What is Anger/Vengeance?

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Anger is a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure or hostility. It can be described as an emotion characterised by antagonism toward someone or something you feel has deliberately done wrong to you (or others). Anger can lead to passive or open aggression or vengeance. Vengeance is when punishment inflicted or retribution is exacted for an injury or wrong. 

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Why is Anger/Vengeance important?

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Anger and vengeance, if driven by selflessness and love, and if used as a vessel according to The Higher Will of our Creator- can help bring forth Unity, Justice and Peace, although if allowed to be driven by our selfish evil inclinations, always leads to destruction and division. If we love our Creator with our hearts minds and strength, and love our fellow human as ourself, then how can we not become angered by injustice, oppression and corruption? Does our 'anger' not help to prevent us from becoming passive against injustice? Can our anger for injustice not help us to becoming responsible human beings?

 

Channelling our anger into a passion for justice through righteousness, can help give us the 'strength' and 'courage' to stand up against oppression and corruption when we are attacked by an enemy unjustly. It would be arrogant for one to assume that a human is able to 'never get angry' or that it pleases our Creator to never get angry -when according to Abrahamic Scripture, man was made in the image of God, and throughout the stories of prophets in Scripture we read about The Anger of The Lord and His Vengeance upon the people who caused corruption and oppression. If we are to unite our will through surrender to the Will of our Creator, and allow His Hand to work through ours, how can this be achieved if we do not also allow our hearts mind and bodies to become vessels for His Thoughts, and desires? If He makes room for Himself to feel anger in the way of Justice, then do we too not have this responsibility upon us? Anger can be very detrimental to our relationships- but if channelled in the right way, can help us and others feel more connected to our Creator and Higher Purpose. It can help to fuel our flame and passion for unconditional Love for God and creation and help us to transform our darkness to Light. From an Abrahamic perspective, there are many stories from Scripture relating to the expression of anger of prophets and messengers in certain situations- perhaps reflecting on these stories can help us to reflect on ourselves-so that we become more able to channel our anger in healthy ways that can in fact help us to better serve our Higher Purpose?

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How can my Anger/Vengeance help me and others?

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When we self-reflect on our emotion of anger, and our behaviour driven by our perception of need for vengeance, we can get closer to 'knowing' ourselves and others. For example, if we feel angry towards another person- it is important to ask ourselves- 'why' do I feel angry?- Is my anger motivated by my insecurities, fears, selfish desires, and baseless hatred or is my anger motivated by love, and selflessness? am I angry because I have a desire to 'control' the other person for my own personal gain? or am I angry because the behaviour of the other person causes our Creator to become angry; and I am willing to be used as a vessel for His Anger? am I angry because I am unable to be more 'patient' and 'trust that everything comes from my Creator?' or am I angry because of my passion for Justice and Truth which pleases my Creator? 

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Let us ask ourselves: why do I get angry? and why do I seek to avenge and bear a grudge? Could I be falsely judging another? Do I care to try to understand the other's perspective or am I arrogant against them? Does it stem from insecurity? What am I insecure about? Does it stem from my selfishness? Does baseless hatred and envy my fellow human fuel my anger and desire to avenge? Is my anger fuelled by my desire to control my situation or others?- all these desires come from the selfish part of our soul and strive to lead us astray into a spiritual descent and destruction of our relationships- they lead us away from the path of Peace and Unity making us feel more disconnected to our Creator. Furthermore, the inability to control our anger and the pursuit of vengeance that is flamed and ignited by our selfish desires further flames the Anger of our Creator unto us. But His Anger towards us is always good, and originates from Love. 

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On the other hand it may help to ask ourselves the following regarding our anger: 'Is my anger fuelled by my love towards my fellow human? Is the expression of my anger and vengeance like the Arm of my Creator in this physical world? Is my anger fuelled by my passion for seeking the Pleasure of my Creator and for Higher Justice? Is my anger fuelled by my love for my Creator with my heart mind and strength and my love for my fellow human? If the answer to these questions is yes, then let us then ask ourselves: what will have a greater impact on those that I love?- the expression of my anger/vengeance unto another, or patience, compassion, mercy and other gentle expressions of Peace? What Pleases our Creator more do we think? -Mercy or stern Retribution? At what point should we show Mercy and at what point should we show retribution/Punishment? According to Abrahamic Scripture, our Creator is slow to Anger, and full of compassion and All-forgiving to those who repent and mend their ways.- Is Mercy not more 'Just' than human vengeance? Is it not Justice that we are Judged by our Creator according to the way that we Judge others? Or is Justice in the Eyes of our Creator beyond our own limited understanding? Scripture teaches us that the Ways of our Creator are Higher than our ways. His understanding is Higher than our understanding. His Thoughts are Higher than ours. What is it that I am trying to do by expressing my anger?- how can my anger be anything except selfish unless my intention for my fellow human is that they draw closer to their Creator and repent/mend their ways, and return to His Ways of Peace? and how can the expression of my anger or vengeance be anything except destructive unless it is applied with 'wisdom' and brings myself and others closer to paths of Higher Peace?

