30 Bible Verses about Loving Your Enemies

But I tell you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,

bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.

Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and 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. Weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Do not be arrogant, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own conceits.read more.
Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. Do not seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God's wrath. For it is written, "Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord." Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink: for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the LORD will reward you.

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

If you see the donkey of him who hates you fallen down under his burden, do not leave him, you shall surely help him with it.

Let all that you do be done in love.

Little children, I will be with you a little while longer. You will seek me, and as I said to the Jewish leaders, 'Where I am going, you cannot come,' so now I tell you. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.read more.
Love is patient and is kind; love does not envy. Love does not brag, is not proud, does not behave itself inappropriately, does not seek its own way, is not irritable, does not keep a record of wrongs; does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate one to another; outdo one another in showing honor; not lagging in diligence; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.read more.
"Blessed are you when men insult you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Do not say, "I will pay back evil." Wait for the LORD, and he will save you.

But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved.

And he said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Look, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I complete my mission. Nevertheless I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, for it cannot be that a prophet perish outside of Jerusalem.' "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, like a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and you refused.read more.
Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For look, the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' Then they will begin to tell the mountains, 'Fall on us.' and tell the hills, 'Cover us.'read more.
For if they do these things in the green tree, what will be done in the dry?" There were also others, two criminals, led with him to be put to death. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified him there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots. The people stood watching. The rulers also scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Messiah of God, his Chosen One." The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar, and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself."

Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers. You received the Law as it was ordained by angels, and did not keep it." Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.read more.
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." But they shouted out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed at him with one accord. They threw him out of the city, and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." He kneeled down, and shouted out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls. Do not let your heart be glad when he is overthrown; lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. Do not fret yourself because of evildoers; neither be envious of the wicked:read more.
for there will be no reward to the evil man; and the lamp of the wicked shall be snuffed out.

But do not look down on your brother in the day of his disaster, and 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 into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity. Do not look down on their affliction in the day of their calamity, neither seize their wealth on the day of their calamity.

"If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him; (yes, I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);

Brothers, I do not regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forward to the things which are ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

"Do not remember the former things, and do not consider the things of old.

If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.read more.
When Christ, your life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in glory.

He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a quick temper displays folly.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.read more.
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him.

that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.'

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.read more.
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

"But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your coat also.read more.
Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again. "And as you would like men to do to you, you also do the same to them. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful.