Bible Verses About Responding With Kindness To Enemies

It’s not easy to respond with kindness when others treat us poorly, but the Bible calls us to rise above bitterness and reflect Christ’s love. From Jesus’ teaching to love our enemies to Paul’s words about overcoming evil with good, Scripture provides guidance on how to walk in grace, even when it’s hard. These verses remind us that kindness has the power to break cycles of hatred and reflect the heart of God.

Bible Verses About Responding With Kindness To Enemies

Matthew 5:44 – “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Luke 6:27 – “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,”

Luke 6:35 – “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”

Romans 12:14 – “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”

Romans 12:17 – “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.”

Romans 12:20 – “On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.'”

1 Peter 3:9 – “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”

Proverbs 15:1 – “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Proverbs 20:22 – “Do not say, ‘I’ll pay you back for this wrong!’ Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.”

Matthew 5:39 – “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”

Proverbs 25:21 – “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.”

Ephesians 4:32 – “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Colossians 3:12 – “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Luke 6:31 – “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:15 – “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.”

Romans 12:21 – “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Galatians 6:9-10 – “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Luke 6:32 – “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.”

Proverbs 24:29 – “Do not say, ‘I’ll do to them as they have done to me; I’ll pay them back for what they did.'”

Romans 12:19 – “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

Matthew 5:46 – “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?”

Proverbs 16:7 – “When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them.”

Romans 12:16 – “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”

Matthew 5:45 – “That you may be children 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.”

Romans 12:15 – “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”

Galatians 5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Matthew 7:12 – “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

James 3:17 – “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

Philippians 2:3-4 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Proverbs 25:22 – “In doing this, you will heap burning coals on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.”

1 Peter 2:23 – “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”

Proverbs 17:14 – “Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.”

Hebrews 12:14 – “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

Psalm 34:14 – “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”

Psalm 37:8 – “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.”

Proverbs 12:16 – “Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult.”

Proverbs 20:3 – “It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.”

Proverbs 29:22 – “An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.”

Proverbs 15:18 – “A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.”

James 1:19-20 – “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

Romans 14:19 – “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Ephesians 4:26 – “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.”

Matthew 6:14-15 – “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Proverbs 19:11 – “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.”

Matthew 5:9 – “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Proverbs 21:23 – “Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.”

Romans 12:18 – “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

Psalm 133:1 – “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”

Colossians 3:13 – “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

✨ Still Have a Question?

If you didn’t find your answer here, don’t worry — you’re not alone. You can send your question directly through the Ask a Bible Question page, and I’ll do my best to respond with guidance from God’s Word.

You can also leave your questions on my YouTube channel, where I regularly share Bible verses, encouragement, and answers to common questions.