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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Proverbs 25:21

If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Beneficence;   Enemy;   Forgiveness;   Quotations and Allusions;   Thompson Chain Reference - Benevolence;   Duty;   Enemies;   Good for Evil;   Liberality-Parsimony;   Love;   Social Duties;   Social Life;   The Topic Concordance - Enemies;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Liberality;   Revenge;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Proverb, the Book of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Enemy;   Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Coals ;   Commandment;   Hating, Hatred;   Kindness (2);   Old Testament (I. Christ as Fulfilment of);   Originality;   Quotations;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Coal;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Prov'erbs, Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Enemy;   Law in the New Testament;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - 'Awira, Rab;   Forgiveness;   Hatred;   Yeẓer Ha-Ra';  

Devotionals:

- Today's Word from Skip Moen - Devotion for May 15;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
New American Standard Bible (1995)
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
If thyne enemie hunger, feede hym, if he thirst, geue him drinke:
Darby Translation
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
New King James Version
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
Literal Translation
If one hating you is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
Easy-to-Read Version
If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat. If they are thirsty, give them some water.
World English Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; If he is thirsty, give him water to drink:
King James Version (1611)
If thine enemie be hungry, giue him bread to eate: and if hee be thirstie, giue him water to drinke.
King James Version
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf thine enemie honger, fede him: yf he thyrst, geue him drynke:
THE MESSAGE
If you see your enemy hungry, go buy him lunch; if he's thirsty, bring him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness, and God will look after you.
Amplified Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
American Standard Version
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
Bible in Basic English
If your hater is in need of food, give him bread; and if he is in need of drink, give him water:
Update Bible Version
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink:
Webster's Bible Translation
If thy enemy shall hunger, give him bread to eat; and if he shall thirst, give him water to drink:
New English Translation
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
Contemporary English Version
If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat. And if they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
Complete Jewish Bible
If someone who hates you is hungry, give him food to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
Geneva Bible (1587)
If hee that hateth thee be hungry, giue him bread to eate, and if he be thirstie, giue him water to drinke.
George Lamsa Translation
If your enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink;
Hebrew Names Version
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; If he is thirsty, give him water to drink:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink;
New Life Bible
If the one who hates you is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him water.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
By three thing the earth is troubled, and the fourth it cannot bear:
English Revised Version
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
Berean Standard Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
New Revised Standard
If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat; and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink;
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If he that hateth thee hunger, give him bread to eat, and, if he be thirsty, give him water to drink;
Douay-Rheims Bible
If thy enemy be hungry, give him to eat: if he thirst, give him water to drink:
Lexham English Bible
If your enemy is hungry, feed him bread, and if thirsty, let him drink water.
English Standard Version
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
New American Standard Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
New Century Version
If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink.
Good News Translation
If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink.
Christian Standard Bible®
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If thin enemy hungrith, feede thou him; if he thirstith, yyue thou watir to hym to drinke;
Revised Standard Version
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
Young's Literal Translation
If he who is hating thee doth hunger, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirst, cause him to drink water.

Contextual Overview

21 If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. 22 You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 24:17, Exodus 23:4, Exodus 23:5, Matthew 5:44, Luke 10:33-36, Romans 12:20, Romans 12:21

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 24:19 - the Lord 1 Samuel 30:11 - gave him 2 Kings 6:22 - set bread 2 Kings 6:23 - he prepared 2 Chronicles 28:15 - gave them Job 24:23 - yet his eyes Proverbs 19:11 - and Proverbs 24:29 - Say Isaiah 21:14 - brought Isaiah 58:7 - to deal Ezekiel 18:16 - but hath Matthew 25:35 - thirsty Luke 6:27 - Love Luke 10:34 - went 1 Thessalonians 5:15 - none

Cross-References

Genesis 11:30
But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children.
Genesis 16:2
So Sarai said to Abram, "The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her." And Abram agreed with Sarai's proposal.
Genesis 25:2
She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
Genesis 25:3
Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. Dedan's descendants were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites.
Genesis 25:10
This was the field Abraham had purchased from the Hittites and where he had buried his wife Sarah.
Genesis 25:12
This is the account of the family of Ishmael, the son of Abraham through Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian servant.
Genesis 25:16
These twelve sons of Ishmael became the founders of twelve tribes named after them, listed according to the places they settled and camped.
Genesis 25:19
This is the account of the family of Isaac, the son of Abraham.
1 Samuel 1:2
Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not.
1 Samuel 1:11
And she made this vow: "O Lord of Heaven's Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord , his hair will never be cut."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat,.... Which includes all manner of food; whatever persons may have in their houses, that they should bring out and feed the hungry with, even though an enemy;

and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink; which was what was usually and in common drank in those countries. These two, bread and water, take in all the necessaries of life; and giving them is expressive of all acts of beneficence and humanity to be performed to enemies; see 2 Kings 6:22; or "drink to him", so Pagninus and Montanus; which is still more expressive of respect and kindness.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A precept reproduced by Paul Romans 12:20; the second clause of which seems at first sight to suggest a motive incompatible with a true charity. Leviticus 16:12 suggests an explanation. The high priest on the Day of Atonement was to take his censer, to fill it with “coals of fire,” and then to put the incense thereon for a sweet-smelling savor. So it is here. The first emotion in another caused by the good done to him may be one of burning shame, but the shame will do its work and the heart also will burn, and prayer and confession and thanksgiving will rise as incense to the throne of God. Thus, “we shall overcome evil with good.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 25:21. If thine enemy be hungry — See this and the next verse explained, Romans 12:20.


 
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