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Other questions to reflect on: Can I 'choose' how to make judgement upon others? How does my judgement of others affect my ability to control or let go of my anger? Can I try to seek the good in others and make excuses for them as much as possible, so that I can sweeten my judgement of them and be more inclined to show Mercy, Love and compassion instead of harsh vengeance?? What is most Pleasing to our Creator?

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It is natural to feel angry, but how we behave and control our emotion of anger is a choice that we can make. Do we allow our selfish anger to break up our relationships, and to fuel and control our behaviour through our vengeance? do we allow our anger to flame our desire to repay evil with evil, or do we choose to channel our anger in a way that allows us to repay evil with good and thereby feel more connected to our Creator?  For if we correctly channel our anger towards the ways of justice and peace, must we not reflect on how we can attain Peace without repaying evil with good? How can we attain True unity and oneness if we allow our anger to fuel our desire for vengeance which only divides and destroys our relationships? How can we turn our enemies into allies if we bear grudges, and do not learn to forgive? So self-reflection upon our emotions of anger and vengeance can help us to 'learn' from our mistakes, gain wisdom from them, better understand the sincerity of our own hearts, and therefore fuel our yearning for self-purification, turning in repentance to our creator, seeking His ways of forgiveness, compassion, patience, tolerance, perseverance in ways of righteousness while trusting in a Higher Plan of our Creator- to Whom Vengeance truly belongs. 

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However, according to Abrahamic Scripture- Every person has a duty ( according to his or her ability) to 'defend' the rights of the poor, the oppressed, the needy and fight against those who cause corruption and oppression in the land. During these situations perhaps our anger towards injustice can be helpful. Scripture tells us that oppression is worse than killing, but that if the opposition returns to ways of Peace, then we too should make peace. Imagine a situation where a country driven by their greed for wealth and power -invades/attacks another country without right and attacks the human rights of its citizens, killing innocent children and women; should one simply be 'ok' with this, be 'patient' and allow oppression and corruption to spread through the land? Should one allow themselves to be a 'punching bag' for another who only seeks to satisfy his or her selfish desires ; or is one allowed in this circumstance to get angry and protect themselves and others from harm? Perhaps what is a Higher State of being is to stand up to oppression with Justice but without feeling the emotion of anger or grudge towards the other, so that even our striving for justice stems from our emotion of Love. This is how our garment of anger/vengeance (that we choose to protect us) that is perceived by others in fact hides our True essence of selfless love for humanity and our Creator and can actually help to give us more power in our efforts of striving for Peace and Justice. 

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How does my Anger/Vengeance affect my wellbeing?

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The emotion of anger, if remains part of us through 'bearing a grudge' or 'seeking vengeance' can be very detrimental to our emotional, mental, spiritual and physical wellbeing. It eats us up from the inside and prevents us from revealing our true essence of Unity. The emotion of anger and desire for vengeance can feel as though it is 'choking' us, 'eating away' our insides, 'corroding' our spiritual peace, causing us to feel palpitations, impatience, raising our blood pressures, giving us headaches, causing us to become more irritable and feeling as though we are 'losing control.' When we hold on to anger, that is exactly what we are allowing to happen- losing control of our thoughts, speech and behaviour that is being driven by this negative emotion, and allowing it to be expressed in an unhealthy way that causes destruction and disruption to our normal peace fun day to day functioning and interaction with others. This feeling of losing control of our anger can then lead us to becoming more depressed and anxious- sometimes turning our anger against ourselves leading to self harm, self doubt, reduced self esteem and is like a vicious cycle that we find harder and harder to break free from. 

