Biblical Vengeance and Retribution
Psalm 1:4-64
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 2:1-11
1 Why do the nations conspire,
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and His anointed, saying,
3 Let us burst their bonds apart,
and cast their cords from us.
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord has them in derision.
5 Then He will speak to them in His wrath,
and terrify them in His fury, saying,
6 I have set my king
on Zion, my holy hill.
7 I will tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to me, You are my Son,
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron,
and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
10 Now therefore, kings, be wise;
be warned, rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
with trembling
12 kiss His feet, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way;
for His wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Psalm 3:7
7 Get up, Oh Lord!
Deliver me, Oh my God!
For you do smite all my enemies on the cheek,
you do break the teeth of the wicked.
Psalm 5:8-10
8 Lead me, Oh Lord, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouth;
their heart is destruction,
their throat is an open sepulchre,
they flatter with their tongue.
10 Make them bear their guilt, Oh God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of their many transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
Psalm 7:12-16
12 If a man does not repent, God will sharpen His sword;
He has bent and strung His bow;
13 He has prepared His deadly weapons,
making His arrows fiery shafts.
14 Hey, the wicked man conceives evil,
and is pregnant with mischief, and brings forth lies.
15 He makes a pit, digging it out,
and falls into the hole which he has made.
16 His mischief returns upon his own head,
and on his own pate his violence descends.
Psalm 9:15-16
15 The nations have sunk in the pit which they made;
in the net which they hid has their own foot been caught.
16 The Lord has made Himself known, He has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.
Psalm 10:15
15 You break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
seek out his wickedness till you find none.
Psalm 11:5-6
5 The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked,
and His soul hates him that loves violence.
6 On the wicked He will rain coals of fire and brimstone;
a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
Psalm 12:3-4
3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
the tongue that makes great boasts,
4 those who say, "With our tongue we will prevail,
our lips are with us; who is our master?"
Psalm 14:1-6
1 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,
there is none who does good.
2 The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
to see if there are any who act wisely,
who seek after God.
3 They have all gone astray, they are all alike corrupt;
there is none who does good, no, not one.
4 Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers
who eat up my people as they eat bread,
and do not call upon the Lord?
5 There they shall be in great terror,
for God is with the generation of the righteous.
6 You would confound the plans of the poor,
but the Lord is his refuge.
Psalm 17:8-14
8 Keep me as the apple of the eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings,
9 from the wicked who despoil me,
my deadly enemies who surround me.
10 They close their hearts to pity;
with their mouths they speak arrogantly.
11 They track me down; now they surround me;
they set their eyes to cast me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion eager to tear,
as a young lion lurking in ambush.
13 Get up, Oh Lord! confront them, overthrow them!
Deliver my life from the wicked by your sword,
14 from men by your hand, Oh Lord,
from men whose portion in life is of the world.
May their belly be filled with what you have stored up for them;
may their children have more than enough;
may they leave something over to their babes.
Psalm 18:25-26,37-42
25 With the loyal you do show yourself loyal;
with the blameless man you do show yourself blameless;
26 with the pure you do show yourself pure;
and with the crooked you do show yourself perverse.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38 I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
they fell under my feet.
39 For you did gird me with strength for the battle;
you did make my assailants sink under me.
40 You did make my enemies turn their backs to me,
and those who hated me I destroyed.
41 They cried for help, but there was none to save,
they cried to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
42 I beat them fine as dust before the wind;
I threw them out like the mire of the streets.
Psalm 21:8-12
8 Your hand will find out all your enemies;
your right hand will find out those who hate you.
9 You will make them as a blazing oven
when you appear.
The Lord will swallow them up in Hhis wrath;
and fire will consume them.
10 You will destroy their offspring from the earth,
and their children from among the sons of men.
11 If they plan evil against you,
if they devise mischief, they will not succeed.
12 For you will put them to flight;
you will aim at their faces with your bows.
