bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Parallel translations
- WEB bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.
- KJV Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
- NKJV bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
- NASB bless those who curse you, pray for those who are abusive to you.
- NLT Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus commands His disciples to bless and pray for those who curse and mistreat them. Genuine love for enemies expresses itself in word and prayer, not retaliation.
Overview
Continuing the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus calls for a love that actively seeks the good of even hostile people. Blessing and intercession replace the natural impulse to curse back. This reflects the heart of God, who is kind to the ungrateful, and points ahead to Christ Himself, who prayed for those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- 1 Pet 3:9Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
- 1 Cor 4:12We work hard with our own hands. When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;
- Rom 12:14Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.
- Jas 3:10Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, this should not be!
- Luke 23:34Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.
- Matt 5:44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
- Luke 6:27But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
- Ezek 36:5Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Surely in My burning zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who took My land as their own possession with wholehearted joy and utter contempt, so that its pastureland became plunder.
- Acts 7:60Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
- Luke 6:35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
- Ezek 25:15This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because the Philistines acted in vengeance, taking vengeance with malice of soul to destroy Judah with ancient hostility,
- Acts 14:5But when the Gentiles and Jews, together with their rulers, set out to mistreat and stone them,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 6:28 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.