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Often people feel angry when they feel the need to 'control' a situation or those around them. This feeling of needing to control the future, change the past, control the beliefs, thoughts, feelings, speech and behaviour of others- can cause a huge amount of anxiety and stress making it less likely that we are able to control our own anger/vengeance and allowing it to cause harm to our relationships. 

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All of our anger and vengeance that we have applied in our past lives- that have destroyed relationships and caused us to sin/feel further from our Creator- are they completely worthless? Is there no treasure or purpose to our previous evil ways? Surely, by reflecting on our anger and vengeance, and learning from our past mistakes, we can draw out wisdom like pearls of treasure that can be applied to our present and future experiences, and through repentance and taking responsibility for our behaviour we can draw closer to our Creator? 

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How does my Anger/Vengeance cause me harm?

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The feeling of selfish anger often stems from arrogance. We get angry when we believe that we know better than others, or our Creator- for if we remembered within us that Everything grasps His knowledge and that He maintains His Creation in Justice- then we would see that every event which may appear to us to be negative is in fact a blessing in disguise and an opportunity to grow closer to our Source. The more arrogant we are, the less likely we are to seek forgiveness from our Creator, and serve Him according to a Will Higher than our own judgement. With arrogance and allowing it to be expressed through our selfish anger and vengeance, we become less willing to explore, understand and learn from others' perspectives. We show less respect and tolerance for the beliefs and opinions of others and their ways. This causes us to be less able to truly 'know' one another; We stop 'listening' and therefore become less able to 'grow' spiritually through taking responsibilities for our mistakes and gaining wisdom from them. We become trapped in a 'box' that has been defined by our own understanding of truth and defined by our own false boundaries that are self serving rather than a Higher Understanding and Truth that serves our Creator. This box becomes like a false idol that we erect and choose to worship instead of our Creator through our refusal to gain mastery over our desire for vengeance. The arrogant one who is unable to control his or her selfish anger is more likely to turn against others, be less likely to pardon and forgive the faults of others, and even turn against his or her Creator, blaspheme his Name, and become less able to show  gratitude for his or her blessings by using them to help others. This leads to the feeling of being 'lost', disconnected from our Source, and anxiety/depression through lack of inner peace, spiritual descent and destruction of true lasting loving relationships.

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Uncontrolled selfish anger that is driven by ego, lust, sloth, vengeance, envy, fear and sorrow- often causes utter chaos and bitterness within ourselves and within our relationships and leaves us feeling as though we are slaves and prisoners of our animal desires which control our thoughts, emotions, speech and behaviour. The lack of control of our righteousness over our animalistic desires, brings us to despair, gloom and feeling as though we are living a life of 'delusion' not being able to distinguish right from wrong, truth from falsehood- we are lost, helpless and stripped of our garments of Peace and Light. We feel unable to grasp the true meaning of our 'Higher Purpose' and we become therefore more likely to sin, break the rules of society, and indulge in criminal behaviour, chasing after brief moments of pleasure or satisfaction through addictive intoxicants and lustful pleasures that lead us further astray. We are less able due to our inability to control our selfish anger/transform it, to attain success at reaching our true potentials through Higher servitude using our unique individual gifts and talents. This then reflects unto our surrounding, bringing destruction and chaos to others in our communities. So without self awareness, self discipline and transformation of our selfish anger and vengeance, we drift away into the darkness of our inner ocean full of storms, unable to find our own light, unable to set our sails or direct them in a way that brings us safely back Home.

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The desire for vengeance is often driven by our desire for stern justice according to our own limited understanding and is often fuelled by our ego which seeks to justify its own separate identity ( from its Source) by passing false judgement upon others, fuelled by baseless hatred, arrogance, greed and envy. However this arrogance often envelops (without us even being aware of it sometimes) our inner of our essence that is full of doubt and low self esteem, that seeks to justify its own existence by the false belief that it is 'true' 'real' and better than others. It fans its own flames of false self identity through seeking to be 'right' and others 'wrong' without the sincerity of heart which seeks only a Higher Truth than its own perceived existence. However, within the inner garment of this layer of doubt and lack of self esteem which is under the garment of arrogance, is a child that just wants to be loved, wants to be connected to a Higher Purpose through love, but feels ashamed of expressing vulnerability and of recieving this love due to bearing witness against him/herself to his or her oppression of others through vengeance and judgement. So when we judge others, we in fact will be judged accordingly. When we do not pardon the faults and sins of others, we ourselves bear witness that we are also not deserving of Mercy. When we judge others, we in fact judge ourselves. Only through humility are we more able to connect to our inner child, strip off from our outer garments and become aware of the Reality/Oneness of all souls, and therefore treat others how we ourselves truly would want to be treated, and love our neighbour as ourself. When we are connected with our inner child, we become more able to 'see' the inner child of others despite their outer garments of anger, ego, lust, vengeance, greed, envy, sloth, fear, sorrow  etc. The more we see the 'good' in others, the more we become able to express our true Reality of Righteousness and thereby break free from the walls which cause us to feel separate from our Creator and from each other. 

