17 Bible Verses about Vengeance

Ye have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." But I say to you, that ye resist not the evildoer; but whoever smiteth thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if any one intends to sue thee at the law, and take thy coat, give up to him thy cloak also;read more.
and whoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him that asketh of thee; and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not away. Ye have heard that it was said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy." But I say to you, Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you; that ye may become sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love those who love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye that excelleth? Do not even the heathen the same? Be ye therefore perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Then Jesus saith to him, Put back thy sword into its place; for all they that take the sword will perish by the sword. Dost thou think that I cannot pray to my Father, and he will now give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

And he said to them, Wherever ye enter a house, there abide fill ye leave that place. And whatever place shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye go thence, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony to them.

But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who are spiteful to you. To him that smiteth thee on one cheek, offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat also.read more.
Give to every one that asketh of thee; and from him that taketh away thy goods, demand them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also in like manner to them. And if ye love those who love you, what thanks do ye deserve? for sinners also love those who love them. For if ye do good to those who do good to you, what thanks do ye deserve? even sinners do the same. And if ye lend to those from whom ye expect to receive, what thanks do ye deserve? even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much in return. But love your enemies, and do good and lend, despairing of no one; and your reward will be great, and ye will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the unthankful and wicked. Be merciful, as your Father is merciful.

And why even of yourselves do ye not judge what is right? When thou art going with thine adversary at law to the magistrate, take pains, while on the way, to be released by him; lest he drag thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. I tell thee, Thou wilt not come out thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

Now about that time, Herod the king laid his hands upon certain of the church, to oppress them. And he slew James, the brother of John, with the sword. And seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to apprehend Peter also; (then were the days of unleavened bread;)read more.
and he seized him and put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after the passover to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept guarded in prison; but earnest prayer was made by the church to God in his behalf. And when Herod was about to bring him forth, on that night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and keepers before the door were guarding the prison. And lo! an angel of the Lord came to him, and a light shone in the room; and he smote Peter on the side, and roused him, saying, Rise up quickly. And his chains fell from his hands. And the angel said to him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals; and he did so. And he saith to him, Throw thy garment round thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed; and he knew not that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision. And when they had passed the first, and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leadeth to the city, which opened to them of itself; and they went out and passed on through one street, and the angel immediately departed from him. And when Peter had come to himself, he said, Now I know certainly, that the Lord hath sent forth his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. And when he understood the matter, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, surnamed Mark, where many were gathered together, and praying.

Render to no one evil for evil; have regard to what is honorable in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as far as dependeth on you, be at peace with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather make room for wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."read more.
Therefore, "if thy enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. For in so doing thou wilt heap coals of fire on his head." Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles as lowest, as men sentenced to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christs sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are in honor, but we are despised. Even to this very hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace,read more.
and labor, working with our own hands; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure it; being slandered, we exhort; we have become as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.

Doth any one of you, who hath a matter against another, dare to go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the holy? Or do ye not know, that the holy will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge in causes of the least importance? Know ye not, that we shall pass judgment upon angels? How much more, concerning affairs of this life?read more.
If then ye have any causes relating to this life, set them to judge who are of no repute in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not one that will be able to judge between his brethren? Nay, brother goeth to law with brother, and that before unbelievers. Now therefore it is altogether an evil among you, that ye have suits against each other. Why do ye not rather submit to wrong? Why do ye not rather allow yourselves to be defrauded? But ye yourselves wrong, and defraud, and that too your brethren.

Brethren, do not become children in understanding; yet in malice be children, but in understanding be men.

"Be angry, and sin not;" let not the sun go down upon your wrath;

that ye may be blameless and pure, children of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; among whom ye shine as luminaries in the world,

since it will be just with God to repay distress to them that distress you, and to you the distressed rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be manifested from heaven, with the angels of his might, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus;read more.
who will be punished with everlasting destruction proceeding from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power,

He that hath set at nought the law of Moses dieth without mercy under two or three witnesses; of how much heavier punishment, think ye, will he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite to the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "Vengeance belongeth to me, I will recompense, 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.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain on account of the word of God, and on account of the testimony which they had borne; and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, the holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? And a white robe was given to them, and it was said to them that they should rest yet for a time, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that were about to be killed as they were, should finish their course.