17 Bible Verses about Vengeance

You have heard that it was said--'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' I, however, say to you that you must not resist wrong; but, if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also; And, when any one wants to go to law with you, to take your coat, let him have your cloak as well;read more.
And, if any one compels you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to him who asks of you; and, from him who wants to borrow from you, do not turn away. You have heard that it was said--'Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thy enemy.' I, however, say to you--Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, That you may become Sons of your Father who is in Heaven; for he causes his sun to rise upon bad and good alike, and sends rain upon the righteous and upon the unrighteous. For, if you love only those who love you, what reward will you have? Even the tax-gatherers do this! And, if you show courtesy to your brothers only, what are you doing more than others? Even the Gentiles do this! You, then, must become perfect--as your heavenly Father is perfect.

"Sheathe your sword," Jesus said, "for all who draw the sword will be put to the sword. Do you think that I cannot ask my Father for help, when he would at once send to my aid more than twelve legions of angels? But in that case how would the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that this must be?"

"Whenever you go to stay at a house," he said, "remain there till you leave that place; And if a place does not welcome you, or listen to you, as you go out of it shake off the dust that is on the soles of your feet, as a protest against them."

But to you who hear I say--Love your enemies, show kindness to those who hate you, Bless those who curse you, pray for those who insult you. When a man gives one of you a blow on the cheek, offer the other cheek as well; and, when any one takes away your cloak, do not keep back your coat either.read more.
Give to every one who asks of you; and, when any one takes away what is yours, do not demand its return. Do to others as you wish them to do to you. If you love only those who love you, what thanks will be due to you? Why, even the outcast love those who love them! For, if you show kindness only to those who show kindness to you, what thanks will be due to you? Even the outcast do that! If you lend only to those from whom you expect to get something, what thanks will be due to you? Even the outcast lend to the outcast in the hope of getting as much in return! But love your enemies, and show them kindness, and lend to them, never despairing. Then your reward shall be great, and you shall be Sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the thankless and the bad. Learn to be merciful--even as your Father is merciful.

Why do not you yourselves decide what is right? When, for instance, you are going with your opponent before a magistrate, on your way to the court do your best to be quit of him; for fear that he should drag you before the judge, when the judge will hand you over to the bailiff of the court, and the bailiff throw you into prison. You will not, I tell you, come out until you have paid the very last farthing."

It was at that time that King Herod began to ill-treat some of the members of the Church. He had James, the brother of John, beheaded; And, when he saw that the Jews were pleased with this, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (This was during the Festival of the Unleavened Bread.)read more.
After seizing Peter, Herod put him in prison, and entrusted him to the keeping of four Guards of four soldiers each, intending, after the Passover, to bring him up before the people. So Peter was kept in prison, but meanwhile the prayers of the Church were being earnestly offered to God on his behalf. Just when Herod was intending to bring him before the people, on that very night Peter was asleep between two soldiers, chained to them both, while there were sentries in front of the door, guarding the prison. Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. The angel struck Peter on the side, and roused him with the words: "Get up quickly." The chains dropped from his wrists, and then the angel said: "Put on your girdle and sandals." When Peter had done so, the angel added: "Throw your cloak round you and follow me." Peter followed him out, not knowing that what was happening under the angel's guidance was real, but thinking that he was seeing a vision. Passing the first Guard, and then the second, they came to the iron gate leading into the city, which opened to them of itself; and, when they had passed through that, and had walked along one street, all at once the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said: "Now I know beyond all doubt that the Lord has sent his angel, and has rescued me from Herod's hands and from all that the Jewish people have been expecting." As soon as he realized what had happened, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also known as Mark, where a number of people were gathered together, praying.

Never return injury for injury. Aim at doing what all men will recognize as honorable. If it is possible, as far as rests with you, live peaceably with every one. Never avenge yourselves, dear friends, but make way for the Wrath of God; for Scripture declares--'"It is for me to avenge, I will requite," says the Lord.'read more.
Rather--'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him to drink. By doing this you will heap coals of fire upon his head.' Never be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

For, as it seems to me, God has exhibited us, the Apostles, last of all, as men doomed to death. We are made a spectacle to the universe, both to angels and to men! We, for Christ's sake, are 'fools,' but you, by your union with Christ, are men of discernment. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are despised. To this very hour we go hungry, thirsty, and naked; we are beaten; we are homeless;read more.
We work hard, toiling with our own hands. We meet abuse with blessings, we meet persecution with endurance, We meet slander with gentle appeals. We have been treated as the scum of the earth, the vilest of the vile, to this very hour.

Can it be that, when one of you has a dispute with another, he dares to have his case tried before the heathen, instead of before Christ's People? Do not you know that Christ's People will try the world? And if the world is to be tried by you, are you unfit to try the most trivial cases? Do not you know that we are to try angels-to say nothing of the affairs of this life?read more.
Why, then, if you have cases relating to the affairs of this life, do you set to try them men who carry no weight with the Church? To your shame I ask it. Can it be that there is not one man among you wise enough to decide between two of his Brothers? Must Brother go to law with Brother, and that, too, before unbelievers? To begin with, it is undoubtedly a loss to you to have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather let yourselves be wronged? Why not rather let yourselves be cheated? Instead of this, you wrong and cheat others yourselves-yes, even your Brothers!

Brothers, do not show yourselves children in understanding. In wickedness be infants, but in understanding show yourselves men.

'Be angry, yet do not sin.' Do not let the sun go down upon your anger;

So as to prove yourselves blameless and innocent-- 'faultless children of God, in the midst of an evil-disposed and perverse generation,' in which you are seen shining like stars in a dark world,

Since God deems it just to inflict suffering upon those who are now inflicting suffering upon you, And to give relief to you who are suffering, as well as to us, at the Appearing of the Lord Jesus from Heaven with his mighty angels, 'in flaming fire.' Then he will 'inflict punishment upon those who refuse to know God, and upon those who turn a deaf ear' to the Good News of Jesus, our Lord.read more.
These men will pay the penalty of unutterable Ruin--banished 'from the presence of the Lord and from the glorious manifestation of his might,

When a man disregarded the Law of Moses, he was, on the evidence of two or three witnesses, put to death without pity. How much worse then, think you, will be the punishment deserved by those who have trampled underfoot the Son of God, who have treated the blood that rendered the Covenant valid--the very blood by which they were purified--as of no account, and who have outraged the Spirit of Love? We know who it was that said-- 'It is for me to avenge, I will requite'; 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, my dear Brothers--Let every one be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry; For the anger of man does not forward the righteous purpose of God.

When the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the sake of God's Message and for the testimony which they had borne. They cried in a loud voice--'How long, O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, before thou wilt give judgment and avenge our blood upon all who are living upon the earth?' Then to each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to rest yet a little longer, till the number of their fellow-servants and of their Brothers who were about to be put to death, as they had been, should be complete.