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Sometimes our inability to control our anger comes from our inner feelings of guilt for our previous sins or events that we believe deep inside were our own fault, and as a method of self-protection ( because we do not want to repent and mend our ways, or because we do not feel worthy of forgiveness). We put walls of false glory and vanity around our shame, trying to hide from God and from others- but this only causes our own hearts to become more hardened to Truth, and we deceive only ourselves through our seeking to deceive others as we try to escape or hide from the Reality of our True Essence. Anger that stems from guilt, only makes the feeling of guilt worse than before when we impulsively act on our emotion of anger through saying hurtful or false words that cause pain and suffering unto others. This fuels our anger even more and then directs our anger towards ourselves and we come closer and closer towards bearing witness against ourselves that we are in fact not worthy of Return to our Creator. It plants a dangerous seed of Doubt in our minds and hearts about the All- Forgiving and Most Merciful nature of our Creator (when we make mistakes and repent and mend our ways), and about His True Reality that He is in fact closer to us than we are to ourselves. The anxiety and depression has a huge impact on our sense of wellbeing as we feel we are not being true to our Higher Purpose of self expression. 

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All of our anger and vengeance that we have applied in our past lives- that have destroyed relationships and caused us to sin/feel further from our Creator- are they completely worthless? Is there no treasure or purpose to our previous evil ways? Surely, by reflecting on our feelings and expression of anger and vengeance, and learning from our past mistakes, we can draw out wisdom like pearls of treasure that can be applied to our present and future experiences, and through repentance and taking responsibility for our behaviour we can draw closer to our Creator? 

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How does my Anger/Vengeance cause harm unto others?

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Our inability to better control our selfish anger and pursuit of vengeance leads to unnecessary pain and suffering for others, and seeks to destroy the perception and reality of the core direct Peaceful Relationship that a person has with his or her Creator and with the rest of  creation. Breakdown of partnerships, family ties, and friendships, has a wider impact on our communities and globally- causing division and destruction. It further fuels the anger, vengeance, fears and anxiety in others, and often leads to others trying to 'protect' themselves from our oppression and controlling behaviour by putting up garments/walls which cover/harshen their true essence and identity. It often results in others feeling 'abused, mistreated, misunderstood, misjudged, unloved' and therefore weakens their ability to repay our evil with good, and to transform their own darkness into Light, due to 'doubt in themselves and mistrust in others.' The 'doubt' that our selfish anger and vengeance towards our fellow human can leads to in others- ultimately can bring them to 'doubt' the unconditional love of their Creator and their drive for Higher purpose in ways of Peace, Truth, Love and Justice, and reflects back to ourselves. This reduces their and our ability to rise up and take responsibility, have Faith in their Creator and serve Him to their/our best potential. 

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How can I rise above my Anger/Vengeance or use it to help me transform Darkness into Light?

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Here are some self reflection questions that might help: 

 

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1) PATIENCE: We can learn to better control our anger ( expression of it through harmful speech and behaviour) through working on our Patience (remembering God within our hearts as much as possible- seeking to unite our pleasure with His Pleasure). Struggle and hardship and challenging life experiences through loss of wealth, health and lives can help us to become more patient during distressing times. This patience from past experiences can then be used to help us better control our anger and desire for vengeance in our current and future situations.    

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2) HUMILITY: We can learn to better 'let go' of any grudge and anger we feel towards others by trying to see their perspective more in any disagreement. This can be done by 'listening' more to the perspectives and stories of others and learning from their experiences. Every person we meet can in this way help us to better ourselves through learning from the other perspective. We are more likely to want to listen to and learn from others if we view them as just as important in the eyes of our Creator, as we see ourselves. When we are arrogant unto others and perceive ourselves (or our perspective and purpose) to be more 'worthy' or better than them, then we are less likely to be inclined to listening to and learning from them. 

