17 Bible Verses about Vengeance

"You have heard what was said [Exodus 21:24], 'Take an eye [from someone] if he takes yours, and take a tooth [from someone] if he takes yours.' But I tell you, do not offer resistance to an evil person, but whoever hits you on the right side of the face, allow him [to hit you] on the other side also. And if anyone takes you to court in order to take your shirt away from you, let him have your coat also [i.e., if he insists on it].read more.
Whoever requires you to go one mile, [be willing to] go with him two miles. [Note: The Romans were permitted by law to require a Jew to carry their burden for one mile only]. Give to the person who asks you [for something], and do not refuse to lend to the person who wants to borrow something from you. "You have heard what was said [Lev. 19:18], 'You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, in order to be [true] children of your Father in heaven, for He makes His sun to rise on evil [as well] as on good people. He [also] sends rain on those who live right [as well] as on those who do not live right. For if you love [only] those who love you, what reward will you get for that? Do not even the publicans [Note: These were people with a bad reputation for their dishonest tax collecting activities] do that much? And if you greet [cordially] your brothers only, what are you doing more than other people? Do not even the [unconverted] Gentiles do that much? Therefore, you must [attempt to] be complete, just as your heavenly Father is [already] complete.

Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back in your belt again, for all those who use the sword will die by the sword. Or, do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father and He will immediately send me more than twelve legions of angels [i.e., Jesus could have called about 72,000 angels to minister to Him. See Matt. 4:11]? How [else] then should the Scriptures be fulfilled that this must happen [than what is taking place]?"

And He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. And the people from whatever place that does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off from under your shoes as evidence against them." [Note: This was a Jewish custom showing disdain and intended to suggest their unworthiness].

But I tell you people who are listening [to me], love your enemies and do good things to those who hate you. [Ask God's] blessing on those who curse you; pray for those who treat you spitefully. Whoever hits you on one side of the face, allow him [to hit you on] the other side also; and when someone takes away your coat, do not stop him from also taking away your shirt [i.e., if he insists on it].read more.
Give to everyone who asks you [for something] and do not demand that he bring back your possessions that he takes away. And whatever you would like people to do to you, do the same thing to them. And if you love [only] those who love you, what thanks do you deserve for doing that? For even worldly people love those who love them. And if you do good things [only] to those who do good things to you, what thanks do you deserve for doing that? For even worldly people do that much. And if you lend something [only] to those people from whom you expect to have it returned, what thanks do you deserve for doing that? Even worldly people lend to worldly people expecting to get the same things back. But love your enemies and do good things to them; and lend to them without expecting it to be returned, and your reward [i.e., from God] will be great and you will be [considered] sons of the Highest [i.e., God]. For He is kind to unthankful and evil people [as well]. You people should be merciful just like your Father is merciful.

"And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? And while you are on your way to court with your opponent, make every effort to be reconciled [to him] so that he does not drag you in front of the judge, and then the judge turns you over to the officer, and the officer throws you into prison. I tell you, you will not be released from there until you have paid the last coin [Note: This coin amounted to about five minutes of a farm laborer's pay, or about fifty cents in 1994]."

Now about that time King Herod began a persecution of certain people in the [Jerusalem] church. [Note: This man was the grandson of Herod the Great. See Matt. 2:1]. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword. When he realized that this act pleased the Jews, he proceeded to have Peter arrested also. [This happened] during the Festival of Unleavened Bread [See Exodus 12:15ff].read more.
So, Peter was arrested and put in jail with four groups of four soldiers each guarding him. Herod planned to have him brought before the people after the Passover Festival was over. So, Peter was kept in jail, but the church continued to pray earnestly to God for him. [See verse 12]. Then on the night that Herod was planning to have him brought [before the court], Peter was asleep, chained between two soldiers, with guards stationed at the jail doors. [Then it happened]: [Suddenly] an angel from the Lord stood beside Peter as a light shone into his cell. [The angel] gently struck his side, waking him up, saying, "Get up quickly." His chains fell from his hands. The angel [then] said to him, "Put on your belt and sandals," so he did. Then the angel said, "Throw your [outer] robe around you and follow me." So, he followed the angel out [of the jail], not fully realizing what had happened, thinking [perhaps] he had seen [all this in] a vision. And when they passed the first two guards, they came to the iron gate leading out into the city, which opened by itself. So, they went out and, as they walked down the street, the angel [suddenly] left him. Then when Peter realized what had actually happened, he said, "Now I know for certain that [it was] the Lord who sent His angel to rescue me from Herod's custody and from all that the Jewish people had planned [to do to me]." After thinking about the matter [for awhile], he decided to go to the house of Mary, mother of John Mark, where a large gathering [of Christians] was praying.