Psalm 28:3-5
3 Take me not off with the wicked,
with those who are workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors,
while mischief is in their hearts.
4 Requite them according to their work,
and according to the evil of their deeds;
requite them according to the work of their hands;
render them their due reward.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord,
or the work of His hands,
He will break them down and build them up no more.
Psalm 31:17-18
17 Let me not be put to shame, Oh Lord,
for I call on you;
let the wicked be put to shame,
let them go dumbfounded to Sheol.
18 Let the lying lips be dumb,
which speak insolently against the righteous
in pride and contempt.
Psalm 35:1-6
1 Contend, Oh Lord, with those who contend against me;
fight against those who fight against me!
2 Take hold of shield and buckler,
and rise for my help!
3 Draw the spear and javelin
against my pursuers!
Say to my soul,
"I am your deliverance!"
4 Let them be put to shame and dishonor
who seek after my life!
Let them be turned back and confounded
who devise evil against me!
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them on!
6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!
Psalm 37:8-20,32-36
8 Refrain from anger, and reject wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the wicked shall be cut off;
but those who wait for the Lord shall possess the land.
10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look well at his place, he will not be there.
11 But the meek shall possess the land,
and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.
12 The wicked plots against the righteous,
and gnashes his teeth at him;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for He sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows,
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those who walk uprightly;
15 their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is a little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken;
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will remain forever;
19 they are not put to shame in evil times,
in the days of famine they have abundance.
20 But the wicked perish;
the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures,
they vanish, like smoke they vanish away.
The wicked watches the righteous,
and seeks to slay him.
33 The Lord will not abandon him to his power,
or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
34 Wait for the Lord, and keep to His way,
and He will exalt you to possess the land;
you will look on the destruction of the wicked.
35 I have seen a wicked man overbearing,
and towering like a cedar of Lebanon.
36 Again I passed by, and wow, he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.
Psalm 40:14-15
14 Let them be put to shame and confusion altogether
who seek to snatch away my life;
let them be turned back and brought to dishonor
who desire my hurt!
15 Let them be appalled because of their shame
who say to me, "Aha, Aha!"
Psalm 49:5-14
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble,
when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
6 men who trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly no man can ransom himself,
or give to God the price of his life,
8 for the ransom of his life is costly,
and can never suffice,
9 that he should continue to live on forever,
and never see the Pit.
10 Yes, he shall see that even the wise die,
the fool and the stupid alike must perish
and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves are their homes forever,
their residing places to all generations,
though they named lands their own.
12 Man cannot abide in his pomp,
he is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the fate of those who have foolish confidence,
the end of those who are pleased with their portion.
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
Death shall be their shepherd;
straight to the grave they descend,
and their form shall waste away;
Sheol shall be their home.
Psalm 50:16-22
16 But to the wicked God says:
"What right have you to recite my statutes,
or take my covenant on your lips?
17 For you hate discipline,
and you throw my words behind you.
18 If you see a thief, you are a friend of his;
and you keep company with adulterers.
19 You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
you slander your own mother's son.
21 These things you have done and I have been silent;
you thought that I was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you, and lay the charge before you."
22 Mark this, then, you who forget God,
lest I rend, and there be none to deliver!
Psalm 52:1-7
1 Why do you boast, Oh mighty man,
of mischief done against the godly?
All the day
2 you are plotting destruction.
Your tongue is like a sharp razor,
you worker of treachery.
3 You love evil more than good,
and lying more than speaking the truth.
4 You love all words that devour,
Oh deceitful tongue.
5 But God will break you down forever;
He will snatch and tear you from your tent;
He will uproot you from the land of the living.
6 The righteous shall see, and fear,
and shall laugh at him, saying,
7 "See the man who would not make
God his refuge,
but trusted in the abundance of his riches,
and sought refuge in his wealth!"