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3. FORGIVENESS: The more we try to understand from others' perspectives, the more likely we are to be able to forgive and pardon their faults, and show compassion and mercy rather than harsh judgement. This way we become more able to 'let go' of our anger and less likely to bear a grudge against our neighbour. The more we are able to forgive others, the more worthy we ourselves feel to be forgiven by our Creator- and the more able we are to Return to Him in repentance, take responsibility for our behaviour and let go of any anger that we have upon ourselves from our past mistakes. 

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4.RESPECT: Working on our 'respect' for creation can help us to become more able to treat others how we ourselves would want to be treated during disputes and arguments. The more we respect one another, the less likely we are to be rude and aggressive in our speech and behaviour, and the more able we become to express our love for each other in selfless ways. Respect and humility go hand in hand. We cannot truly Love without Respect. We cannot transform selfish anger and vengeance( due to baseless hatred) without Respect ( due to baseless love). 

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5. COMPASSION: The more compassion we have on one another, the more likely we are to be able to let go of any negative emotions of anger towards each other, forgive and pardon one another's faults, be patient with each other, and repay evil with good, rather than evil with evil. 

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6. TRUTH/INTEGRITY: The more honest we are with ourselves and others, and the more we seek to express our true feelings, thoughts, using speech and behaviour by acting with integrity, the more likely we are to be able to transform our selfish desires which fuel our negative and destructive anger, into an emotion which fuels our passion for Truth and Higher Justice according to the Higher Will of our Creator. With Truthfulness, comes the ability to make better judgement of right from wrong which can be then applied to bring more justice and Peace to our family relationships, communities and globally. 

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7.: LOVE: The more we love our Creator with our hearts minds and strength and love one another as ourself, the more able we are to 'see' the good in others, and therefore we become less likely to even feel any negative emotion towards them.

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8: JUSTICE: Working on our understanding of True Justice can bring us to the realisation that our Creator will treat us depending on how we treat others, and that we reap what we sow. This can help us to strive harder on taking responsibility for our speech and behaviour and better controlling our thoughts and emotions so that we do not have ill intent towards our fellow human, and work on rising above our evil selfish desires which fuel our negative anger and vengeance. The more Mercy we show unto others, the more Mercy will be shown unto us. This is Justice. 

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9.PEACE: Striving to make peace between brethren, and friends can help us to be less likely to react and respond to evil with evil. How can we make peace without repaying evil with good ( unless actively being oppressed?) 

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10: FAITH: Faith and Trust in our Creator can help us to 'surrender' to a Will that is Higher than our own, let go of our anger, let go of our need to 'control' ( because He is in Control and All-Knowing and because we trust that everything is from Him and is an opportunity to better ourselves spiritually) and therefore leave vengeance for The Most Just, The Slow- to Anger, while seeking to purify ourselves so that His Will and our will are united as 'One' and so that we can become pure vessels of His Light, Love, Peace, Truth and Justice in creation. 

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11:gaining KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM, and UNDERSTANDING: seeking Truth and self development through scripture, stories of prophets and messengers, seeking advice from others, self reflection and through sharing life experience with others. Learning from our mistakes and using that wisdom to transform evil to good, darkness to light.

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12: SELF DISCIPLINE: in prayer, meditation and regular acts of loving kindness/charity. Fasting can help with this. 

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13: GRATITUDE: to our Creator for Life by sharing our gifts, blessings and talents in the ways of Peace by helping others with selfless love.

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14: SACRIFICE: giving and sharing of what we love with others in need for the sake of HIGHER LOVE and PURPOSE in SERVICE of our CREATOR

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15: OBEDIENCE: Obeying our Creator and HIs Law according to the best of our knowledge and understanding of Abrahamic Scripture - while seeking Truth- obedience out of fear and love for our Creator and for creation. Seeking to always maintain a pure and direct relationship with our One God, Creator, without intermediaries or association/obedience/praise of false gods (anything that we know to be false) beside Him.

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15: PERSEVEREANCE and HOPE: never give up. Getting up each time we fall. Repenting, each time we make a mistake. Never losing hope in in the MERCY, FORGIVENESS, JUSTICE and Abounding Love of our Creator for each one of His Creation. 

