forgiving your enemies

The 18 most-voted verses about forgiving your enemies, from 9 books, ranked by the OpenBible.info community.

Romans 12:17–21

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17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” 20On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

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17Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

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17Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. 18If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. 19Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.” 20Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.” 21Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Matthew 5:44

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But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

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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;

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But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,

Luke 6:27

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But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

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¶ But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

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“But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

Ephesians 4:31–32

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31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.

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31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

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31Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice. 32And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32

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Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.

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And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

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And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.

Matthew 5:43–48

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43You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

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43¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44But 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; 45That ye may be the children of your Father which 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. 46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do not even the publicans so? 48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

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43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, 45that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 48Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 6:14–15

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14For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.

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14For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

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14“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Mark 11:25

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And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against another, forgive it, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses as well.”

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And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

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Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions.

John 15:12

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This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

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This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

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“This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.

Proverbs 19:11

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A man’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense.

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The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and [it is] his glory to pass over a transgression.

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The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger. It is his glory to overlook an offense.

Matthew 18:15

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If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

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¶ Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

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“If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother.

Matthew 18:21–22

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21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!

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21¶ Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

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21Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven.

Luke 17:3–4

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3Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

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3¶ Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

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3Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. 4If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

Luke 23:34

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Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.

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¶ Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

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Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.

Ephesians 4:26–27

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26“Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger, 27and do not give the devil a foothold.

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26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27Neither give place to the devil.

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26“Be angry, and don’t sin.” Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath, 27and don’t give place to the devil.

Ephesians 4:31

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Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.

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Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

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Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice.

Colossians 3:13

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Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

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Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also [do] ye.

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bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.

1 John 1:9

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If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

18 verses, from 9 books:

  • Proverbs (1)
  • Matthew (5)
  • Mark (1)
  • Luke (3)
  • John (1)
  • Romans (1)
  • Ephesians (4)
  • Colossians (1)
  • 1 John (1)