26 Bible Verses about Pursuing Violence

Draw also the spear and javelin to meet those who pursue me.
Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

“Do not let a slanderer be established in the earth;
Let evil quickly hunt the violent man [to overthrow him and stop his evil acts].”

Ephraim feeds on the [emptiness of the] wind
And [continually] pursues the [parching] east wind [which brings destruction];
Every day he multiplies lies and violence.
Further, he makes a covenant with Assyria
And (olive) oil is carried to Egypt [to seek alliances].

Therefore pride is their necklace;
Violence covers them like a garment [like a long, luxurious robe].

Blessings are on the head of the righteous [the upright, those in right standing with God],
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life and his words of wisdom are a source of blessing,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence and evil.

Violence has grown into a rod of wickedness; none of them (Israel) will remain, none of their people, none of their wealth, nor anything eminent among them.

For they eat the bread of wickedness
And drink the wine of violence.

He who sends a message by the hand of a fool
Cuts off his own feet (sabotages himself) and drinks the violence [it brings on himself as a consequence].

From the fruit of his mouth a [wise] man enjoys good,
But the desire of the treacherous is for violence.

For they do not know how to do right,” says the Lord, “these who store up violence and devastation [like treasures] in their strongholds.”

Do you put off the day of punishment,
Yet cause the seat of violence to come near?

For their minds plot violence,
And their lips talk of trouble [for the innocent].

No, in your heart you devise wrongdoing;
On earth you deal out the violence of your hands.

“They all come for violence;
Their horde of faces moves [eagerly] forward,
They gather prisoners like sand.

I have seen a wicked, violent man [with great power]
Spreading and flaunting himself like a cedar in its native soil,

“If he is the father of a violent son who sheds blood, and who does any of these things to a brother

“Through the abundance of your commerce
You were internally filled with lawlessness and violence,
And you sinned;
Therefore I have cast you out as a profane and unholy thing
From the mountain of God.
And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub,
From the midst of the stones of fire.

“In those times many will rise up against the king of the South (Egypt); also the violent men among your own people will arise in order to fulfill the [earlier] visions, but they will fail.

A gracious and good woman attains honor,
And ruthless men attain riches [but not respect].

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize].

“The Law and the [writings of the] Prophets were proclaimed until John; since then the gospel of the kingdom of God has been and continues to be preached, and everyone tries forcefully to go into it.

“For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you;
The destruction of the animals will terrify you
On account of human bloodshed and the violence done to the land,
To the city and all its inhabitants.

“Woe (judgment is coming) to him who builds a city with bloodshed
And establishes a town by violence!

“On that day I will also punish all those who leap over the temple threshold,
Who fill their [pagan] lord’s temple with violence and deceit.

“Because you [king of Babylon] have looted many nations,
All peoples who are left will loot you—
Because of human bloodshed and for the violence done to the land,
To the city and all its inhabitants.