Romans 12:20

Instead 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.”

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

Therefore 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.

In Context

19Listen, 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.’”

21So don’t do payback to anybody. Don’t do bad things to them. If you do that payback, it is like you let that bad part of you win. But instead, you have to be good to everybody. That’s how you properly win against bad things.

Read all of Romans 12

Cross References

1 Samuel 24:16After David said that, Saul asked him, “Is that really you, my son David?” And he cried out loud.

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 12:20