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16: AVOID INTOXICANTS AND GAMBLING/ ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCES. intoxicants such as alcohol and illicit drugs can cloud our judgement and our ability to control our emotions that are fuelled by our selfish evil desires such as ego, lust, envy, greed, anger, hatred, sloth, fears and sorrows that then make us more likely to act upon our negative emotions through harmful aggressive speech and behaviour. These substances tend to be addictive, and the more addicted we are to them, the more we lose 'control' and we become weakened so unable to rise above our negative thoughts and emotions or transform darkness into light. Often we see our relationships being destroyed due to these intoxicants and due to our addictions to them. 

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17: AVOID IDLE TALK/GOSIP/SLANDER/SORCERY/MAGIC: These ways are considered evil in Scripture and lead to causing harm to our relationships and the relationships of others, fuelling up anger within ourselves and others.

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18: TRANSFORMING OUR EVIL INCLINATION: through deep self-reflection and meditation on our thoughts emotions speech and behaviour while seeking guidance from our Creator. The more we learn from our previous mistakes/evil ways that were driven by our ego, greed, envy, lust, sloth, fears, anger, sorrows, addictions- the more able we become to use that wisdom to rise up and fly into Higher Spiritual Realms and Glorify our Creator by doing good deeds. The Higher we rise, the deeper we can dive into this physical Reality and transform darkness into Light by being good examples of a righteous human being and inspiring others to search for their own hidden treasures to, and use them in paths of Peace.

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Let's remember that The Lord is Most Just, Stern in Punishment and Most Forgiving and Merciful- slow to Anger, and Compassionate to all His Creatures. May He guide us all to draw closer to Him, give up our evil ways and do good. All Glory Praise and Thanks be to Our One God, Creator, Master, Lord, King of the Worlds to Whom belong The Most Beautiful Attributes- To Him we belong and to Him we Return. 

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Some Scripture quotes on Anger/Vengeance

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And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. Genesis 4:15

 

If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. Deuteronomy 32:41

 

Rejoice, O ye nations, [with] his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, [and] to his people. Deuteronomy 32:43

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The Lord said to Moses, “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people. So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the Lord’s vengeance on them. Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.” So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. 6 Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling. They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every man.Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba- the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder. They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps. They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals, and brought the captives, spoils and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho. Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. Moses was angry with the officers of the army-the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle. “Have you allowed all the women to live?” he asked them. “They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the Peor incident, so that a plague struck the Lord’s people. Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man,but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man. Numbers 31:1-15

 

And she said unto him, My father, [if] thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, [even] of the children of Ammon. Judges 11:36

 

The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. Psalms 58:10

 

O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, show thyself. Psalms 94:1

 

Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions. Psalms 99:8

 

To execute vengeance upon the heathen, [and] punishments upon the people; Psalms 149:7

 

For jealousy [is] the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. Proverbs 6:34

 

For [it is] the day of the LORD's vengeance, [and] the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion. Isaiah 34:8

 

Say to them [that are] of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come [with] vengeance, [even] God [with] a recompense; he will come and save you. Isaiah 35:4

 

Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet [thee as] a man. Isaiah 47:3

 

For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance [for] clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. Isaiah 59:17

 

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; Isaiah 61:2

 

For the day of vengeance [is] in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. Isaiah 63:4

 

But, O LORD of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause. Jeremiah 11:20

 

But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, [and] seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause. Jeremiah 20:12

 

For this [is] the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates. Jeremiah 46:10

 

Shout against her round about: she hath given her hand: her foundations are fallen, her walls are thrown down: for it [is] the vengeance of the LORD: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her. Jeremiah 50:15

 

The voice of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, the vengeance of his temple. Jeremiah 50:28

 

Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this [is] the time of the LORD'S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompense. Jeremiah 51:6

 

Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device [is] against Babylon, to destroy it; because it [is] the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple. Jeremiah 51:11

 

Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry. Jeremiah 51:36

 

Thou hast seen all their vengeance [and] all their imaginations against me. Lamentations 3:60

 

That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered. Ezekiel 24:8

 

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them; Ezekiel 25:12

 

And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 25:14

 

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy [it] for the old hatred; Ezekiel 25:15

 

And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them. Ezekiel 25:17

 

And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard. Micah 5:15

 

Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Jude 1:7

 

