30 Bible Verses about Loving Your Enemies

I say love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!

Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who despitefully use you.

Do for others the same as you would have them to do for you. That is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.

Beloved let us love one another, for love is from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind as others. Do not think lofty things but be led along by lowly things. Do not be wise in your own conceit (self-love) (vanity) (estimation).read more.
Return evil for evil to no man. Provide honest things in the sight of all men. When it is possible, be peaceable with all men. Dearly beloved, do not avenge yourselves, instead leave room for divine punishment, for it is written: Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says Jehovah. (Deuteronomy 32:35) Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he thirsts, give him drink. For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be evil, but overcome evil with good.

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink. You will heap coals of fire upon his head, and Jehovah will reward you.

Love your enemies and do good to them. Lend expecting nothing in return and your reward will be great. You will be sons of the Most High for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

If your enemy's donkey falls under its load, help him get the donkey to its feet again. Do not just walk away.

Do everything with love.

Little children I am with you for a little while. You will seek me and as I told the Jews now I say to you, where I go, you cannot come. I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another. All men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and do not have love, I have become like loud sounding brass, or a clashing cymbal. If I have the gift of prophesy, and know all secrets and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing.read more.
Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is not jealous. Love does not brag and is not arrogant (proud). Love does not act indecently. It is not selfish. It is not provoked and does not take into account a wrong suffered. Love does not rejoice with evil, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails. Where there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away. Where there are tongues, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor evil and cling to good. Be devoted to one another with brotherly love, in honor preferring one another. Do not lag behind in diligence. Be fervent in spirit serving God.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.read more.
Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be filled with joy, for great is your reward in heaven. The prophets, who came before you, were also persecuted.

Do not say: I will recompense evil. Instead wait on Jehovah, and he will save you.

The person who endures to the end will be saved.

Jesus told them: Go tell that fox I cast out demons and heal people today and tomorrow. On the third day my work will be finished. I must go on my way today, tomorrow and the following day. It would not be right that a prophet perish outside of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets! You stone those sent to you. How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her own brood under her wings. But you would not have it!read more.
Behold, your house is made desolate. I tell you, you shall not see me until you say blessed is he who comes in the name of Jehovah. (Psalm 118:26)

Jesus turned to them and said: Daughters of Jerusalem do not weep for me but weep for yourselves and for your children. The days are coming when they will say blessed are the barren those without children and the breasts that never nursed. Then they will say to the mountains fall on us and to the hills cover us.read more.
If they do these things in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry? Two criminals were to be put to death with him. They came to the place called the skull. They impaled him and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. [Jesus said: Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.](This verse not found in older manuscripts.) They cast lots and divided his garments among themselves. The people stood watching while the rulers scoffed at him, saying: He saved others let him save himself if this is his chosen, the Christ of God. The soldiers mocked him and offered him vinegar, saying: If you are the King of the Jews save yourself.

Which of the prophets have your fathers not persecuted? They killed those who announced in advance the coming of the righteous one whom you have betrayed and murdered. You have received the law by the disposition of angels and have not obeyed it. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart. They gnashed their teeth at him.read more.
Being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord. They threw him out of the city, and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet. His name was Saul. They stoned Stephen. He called out: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! He kneeled down and cried with a loud voice: Jehovah, do not charge this sin against them. After saying this he fell asleep in death.

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls. Do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles. Jehovah will see it and be displeased and turn his anger away from him. Do not worry about evil people. Do not envy the wicked!read more.
There is no reward for the evil man! The candle of the wicked will be put out.

Do not look on the day of your brother's disaster. Do not rejoice over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction! Do not speak proudly in the day of distress. Do not enter the gate of my people in the day of their calamity! Do not look on their affliction in the day of their tragedy! Do not loot their wealth in the day of their disaster.

If I have rejoiced at the ruin of those who hated me, or exulted when evil overtook them, I have not let my mouth sin by asking for their lives with a curse.

Brothers, I could not yet have obtained it. But one thing I do, I forget the things that are behind, and stretch forward to the things that are ahead. I press on toward the goal to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Forget what happened in the past, and do not dwell on events from long ago.

If you have been raised together with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Think about the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth. For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.read more.
When Christ, who is our life, will be made known, then you will also be made known with him in glory.

He who is slow to anger has great understanding. He who is short tempered exalts foolishness.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials. Know that the testing of your faith produces patience (endurance). Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be mature, complete, and lacking in nothing.read more.
If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God. He gives to all generously and without reproach and it will be given to him.

You will then act as true children of your Father in heaven. He gives sunlight to both evil and good people. He sends rain for the just and the unjust.

You have heard it said, 'You should love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' (Leviticus 19:18)

You have heard it said, 'You should love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' (Leviticus 19:18) I say love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! You will then act as true children of your Father in heaven. He gives sunlight to both evil and good people. He sends rain for the just and the unjust.read more.
What good is there, when you love only those who love you? Even [corrupt] tax collectors do that! When you are kind only to your friends [and brothers] what makes you different from anyone else? Even people of the nations do that. Be perfect (mature), even as your Father in heaven is perfect (mature). (Leviticus 19:2)

I tell you who listen, love your enemies and do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who despitefully use you. When someone slaps you on one cheek offer the other. Give your coat to the one who takes your topcoat.read more.
Give to every one who asks of you and do not demand back your goods from he who takes from you. As you would like men to do to you, do also to them. If you love those who love you what thanks do you have? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you what thanks do you have? Even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive what thanks do you have? Even sinners lend to sinners to receive again as much. Love your enemies and do good to them. Lend expecting nothing in return and your reward will be great. You will be sons of the Most High for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. Be merciful even as your Father is merciful.