17 Bible Verses about Vengeance

Ye have heard that it was said, "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth:" but I say unto you, Resist not an injurious act; but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him also the other. And if a man will prosecute thee, and take thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.read more.
And whosoever shall press thee for one mile, go with him two. Give to him that asketh thee; and from him who wants to borrow of thee, turn not away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy." But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who treat you insolently, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven: for he causeth his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and tendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love those who love you, what reward have you? do not even the publicans the same thing? And if ye embrace your brethren only, what do ye extraordinary? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.

Then saith Jesus unto him, Return thy sword into its sheath: for all who take the sword, shall perish by the sword. Thinkest thou, that I cannot now entreat my Father, and he will give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

And he said unto them, Wheresoever ye enter into a family, there abide until ye depart thence. And as many as shall not receive you, neither hearken to you, when ye go from thence, shake off the dust from beneath your feet, for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.

But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you, and pray for those who wantonly insult you. To him that smiteth thee on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who would take from thee thy cloak, withhold not thy coat also.read more.
And give to every one that asketh thee; and from him who would take thy goods, demand them not again. And as ye would that men should do unto you, do ye also to them in like manner. And if ye love them that love you, what thanks are due to you? for even sinners love those who love them. And if ye do good to them who do good to you, what thanks have ye? do not even sinners the same thing? And if ye lend to those, from whom ye hope to receive back again, what thanks are due to you? for sinners lend to sinners, that they may receive an equivalent. But love your enemies, and do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return: and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Most High; for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the wicked. Be ye therefore compassionate, as also your Father is compassionate.

And why even of yourselves do ye not decide what is just? For as thou art going with thy prosecutor to the magistrate, on the way endeavour to make up the matter with him; lest he drag thee before the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. I tell thee, thou mayest in no wise come out from thence, until thou hast paid the very last mite.

NOW at that time Herod the king stretched forth his hand to treat cruelly certain persons belonging to the church. And he slew James the brother of John with a sword. And seeing how agreeable this was to the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)read more.
Whom having apprehended, he put him in prison, delivering him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep guard over him; intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people [for execution]. So then Peter was kept in prison: but fervent prayer was offered up by the church to God for him. Now when Herod was going to bring him forth, the same night was Peter fast asleep between the two soldiers, fastened to them with two chains: and the guards before the door kept the prison. And, lo! an angel of the Lord stood there, and light glared through the apartment: then with a stroke on Peter's side, he roused him up, and said, Arise quickly. And his chains fell from his hands. And the angel said to him, Gird thyself up, and bind on thy sandals. And he did so. And he said unto him, Wrap thyself in thy mantle, and follow me. And going out, he followed him; and knew not that it was a reality which was done by the angel; but he supposed he saw a vision. So passing through the first ward and the second, they came to the iron door which leads into the city, which opened to them spontaneously: and being come out, they walked forward through one street; and immediately the angel departed from him. And Peter coming to himself, said, Now I know assuredly, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me from the hand of Herod, and all the eager expectation of the people of the Jews. And after considering with himself, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, who is surnamed Mark; where many were thronged together, and praying.

Render to no man evil for evil. Be provident of things laudable in the sight of all men. If possible, as far as you can, be at peace with all men. Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto wrath: for it is written, "Vengeance belongeth to me; I will recompence, saith the Lord."read more.
If therefore thine enemy hunger, give him food; if he thirst, give him drink: for so doing, thou shalt heap up coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

For I think that God hath exposed us his apostles the last as devoted unto death. For we have been made a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men. We are counted fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are mighty; ye are honourable persons, but we despised. For even to this present hour we undergo hunger and thirst and nakedness, and are buffeted about, and have no settled abode;read more.
and work hard, labouring with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; being injuriously spoken of, we entreat; we are made as the ordures of the world, as the sweepings of all things unto this day.

DARE any of you, having a matter of controversy with another, sue for judgment before the unjust, and not before the saints? Know ye not that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to be judges in the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels, much more things pertaining to this life?read more.
If then ye have disputes about the things of this life, do you seat those on the bench who are least esteemed in the church? I speak to you to shame you. Is it so, that there is not among you a wise man? Not so much as one who is able to judge between one brother and another? But brother goes to law with brother, and this before the unbelievers. Now verily therefore there is altogether a fault among you, because ye have law-suits one with another. Why do ye not rather submit to the wrong? Why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? But ye do wrong and defraud, and that the brethren.

Brethren, be not children in your minds: though in naughtiness be ye children, but in your minds be men complete.

Are ye provoked; and do you not sin? let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

that ye may be blameless and harmless, the children of God, inoffensive, in the midst of an untoward and perverse generation, among whom ye shine as luminaries in the world;

seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled, rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven with his mighty angels, in a flame of fire, taking vengeance of them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:read more.
who shall receive punishment, even eternal perdition, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power:

Any man who treated the law of Moses with neglect, was put to death, without mercy, on the deposition of two or three witnesses: by how much, think ye, shall he be counted worthy of more condign punishment who hath trampled on the Son of God, and regarded the blood of his testament, by which he was sanctified, as an unclean thing, and hath treated the gracious Spirit contumeliously? For we know him who declares, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord." And again, "The Lord will judge his people."read more.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

And when he opened the fifth seal I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they maintained. And they cried with a loud voice, How long will it be, O sovereign, the holy one and the true, ere thou judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? And to each of them were given white robes, and it was told them that they should wait yet a little longer space, until the number of their fellow-servants and their brethren, who should be slain as well as they, should be completed.