For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. Luke 21:22

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"Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." Psalm 34:14

 

Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools. Ecclesiastes 7:9

 

The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult. Proverbs 12:16

 

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. Psalm 37:8-9

 

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. 1 Peter 3:9

 

It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.” Deuteronomy 32:35

 

‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:18

 

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:25

 

Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. Proverbs 10:12

 

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

 

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

 

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Mathew 18:21-22

 

The LORD is a God who avenges. O God who avenges, shine forth. Rise up, Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve. Psalm 94:1-2

 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’  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. Mathew 5:38-39

 

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 6:27-28

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Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on a wound, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart. If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you. Proverbs 25:20-22

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And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 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. Mathew 5:40-45

 

Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city. Proverbs 16:32

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Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. Proverbs 19:11

 

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1

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“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Mathew 5:7

 

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? James 4:1

 

A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. Proverbs 16:28

 

Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. Proverbs 26:12

 

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Mathew 5:23-24

 

Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you. Proverbs 20:22

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“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. ... Luke 6:32-42

 

 

And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. Luke 6:31

 

 

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. Mathew 7:1-5

 

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” Luke 10:25-28

 

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. James 1:26

 

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Mathew 7:12

 

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! Isaiah 5:21

 

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Mathew 5:5-9

 

 

And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mathew 9:10-13

 

 

Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38 

 

Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart: when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; Proverbs 26:24-26

 

"Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil." Psalm 37:8

 

"But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." Psalm 86:15

 

"Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly."Proverbs 14:29

 

"A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention." Proverbs 15:18

 

"Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man." Proverbs 22:24

 

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger..."James 1:19

 

"...for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." James 1:20

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"Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools." Ecclesiastes 7:9

 

"If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest." Ecclesiastes 10:4

 

" 'There is no peace,' says my God, 'for the wicked.' " Isaiah 57:21

 

And those who avoid major sins and indecencies; and if they become angry, they forgive. And those who respond to their Lord, and pray regularly, and conduct their affairs by mutual consultation, and give of what We have provided them. And those who, when wronged, defend themselves. The repayment of a bad action is one equivalent to it. But whoever pardons and makes reconciliation, his reward lies with God. He does not love the unjust. As for those who retaliate after being wronged, there is no blame on them. Blame lies on those who wrong people, and commit aggression in the land without right. These will have a painful punishment.

But whoever endures patiently and forgives—that is a sign of real resolve. Quran 42:37-43

 

In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful. Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds. The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment. It is You we worship, and upon You we call for help. Guide us to the straight path. The path of those You have blessed, not of those against whom there is anger, nor of those who are misguided. Quran:1

 

In his absence, the people of Moses adopted a calf made from their ornaments—a body which lowed. Did they not see that it could not speak to them, nor guide them in any way? They took it for worship. They were in the wrong. Then, when they regretted, and realized that they had erred, they said, “Unless our Lord extends His mercy to us, and forgives us, we will be among the losers.” And when Moses returned to his people, angry and disappointed, he said, “What an awful thing you did in my absence. Did you forsake the commandments of your Lord so hastily?” And he threw down the tablets; and he took hold of his brother’s head, dragging him towards himself. He said, “Son of my mother, the people have overpowered me, and were about to kill me; so do not allow the enemies to gloat over me, and do not count me among the unjust people.”He said, “My Lord, forgive me and my brother, and admit us into Your mercy; for you are the Most Merciful of the merciful.”  

Those who idolized the calf have incurred wrath from their Lord, and humiliation in this life. We thus requite the innovators. As for those who commit sins, and then repent afterwards and believe—your Lord, thereafter, is Forgiving and Merciful. When the anger abated in Moses, he took up the tablets. In their transcript is guidance and mercy for those in awe of their Lord. And Moses chose from his people seventy men for Our appointment. When the tremor shook them, he said, “My Lord, had You willed, You could have destroyed them before, and me too. Will you destroy us for what the fools among us have done? This is but Your test—with it You misguide whomever You will, and guide whomever You will. You are our Protector, so forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are the Best of Forgivers.” “And inscribe for us goodness in this world, and in the Hereafter. We have turned to You.” He said, “My punishment—I inflict it upon whomever I will, but My mercy encompasses all things. I will specify it for those who act righteously and practice regular charity, and those who believe in Our signs.” Those who follow the Messenger, the Unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel in their possession. He directs them to righteousness, and deters them from evil, and allows for them all good things, and prohibits for them wickedness, and unloads the burdens and the shackles that are upon them. Those who believe in him, and respect him, and support him, and follow the light that came down with him—these are the successful. Quran 7: 148-157

 

Go, you and your brother, with My signs, and do not neglect My remembrance. Go to Pharaoh. He has tyrannized. But speak to him nicely. Perhaps he will remember, or have some fear.” They said, “Lord, we fear he may persecute us, or become violent.”