Psalm 53:1-5
1 The fool says in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
there is none who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven
upon the sons of men
to see if there are any who are wise,
who seek after God.
3 They have all fallen away;
they are all alike depraved;
there is none who does good,
no, not one.
4 Have those who work evil no understanding,
who eat up my people as they eat bread,
and do not call upon God?
5 There they are, in great terror,
in terror such as has not been!
For God will scatter the bones of the godless;
they will be put to shame, for God has rejected them.
Psalm 55:9,23
9 Destroy their plans, Oh Lord, confuse their tongues;
for I see violence and strife in the city.
23 But you, Oh God, will throw them down
into the lowest pit;
men of blood and treachery
shall not live out half their days.
But I will trust in you.
Psalm 56:1-7
1 Be gracious to me, Oh God,
for men trample upon me;
all day long foemen oppress me;
2 my enemies trample upon me all day long,
for many fight against me proudly.
3 When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust without a fear.
What can flesh do to me?
5 All day long they seek to injure my cause;
all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They band themselves together, they lurk,
they watch my steps.
As they have waited for my life,
7 so recompense them for their crime;
in wrath throw down the peoples, Oh God!
Psalm 57:4-6
4 I lie in the midst of lions
that greedily devour the sons of men;
their teeth are spears and arrows,
their tongues sharp swords.
5 Be exalted, Oh God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
6 They set a net for my steps;
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way,
but they have fallen into it themselves.
Psalm 58:3-11
3 The wicked go astray from the womb,
they err from their birth, speaking lies.
4 They have venom like the venom of a serpent,
like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
5 so that it does not hear the voice of charmers
or of the cunning enchanter.
6 Oh God, break the teeth in their mouths;
tear out the fangs of the young lions, Oh Lord!
7 Let them vanish like water that runs away;
like grass let them be trodden down and wither.
8 Let them be like the snail which dissolves into slime,
like the untimely birth that never sees the sun.
9 Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,
whether green or ablaze, may He sweep them away!
10 The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Men will say, "Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
surely there is a God who judges on earth."
Psalm 59:1-13
1 Deliver me from my enemies, Oh my God,
protect me from those who rise up against me,
2 deliver me from those who work evil,
and save me from bloodthirsty men.
3 For wow, they lie in wait for my life;
fierce men band themselves against me.
For no transgression or sin of mine, Oh Lord,
4 for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.
Rouse yourself, come to my help, and see!
5 You, Lord God of hosts, are God of Israel.
Awake to punish all the nations;
spare none of those who treacherously plot evil.
6 Each evening they come back,
howling like dogs
and prowling about the city.
7 There they are, bellowing with their mouths,
and snarling with their lips
for "Who," they presume, "will hear us?"
8 But you, Oh Lord, do laugh at them;
you do hold all the nations in derision.
9 Oh my Strength, I will sing praises to you;
for you, Oh God, are my fortress.
10 My God in his continuous love will meet me;
my God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.
11 Slay them not, lest my people forget;
make them totter by thy power, and bring them down,
Oh Lord, our shield!
12 For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,
let them be trapped in their pride.
For the cursing and lies which they utter,
13 consume them in wrath,
consume them till they are no more,
that men may know that God rules over Jacob
to the ends of the earth.
Psalm 63:9-11
9 But those who seek to destroy my life
shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword,
they shall be prey for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
all who swear by Him shall glory;
for the mouths of liars will be stopped.
Psalm 64:1-9
1 Hear my voice, Oh God, in my complaint;
preserve my life from dread of the enemy,
2 hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
from the scheming of evildoers,
3 who whet their tongues like swords,
who aim bitter words like arrows,
4 shooting from ambush at the blameless,
shooting at him suddenly and without fear.
5 They hold fast to their evil purpose;
they talk of laying snares secretly,
thinking, "Who can see us?
6 Who can search out our crimes?
We have thought out a cunningly conceived plot."
For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep!
7 But God will shoot His arrow at them;
they will be wounded suddenly.