Do not [try to] pay back a wrong done to you by doing something wrong to the other person. Think about how to live honorably in front of all people. If it is at all possible, as far as your part is concerned, live peacefully with all people. Do not take revenge on someone who has wronged you, but leave it up to God's wrath [to take care of it], for it is written [Deut. 22:35], "The Lord says, I will pay people back [for doing wrong] because taking revenge belongs to me."read more.
But [Prov. 25:21-25 says], "Feed your enemy if he is hungry; give him something to drink if he is thirsty. For when you do this, it will be [like] heaping burning coals on his head." [i.e., it can cause him burning shame that can lead to his repentance and ultimate forgiveness]. [So], do not be conquered by evil, but [instead] conquer evil by doing good.

For I think that God has displayed us apostles last in line, as men doomed to die. [Note: The picture here is that of gladiators in the arena]. We are being stared at [i.e., as performers on a theater stage] for the whole world to see, both angels and people. We are "fools" for Christ's sake, but you people [think you] are "wise" in [the fellowship of] Christ. We are weak, but you people [think you] are "strong." You are honored, but we are despised. Even to this moment, we [apostles] are hungry and thirsty; we have inadequate clothing; we have been beaten; we do not have a permanent place to live;read more.
we work hard with our hands. [Though] we are cursed, we [ask God's] blessing [on people]; [though] we are persecuted, we persevere; [though] we are slandered, we reply kindly. We have become [like] the scum of the earth, the dregs of all society, to this day.

If any one of you has a complaint against someone, how can you dare to take it before non-Christian judges [to be decided], instead of before the saints [i.e., God's holy people]? Or, do you not know that God's people will judge the world? [Note: Possibly this refers to Christians somehow assisting Christ on the judgment day]. And if the world is [to be] judged by you [at that time], are you not capable of judging small matters [now]? Do you not know that we will judge [even] angels? [And if so], then how much more [must we judge] the things of this life!read more.
So then, if you have cases [or, courts] for deciding matters of this life, do you appoint [as judges] those who have no standing in the church? [i.e., heathens]. [Note: This difficult passage may also be taken as a statement, using sarcasm, "you appoint as judges..."]. I am saying this to make you ashamed. Can there not be found one wise person [there] among you who is able to decide [on a matter] between his [Christian] brothers? But [instead], a brother goes to court against his brother, and that in front of an unbelieving [judge]! Indeed, the fact that you have lawsuits with one another is [evidence of] a complete failure among you. Why should you not rather take the wrong? Why should you not rather accept being cheated? But [instead], you yourselves do the wrong and cheat [others], and you do this to [Christian] brothers!

Brothers, do not be children in the way you think, but be babies in wrongdoing; yet be mature in your thinking.

[Psa. 4:4 says], "Be angry [i.e., at wrongdoing. See Mark 3:5], but do not sin" [i.e., by harboring bitterness or retaliation]. Do not allow the sun to go down while you are still provoked.

so that you will be without just blame and innocent [of wrongdoing], children of God without fault in the middle of a crooked and perverted generation of people. You must shine among them like stars lighting up the sky,

For it is a just thing for God to repay with affliction those people who are troubling you, and to provide [future] rest for you, along with us, who are afflicted. [This will occur] when Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire [i.e., at His second coming], accompanied by His mighty angels. He will inflict punishment on those people who do not know God [as Savior], and on those who do not obey the Gospel message of our Lord Jesus.read more.
They will pay the penalty of never ending destruction, being banished from the presence of the Lord and from His mighty splendor.

The person who has disregarded the law of Moses is put to death without being shown mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a person deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God and has regarded the blood of the [New] Agreement, with which he was set apart for God, an unholy thing and has insulted the Holy Spirit, through whom God's unearned favor is shown? For we know God, who said [Deut. 32:35], "Revenge belongs to me; I will pay back [for wrongdoing]." And again [Deut. 32:36], "The Lord will judge His people."read more.
It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

You people [already] know this [or, "you should know this"], my dearly loved brothers. However, every person should be quick to listen, slow to talk and slow in becoming angry. For the anger of people does not produce what God considers to be right.

And when the Lamb broke open the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for [believing and preaching] God's message, and for the testimony [about Jesus] which they had maintained. And they called out with a loud voice, "How long, holy and true Master, [will it be] before you judge the people living on earth and take revenge on them for [shedding] our blood?" And a white robe was given to each one of them, and they were told to rest a little while longer, until the [full] number of their fellow servants and their brothers would be killed like they were.