He said, “Do not fear, I am with you, I hear and I see. Quran 20:42-46

 

Once he entered the city, unnoticed by its people. He found in it two men fighting—one of his own sect, and one from his enemies. The one of his sect solicited his assistance against the one from his enemies; so Moses punched him, and put an end to him. He said, “This is of Satan's doing; he is an enemy that openly misleads.” He said, “My Lord, I have wronged myself, so forgive me.” So He forgave him. He is the Forgiver, the Merciful. He said, “My Lord, in as much as you have favored me, I will never be a supporter of the criminals.” Quran 28:15-17

 

Moses said to him, “May I follow you, so that you may teach me some of the guidance you were taught?” He said, “You will not be able to endure with me. And how will you endure what you have no knowledge of?” He said, “You will find me, God willing, patient; and I will not disobey you in any order of yours.” He said, “If you follow me, do not ask me about anything, until I myself make mention of it to you.” So they set out. Until, when they had boarded the boat, he holed it. He said, “Did you hole it, to drown its passengers? You have done something awful.” He said, “Did I not tell you that you will not be able to endure with me?” He said, “Do not rebuke me for forgetting, and do not make my course difficult for me.” Then they set out. Until, when they encountered a boy, he killed him. He said, “Did you kill a pure soul, who killed no one? You have done something terrible.” He said, “Did I not tell you that you will not be able to endure with me?” He said, “If I ask you about anything after this, then do not keep company with me. You have received excuses from me.” So they set out. Until, when they reached the people of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused to offer them hospitality. There they found a wall about to collapse, and he repaired it. He said, “If you wanted, you could have obtained a payment for it.” He said, “This is the parting between you and me. I will tell you the interpretation of what you were unable to endure. As for the boat, it belonged to paupers working at sea. I wanted to damage it because there was a king coming after them seizing every boat by force. As for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared he would overwhelm them with oppression and disbelief. So we wanted their Lord to replace him with someone better in purity, and closer to mercy. And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphaned boys in the city. Beneath it was a treasure that belonged to them. Their father was a righteous man. Your Lord wanted them to reach their maturity, and then extract their treasure—as a mercy from your Lord. I did not do it of my own accord. This is the interpretation of what you were unable to endure.” Quran 18:66-82

 

And relate to them the true story of Adam's two sons: when they offered an offering, and it was accepted from one of them, but it was not accepted from the other. He Said, “I will kill you.” He Said, “God accepts only from the righteous.” “If you extend your hand to kill me, I will not extend my hand to kill you; for I fear God, Lord of the Worlds.” “I would rather you bear my sin and your sin, and you become among the inmates of the Fire. Such is the reward for the evildoers.” Then His soul prompted him to kill his brother, so he killed him, and became one of the losers. Then God sent a raven digging the ground, to show him how to cover his brother's corpse. He said, “Woe to me! I was unable to be like this raven, and bury my brother's corpse.” So he became full of regrets. Because of that We ordained for the Children of Israel: that whoever kills a person—unless it is for murder or corruption on earth—it is as if he killed the whole of mankind; and whoever saves it, it is as if he saved the whole of mankind…. Quran 5:27-32

 

O you who believe! Intoxicants, gambling, idolatry, and divination are abominations of Satan’s doing. Avoid them, so that you may prosper. Satan wants to provoke strife and hatred among you through intoxicants and gambling, and to prevent you from the remembrance of God, and from prayer. Will you not desist? Quran 5:90-91

 

And who is better in speech than someone who calls to God, and acts with integrity, and says, “I am of those who submit”?

Good and evil are not equal. Repel evil with good, and the person who was your enemy becomes like an intimate friend. But none will attain it except those who persevere, and none will attain it except the very fortunate. When a temptation from the Devil provokes you, seek refuge in God; He is the Hearer, the Knower. Quran 41:33-36

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