8 Because of their tongue He will bring them to ruin;
all who see them will wag their heads.
9 Then all men will fear;
they will tell what God has wrought,
and ponder what he has done.
Psalm 68:1-2
1 Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered;
let those who hate Him flee before Him!
2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
as wax melts before fire,
let the wicked perish before God!
Psalm 69:19-28
19 You know my reproach,
and my shame and my dishonor;
my foes are all known to you.
20 Insults have broken my heart,
so that I am in despair.
I looked for pity, but there was none;
and for comforters, but I found none.
21 They gave me poison for food,
and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
22 Let their own table before them become a snare;
let their sacrificial feasts be a trap.
23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see;
and make their loins tremble continually.
24 Pour out your indignation upon them,
and let your burning anger overtake them.
25 May their camp be a desolation,
let no one stay in their tents.
26 For they persecute him who you have smitten,
and him who you have wounded, they afflict yet more.
27 Add to them punishment upon punishment;
may they have no acquittal from you.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;
let them not be enrolled among the righteous.
Psalm 70:2-3
2 Let them be put to shame and confusion
who seek my life!
Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor
who desire my hurt!
3 Let them be appalled because of their shame
who say, "Aha, Aha!"
Psalm 73:12-20
12 Hey, these are the wicked;
always at ease, they increase in riches.
13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean
and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long I have been stricken,
and chastened every morning.
15 If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
I would have been untrue to the generation of your children.
16 But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I perceived their end.
18 Truly you do set them in slippery places;
you do make them fall to ruin.
19 How they are destroyed in a moment,
swept away utterly by terrors!
20 They are like a dream when one awakes,
on awaking you despise their phantoms.
Psalm 79:6,11-12
11 Pour out your anger on the nations
that do not know you,
and on the kingdoms
that do not call on your name!
Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;
according to your great power preserve those doomed to die!
12 Return sevenfold into the bosom of our neighbors
the taunts with which they have taunted you, Oh Lord!
Psalm 83:13-18
13 Oh my God, make them like whirling dust,
like chaff before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest,
as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so do thou pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your hurricane!
16 Fill their faces with shame,
that they may seek your name, Oh Lord.
17 Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever;
let them perish in disgrace.
18 Let them know that you alone,
whose name is the Lord,
are the Most High over all the earth.
Psalm 91:7-8
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand;
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense against the wicked.
Psalm 92:5-9
5 How great are your works, Oh Lord!
Your thoughts are very deep!
6 The dull man cannot know,
the stupid cannot understand this:
7 that, though the wicked sprout like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction forever,
8 but you, Oh Lord, are on high forever.
9 For wow, your enemies, Oh Lord,
for wow, your enemies shall perish;
all evildoers shall be scattered.
Psalm 94:8-11,20-23
8 Understand, dullest of the people!
Fools, when will you be wise?
9 He who planted the ear, does He not hear?
He who formed the eye, does He not see?
10 He who chastens the nations, does He not chastise?
He who teaches men knowledge,
11 the Lord, knows the thoughts of man,
that they are but a breath.
Can wicked rulers be allied with you,
who frame mischief by statute?
21 They band together against the life of the righteous,
and condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the Lord has become my stronghold,
and my God the rock of my refuge.
23 He will bring back on them their iniquity
and wipe them out for their wickedness;
the Lord our God will wipe them out.
Psalm 101:3-5,7-8
3 I will not set before my eyes
anything that is base.
I hate the work of those who fall away;
it shall not cleave to me.
4 Perverseness of heart shall be far from me;
I will know nothing of evil.
5 Him who slanders his neighbor secretly
I will destroy.
The man of haughty looks and arrogant heart
I will not endure.
7 No man who practices deceit
shall stay in my house;
no man who utters lies
shall continue in my presence.
8 Morning by morning I will destroy
all the wicked in the land,
cutting off all the evildoers
from the city of the Lord.
