17 Bible Verses about Vengeance

"You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. "But I tell you not to retaliate the injury; but whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also; "and if any one wants to go to law with you and takes away your coat, let him take your cloak also.read more.
"Whoever impresses you to go one mile, go two miles with him. "Give to him who asks, and from him who wants to borrow from you, do not turn away. "You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. "So you will become sons of your heavenly Father; for he makes his sun to rise upon sinners as well as saints, and sends rain upon the unjust and the just. "For if you love only those who love you, what reward have you? "Even the tax-gatherers do that, do they not? And if you show courtesy to your brother only, what are you doing more than others? Even the Gentiles do that, do they not? "You then must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Then Jesus said to him. "Put back your sword into its place! for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. "Do you not suppose that I am able to appeal to my Father to furnish me at this very moment with twelve legions of angels? "But if I did, how could the Scriptures be fulfilled that say that thus it must happen?"

"Wherever you enter a house," he told them, "remain there until you leave the place; and if any place does not receive you, or listen to you, as you go out of it shake off the dust under your feet, as a warning to them."

"But to you who are listening to me I say, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, Bless those who curse you, pray for those who calumniate you. To him who gives you a blow on the jaw Turn the other jaw also; And from him who is robbing you of your cloak Withhold not your coat also.read more.
Give to every one who asks you; And do not demand your goods back from him who is taking them away. And as you would like men to do to you, So do you also to them. "If you love those who love you what credit is it to you? Why even sinners love those who love them. "And if you are kind to those who are kind to you, what credit is it to you? Even sinners do the same. "And if you lend to those from whom you are hoping to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so as to get as much back. "But you must love even your enemies and be kind to them, And lend, despairing of no man. Then your reward will be great, And you will be the sons of the Most High; For he is kind even to the ungrateful and to the evil. "Do you therefore be merciful, As your Father is merciful.

"And why do you not, even yourselves, judge what is right? "For as you go before the magistrate with your opponent do your utmost to get quit of him, lest he drag you before the judge, and the judge delivers you over to the officer, and the officer cast you into prison. "You shall by no means come out of there until you have paid the very last farthing."

Now, at about that time, Herod the king put forth his hands to ill-treat certain members of the church; and beheaded James, the brother of John, with the sword. And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. (This was during the days of unleavened bread.)read more.
He had him arrested and thrown in prison, and put under guard of sixteen soldiers. He intended, after the Passover, to bring him forth to the people. So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer to God was made by the church for him. Now when Herod was about to bring him forth, on that very night, while Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison, suddenly an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. Striking Peter on the side, he woke him saying, "Rise up quickly." At once the chains dropped from his hands. "Gird yourself," said the angel, "and put on your sandals." He did so. Then he said unto him, "Throw your cloak about you, and follow me." So Peter went out, following him, but did not realize that what the angel was doing was real, but supposed that he was seeing a vision. And when they had passed the first guard and the second, they came to the iron gate that led to the city. This opened to them of its own accord; and they went out passed on through one street; and suddenly the angel left him. Peter, coming to himself, said, "Now I know for a certainty that the Lord has sent his angel and released me from the hand of Herod, and from all that the Jewish people were anticipating." So, after he had thought things over, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, surnamed Mark, where a large number of people were assembled, praying.

Do not pay back evil for evil. Aim to do what is honorable in the eyes of all. If it be possible, so far as it lies with you, be at peace with all men. Never revenge yourself, beloved, but leave the field clear for God's wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay," says the Lord.read more.
On the contrary, therefore, If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will be heaping burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but be overcoming evil with good.

But it seems to me that God has exhibited us apostles, last of all, like men doomed to death; for we are made a spectacle to the whole world, both to men and to angels. For Christ's sake we are fools, but you are quite philosophic in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong; you are honorable, but we are outcast. Even to his very hour we are enduring hunger and thirst and nakedness and blows.read more.
Homeless men, we toil, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when defamed, we conciliate. We have been made, as it were, scum-o'-the-earth, the very refuse of the world, to this very hour!

Dare any one of you who has a grievance against his neighbor go to law before heathen judges, instead of before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be tried by you, are you unfit to try such trifling cases? Do you not know that we are to try angels? How much more, then, the affairs of life.read more.
Why then, if you have cases relating to earthly affairs which need to be decided, is it men who are absolutely nothing in the church whom you make your judges? I say this to shame you. Is it so that there is not among you a single wise man, capable of deciding between a man and his brother? Must brother go to law with brother, and that, too, before unbelievers? Indeed, to say nothing more, the fact that you have lawsuits with one another is altogether a defect in you. Why not rather suffer injustice? Why not rather endure being cheated? On the contrary, you yourselves are inflicting injustice and fraud, and that upon your brothers.

Brothers, do not become children in understanding; be babes in malice, but in understanding become mature men.

"Be angry and sin not"; let not the sun go down upon your anger.

that you may become blameless and innocent, the sons of God, without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like stars in a dark world,

For truly God's justice must render back trouble to those who are troubling you, and give to you, who are now troubled, rest, along with me at the unveiling "apocalypse" of the Lord Jesus from heaven, with his mighty angels, in flaming fire. Then shall he take vengeance on those who know not God, even on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.read more.
They shall suffer punishment, even an eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the brightness of his glorious majesty,

Any one who set at naught the law of Moses was put to death without pity, on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much surer, think you, will be the punishment of one who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has profaned that covenant blood with which he was sanctified, and has done despite to the spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, and again, The Lord will judge his people.read more.
IT IS A FEARFUL THING TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE LIVING GOD!

Mark this well, my dear brothers. Let every man be swift in hearing, slow in speaking, slow in growing angry; for a man's anger does not further the righteous purpose 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 bore. And with a loud voice they cried, saying, "O Master, holy and true, How long dost thou not judge And avenge our blood On those who dwell on the earth?" And there was given to each one of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for yet a little time, until the number should be completed by their fellow slaves and their brethren who were about to be put to death as they had been.