent. but as for you, love your enemies, do good, and lend without expecting any advantage from it: so shall your reward be great, in acting like the children of the most high: for he is kind to the most ungrateful wretches. be ye therefore merciful, as your father is merciful.

why can't you judge what is proper to be done in your own affairs. When you are going with your adversary before the magistrate, pay the interest, and get your discharge, while you are on the way; for fear he should bring you before the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into jail. I tell you, you will not get out, till you have paid to the last farthing.

About that time, king Herod Agrippa began to persecute some of the church. he caus'd James the brother of John to be beheaded. and perceiving that the Jews were pleas'd with this, he proceeded to secure Peter during the feast of unleavened bread:read more.
having apprehended Peter, he put him into prison, appointing a detachment of sixteen soldiers to guard him, intending to have him brought to publick execution, after Easter. thus Peter was kept in prison, but the Church prayed to God, without ceasing, for him, now the very night preceding the day which Herod design'd for his execution, Peter bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while the other guards secured the prison door; when an angel of the Lord suddenly appear'd and fill'd the room with light, and touching Peter on the side, awak'd him, saying, rise, be quick. and immediately his chains fell from his hands. put on your girdle, continu'd the angel, and bind on your sandals: which he did. throw your cloak over you, said the angel, and follow me. so he went out after the angel without knowing that what the angel had done, was real; but thinking it was all a vision. when they had pass'd the first and second guard, they came to the iron-gate that leads to the city, which open'd to them of itself: so they went out and pass'd together thro' one street: when all of a sudden the angel quitted Peter. Then coming to himself; now, said he, I know for certain, that the Lord has sent his angel, and has deliver'd me from the hands of Herod, and from what the Jews were in expectation of. then recollecting where he was, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, surnam'd Mark, where many were assembled at prayers.

Render no man evil for evil. mind such things as are approved not only by God, but by men. do all you can to live peaceably, if it be possible, with all mankind. dear brethren, avenge not yourselves, but leave that to the resentment of another: for it is written, "vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."read more.
therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing, you will heap coals of fire on his head . be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good.

for it seems as if God had exposed us apostles the last upon the stage, as persons appointed to death. for we are made a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. we are made fools for our attachment to Christ, while you, who are christians too, still pass for the wise: we are in poverty, but you are in power: you meet with esteem, but we find contempt. to this very day we suffer both hunger, thirst, and penury: we are buffeted from place to place, as vagabonds:read more.
we are fatigu'd by our manual toil: when reviled, we pray: when persecuted, we don't repine: and when we are defamed, we intreat: in a word, we are look'd upon as the dregs and scum of mankind, even to this day.

When any controversy arises among you, will any one presume to appeal to the Gentiles, and not to Christians? don't you know that these are to judge the world? if the world is to be judg'd by you, are not you qualify'd to decide your petty causes? don't you know that we shall be judges of angels? much more then of the affairs of life?read more.
if then you have the cognizance of such matters, why do ye set those to judge who are despised by the church? I speak it to your shame. what, is there not a man of experience amongst you, capable of being arbitrator between his brethren? but when a contest arises, you must refer the decision to infidels? beside, you are absolutely in the wrong in going to law with one another at all: why don't you rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer loss? nay, in this case, you act injuriously, and do damage even to your brethren.

Brethren, be not childish in understanding: be as innocent as babes, but use your understanding like men.

are you angry? have a care you don't sin. "let not the sun go down upon your wrath,"

that you may be without reproach, the inoffensive spotless children of God in the midst of a depraved and perverse generation (among whom you should shine as stars in the world,

since it is agreeable to his justice to afflict those in their turn, who afflict you: and that you, who are distress'd, should obtain your repose, together with us, when the Lord Jesus, with his angels, the ministers of his power, shall descend from heaven, in flaming fire, to take vengeance on those, who know not God, and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:read more.
the Lord shall punish them with everlasting destruction, when he shall appear in the glory of his power,

He that by two or three witnesses was convicted of violating Moses's law, was put to death without mercy. don't you think then that he deserves a much greater punishment, who hath despised the son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant wherewith be was sanctified, to have been justly shed, thereby offering an indignity to the spirit of grace? for we know who it is that has said, "vengeance belongeth unto me, I will repay." and again, "the Lord shall revenge his people."read more.
it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Wherefore, my dear brethren, let every one be eager to hear, averse to contradiction, and deaf to passion. for he that is not dispassionate is a stranger to the practice of true virtue.

When he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they maintain'd. and they cried with a loud voice, saying, "how long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou defer doing justice, and avenging our blood on those that dwell on the earth?" and white robes were given to every one of them, and it was said unto them, that they should have patience yet for a little while, till the number of their fellow-servants, and their brethren, that should be killed, as they were, should be complete.