"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves... Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19). "To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence" (Deuteronomy 32:35). "Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD" (Proverbs 20:22). Jesus said, "resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matthew 5:39).
Revenge feels natural; Scripture calls us to something harder: leave vengeance with God and overcome evil with good. These twelve King James passages forbid personal payback, promise that the LORD will repay, and point toward blessing enemies. This page is about revenge and vengeance; for the emotion of anger, see anger; for releasing debts of wrong, see forgiveness.
Vengeance belongs to the LORD
1. Romans 12:19
"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."
Avenge not yourselves: give place unto wrath. Quoting Deuteronomy, Paul says vengeance is the Lord's. Refusing revenge is trust that God judges justly.
2. Deuteronomy 32:35
"To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste."
To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time. God's timing, not ours, settles accounts.
3. Proverbs 20:22
"Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee."
Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee. Waiting replaces plotting.
4. Leviticus 19:18
"Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD."
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge... but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Revenge and grudge-keeping are forbidden together.
Do not repay evil for evil
5. Romans 12:17
"Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men."
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. Integrity replaces retaliation.
6. 1 Thessalonians 5:15
"See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men."
See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good. The church watches one another against payback culture.
7. 1 Peter 3:9
"Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing."
Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing. Blessing is the surprising alternative to revenge.
8. Proverbs 24:29
"Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work."
Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me. Tit-for-tat is exactly what wisdom rejects.
Overcome evil with good
9. Matthew 5:38-39
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."
Jesus revisits eye for eye: resist not evil; turn the other cheek. Personal retaliation is relinquished for kingdom meekness.
10. Matthew 5:44
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"
Love your enemies, bless them that curse you. The cure for revenge is active love, not cold indifference.
11. Proverbs 25:21-22
"If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee."
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread; heap coals of fire on his head. Kindness can shame and soften where revenge only hardens.
12. Luke 6:27-28
"But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you."
Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. Four verbs starve revenge.
A short prayer
Lord, You alone own vengeance. When I am wronged, keep me from plotting payback. Teach me to wait on You, to bless instead of rail, and to overcome evil with good. Heal my anger and make me trust Your justice. In Jesus' name, amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
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Frequently asked questions
What does the Bible say about revenge?
Do not avenge yourselves; vengeance belongs to God (Romans 12:19; Deuteronomy 32:35). Do not repay evil for evil (Romans 12:17; 1 Peter 3:9); love enemies and do them good (Matthew 5:44; Proverbs 25:21-22).
Does "vengeance is mine" mean God is angry?
It means God reserves the right to judge justly. Leaving vengeance to Him is not denying justice; it is refusing to play God.
Is it wrong to seek legal justice?
Scripture distinguishes personal revenge from lawful authority (Romans 13). This page addresses private payback, grudges, and enemy-hatred, not courts doing their job.
How is revenge different from anger or forgiveness?
Anger is the emotion; revenge is striking back; forgiveness releases the debt. All three connect, but this page focuses on not repaying evil.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about anger · Bible verses about forgiveness · Bible verses about peace · Bible verses about love · Bible verses about trusting God
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