Psalm 109:2-20,28-29
2 Be not silent, Oh God of my praise!
For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,
speaking against me with lying tongues.
3 They beset me with words of hate,
and attack me without cause.
4 In return for my love they accuse me,
even as I make prayer for them.
5 So they requite me evil for good,
and hatred for my love.
6 Appoint a wicked man against him;
let an accuser bring him to trial.
7 When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;
let his prayer be counted as sin!
8 May his days be few;
may another seize his goods!
9 May his children be fatherless,
and his wife a widow!
10 May his children wander about and beg;
may they be driven out of the ruins they inhabit!
11 May the creditor seize all that he has;
may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor!
12 Let there be none to extend kindness to him,
nor any to pity his fatherless children!
13 May his posterity be cut off;
may his name be blotted out in the second generation!
14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,
and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!
15 Let them be before the Lord continually;
and may his memory be cut off from the earth!
16 For he did not remember to show kindness,
but pursued the poor and needy
and the brokenhearted to their death.
17 He loved to curse; let curses come on him!
He did not like blessing; may it be far from him!
18 He clothed himself with cursing as his coat,
may it soak into his body like water,
like oil into his bones!
19 May it be like a garment which he wraps round him,
like a belt with which he daily dresses himself!
20 May this be the reward of my accusers from the Lord,
of those who speak evil against my life!
Let them curse, but you do bless!
Let my assailants be put to shame; may your servant be glad!
29 May my accusers be clothed with dishonor;
may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a mantle!
Psalm 118:7-12
7 The Lord is on my side to help me;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to put confidence in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to put confidence in princes.
10 All nations surrounded me;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
12 They surrounded me like bees,
they blazed like a fire of thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
Psalm 119:21-22,78
21 You do rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,
who wander from your commandments;
22 take away from me their scorn and contempt,
for I have kept your testimonies.
78 Let the godless be put to shame,
because they have subverted me with guile;
as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.
Psalm 120:2-4
2 Deliver me, Oh Lord,
from lying lips,
from a deceitful tongue.
3 What shall be given to you?
And what more shall be done to you,
you deceitful tongue?
4 A warrior's sharp arrows,
with glowing coals of the broom tree!
Psalm 125:3-5
3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
upon the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous put forth
their hands to do wrong.
4 Do good, Oh Lord, to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in their hearts!
5 But those who turn aside upon their crooked ways
the Lord will lead away with evildoers!
Peace be in Israel!
Psalm 129:5-7
5 May all who hate Zion
be put to shame and turned backward!
6 Let them be like the grass on the housetops,
which withers before it grows up,
7 with which the reaper does not fill his hand
or the binder of sheaves his bosom
Psalm 137:9
9 Happy shall he be who takes your little ones
and dashes them against the rock!
Psalm 139:19-22
19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, Oh God,
and that men of blood would go away from me,
20 men who maliciously defy you,
who lift themselves up against you for evil!
21 Do I not hate those that hate you, Oh Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I consider them my enemies.
Psalm 140:9-11
9 Those who surround me lift up their head,
let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
10 Let burning coals fall upon them!
Let them be thrown into pits, no more to rise!
11 Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!
Psalm 141:5-7
5 Let a good man strike or rebuke me in kindness,
but let the oil of the wicked never anoint my head;
for my prayer is continually against their wicked deeds.
6 When they are given over to those who shall condemn them,
then they shall learn that the word of the Lord is true.
7 As a rock which one cleaves and shatters on the land,
so shall their bones be strewn at the mouth of Sheol.
Psalm 144:4-8
4 Man is like a breath,
his days are like a passing shadow.
5 Bow thy heavens, Oh Lord, and come down!
Touch the mountains that they smoke!
6 Flash forth the lightning and scatter them,
send out thy arrows and rout them!
7 Stretch out your hand from on high,
rescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
from the hand of aliens,
8 whose mouths speak lies,
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.