Romans 12:19

Listen, my good friends, if somebody does something bad to you, don’t do something bad to them. Don’t do payback to them. No, just wait for God. He will get angry with them, and he will do payback to them one day. We can read this in God’s book, “God says, ‘It is my job to do payback to people for the bad things they do. I will punish them, so don’t try to do it yourself.’”

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

In Context

18Try not to argue with anybody, and try not to fight with anybody.

20Instead of you doing payback to them, you have to do like God says in another place in his book. He says, “If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. Then they will be sorry and feel shame for the bad things they did to you.”

Read all of Romans 12

Cross References

1 Samuel 25:33You thought carefully about it, then you came and met me here. So now I ask God to be good to you. Yes, I came to fight, but you stopped me, so I didn’t kill lots of people dead.

Matthew Henry on Romans 12:2-21

Consecration to God; Duty towards God; Duty towards Ourselves; Due Exercise of Spiritual Gifts; Duty towards Our Brethren; Brotherly Love; Love to Enemies. ( a. d. 58.) 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3 For I say,… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Romans 12:19