Romans 12:14

Tyndale New Testament

Blesse the which persecute you: blesse but course not.

Parallel Translations

Simplified Cowboy Version
Bless those who talk crap about you. Don't cuss 'em, but pray God will bless 'em.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Legacy Standard Bible
Bless those who persecute you; bless, and do not curse.

Bible in Basic English
Give blessing and not curses to those who are cruel to you.

Darby Translation
Bless them that persecute you; bless, and curse not.

Christian Standard Bible®
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

World English Bible
Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don't curse.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
bless and curse not.

Weymouth's New Testament
Invoke blessings on your persecutors--blessings, not curses.

King James Version (1611)
Blesse them which persecute you, blesse, and curse not.

Literal Translation
Bless those persecuting you; bless, and do not curse.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Blesse the that persecute you. Blesse, & curse not.

Mace New Testament (1729)
bless them who persecute you:

THE MESSAGE
Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody.

Amplified Bible
Bless those who persecute you [who cause you harm or hardship]; bless and do not curse [them].

American Standard Version
Bless them that persecute you; bless, and curse not.

Revised Standard Version
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Update Bible Version
Bless those that persecute you; bless, and do not curse.

Webster's Bible Translation
Bless them who persecute you; bless, and curse not.

Young's Literal Translation
Bless those persecuting you; bless, and curse not;

New Century Version
Wish good for those who harm you; wish them well and do not curse them.

New English Translation
Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse.

Berean Standard Bible
Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.

Contemporary English Version
Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them.

Complete Jewish Bible
Bless those who persecute you — bless them, don't curse them!

English Standard Version
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Blesse them which persecute you: blesse, I say, and curse not.

George Lamsa Translation
Bless them which persecute you; bless, and curse not.

Hebrew Names Version
Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don't curse.

International Standard Version
Bless those who persecute you. Keep on blessing them, and never curse them.Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:28; 23:34; Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 4:12; 1 Peter 2:23; 3:9;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Bless your persecutors; bless, and curse not.

Murdock Translation
Bless your persecutors: bless, and curse not.

New King James Version
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

New Living Translation
Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them.

New Life Bible
Pray and give thanks for those who make trouble for you. Yes, pray for them instead of talking against them.

English Revised Version
Bless them that persecute you; bless, and curse not.

New Revised Standard
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Bless them that persecute, bless, and do not curse.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Bless them that persecute you: bless, and curse not.

King James Version
Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.

Lexham English Bible
Bless those who persecute, bless and do not curse them.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Blesse them which persecute you, blesse, and curse not.

Easy-to-Read Version
Wish only good for those who treat you badly. Ask God to bless them, not curse them.

New American Standard Bible
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Good News Translation
Ask God to bless those who persecute you—yes, ask him to bless, not to curse.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Blesse ye men that pursuen you; blesse ye, and nyle ye curse;

Contextual Overview

¹ I beseche you therfore brethre by ye mercyfulnes of God that ye make youre bodyes aquicke sacrifise holy and acceptable vnto God which is youre resonable seruynge of god. ² And fassion not youre selves lyke vnto this worlde: But be ye chaunged in youre shape by the renuynge of youre wittes that ye maye fele what thynge that good yt acceptable and perfaycte will of god is. ³ For I saye (thorowe the grace that vnto me geve is) to every man amonge you that noman esteme of him selfe moare then it becometh him to esteme: but that he discretely iudge of him selfe accordynge as God hath dealte to every man the measure of fayth. ⁴ As we have many members in one body and all members have not one office: ⁵ so we beynge many are one body in Christ and every man (amoge oure selves) one anothers mebers Seynge ⁶ that we have dyvers gyftes accordynge to the grace that is geven vnto vs: yf eny man have ye gyft of prophesye let him have it that it be agreynge vnto the fayth. ⁷ Let him that hath an office wayte on his office. Let him that teacheth take hede to his doctrine. ⁸ Let him that exhorteth geve attendaunce to his exhortacion. Yf eny man geve let him do it with singlenes. Let him that ruleth do it with diligence. Yf eny man shewe mercy let him do it with cherfulnes. ⁹ Let love be wt out dissimulacion. Hate that which is evyll and cleave vnto that which is good. ¹⁰ Be kynde one to another with brotherly love. In gevynge honoure goo one before another.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Romans 12:21, Job 31:29, Job 31:30, Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:28, Luke 23:34, Acts 7:60, 1 Corinthians 4:12, 1 Corinthians 4:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, James 3:10, 1 Peter 2:21-23, 1 Peter 3:9

Reciprocal: Leviticus 19:14 - not curse 1 Samuel 24:6 - the Lord forbid 1 Kings 13:6 - besought Psalms 35:13 - when Romans 12:19 - avenge

Cross-References

Matthew 5:28
But I say vnto you that whosoeuer looketh on a wyfe lustynge after her hathe comitted advoutrie with hir alredy in his hert.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Bless them which persecute you,.... It is the lot of God's, people in this world to be persecuted by the men of it, in some shape or another, either by words or deeds; either by reviling and reproaching them, and speaking all manner of evil of them; or by hindering them the free exercise of religious worship, by confiscation of their goods, imprisonment of their persons, by violently torturing their bodies, and taking away their lives; under all which circumstances they are taught to

bless them; that is, to pray for them, that God would show them their evil, give repentance to them, and the remission of their sins; which is the order Christ gave to his disciples, Matthew 5:44; and encouraged to an observance of, by his own example, Luke 23:34; and has been followed herein by his disciples and apostles, Acts 7:60 1 Corinthians 4:12. Moreover, by "blessing" may be meant, giving them good words, mild and soft answers, "not rendering evil for evil, railing for railing", 1 Peter 3:9; but, on the contrary, blessing, in imitation of Christ, who, "when he was reviled, reviled not again", 1 Peter 2:23: "bless",

and curse not: to have a mouth full of cursing and bitterness, Romans 3:14, is the character of an unregenerate man, and what by no means suits one who names the name of Christ; for blessing and cursing to proceed out of the same mouth, is as absurd and unnatural, as if it should be supposed that a fountain should send forth sweet water and bitter, or salt and fresh, James 3:10. The imprecations upon wicked men, used by David and other good men, are no contradictions to this rule; since they were made under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, and were predictions of God's vengeance, which in righteous judgment should fall on them, and are not to be drawn into an example by us.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Bless them ... - see the note at Matthew 5:44; compare Luke 6:28.

Bless, and curse not - Bless only; or continue to bless, however long or aggravated may be the injury. Do not be provoked to anger, or to cursing, by any injury, persecution, or reviling. This is one of the most severe and difficult duties of the Christian religion; and it is a duty which nothing else but religion will enable people to perform. To curse denotes properly to devote to destruction. Where there is power to do it, it implies the destruction of the object. Thus, the fig-tree that was cursed by the Saviour soon withered away: Mark 11:21. Thus, those whom God curses will be certainly destroyed; Matthew 25:41. Where there is not power to do it, to curse implies the invoking of the aid of God to devote to destruction. Hence, it means to imprecate; to implore a curse from God to rest on others; to pray that God would destroy them. In a larger sense still, it means to abuse by reproachful words; to calumniate; or to express oneself in a violent, profane, and outrageous manner. In this passage it seems to have special reference to this.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 12:14. Bless them which persecute you — ευλογειτε, Give good words, or pray for them that give you bad words, καταρασθε, who make dire imprecations against you. Bless them, pray for them, and on no account curse them, whatever the provocation may be. Have the loving, forgiving mind that was in your Lord.