Bible verses about "self-defense" | ABU

¹ THEN Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted by the Devil. ² And having fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterwards hungered. ³ And coming to him, the tempter said: If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread. ⁴ But he answering said: It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. ⁵ Then the Devil takes him into the holy city, and sets him on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶ and says to him: If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down; for it is written: He will give his angels command concerning thee; And on their hands they will bear thee up, Lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone. ⁷ Jesus said to him: Again it is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. ⁸ Again the Devil takes him into an exceedingly high mountain, and shows him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; ⁹ and says to him: All these things I will give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. ¹⁰ Then Jesus says to him: Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written: Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. ¹¹ Then the Devil leaves him; and behold, angels came and ministered to him. ¹² And hearing that John was delivered up, he retired into Galilee. ¹³ And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali; ¹⁴ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: ¹⁵ The land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, ¹⁶ The people that sat in darkness, saw great light, And to those sitting in the region and shadow of death light sprang up. ¹⁷ From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ¹⁸ And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ And he says to them: Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. ²⁰ And they, immediately leaving the nets, followed him. ²¹ And going on from thence, he saw other two brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. ²² And they, immediately leaving the ship and their father, followed him. ²³ And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every infirmity among the people. ²⁴ And his fame went forth into all Syria; and they brought to him all that were sick, taken with divers diseases and torments, and possessed with demons, and lunatic, and palsied; and he healed them. ²⁵ And great multitudes followed him from Galilee, and Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judaea, and from beyond the Jordan.

¹ AND seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain; and he having sat down, his disciples came to him. ² And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying: ³ Happy the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Happy they that mourn; for they shall be comforted. ⁵ Happy the meek; for they shall inherit the earth. ⁶ Happy they that hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled. ⁷ Happy the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy. ⁸ Happy the pure in heart; for they shall see God. ⁹ Happy the peacemakers; for they shall be called sons of God. ¹⁰ Happy they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹ Happy are ye, when they shall revile and persecute you, and shall say all evil against you falsely, for my sake. ¹² Rejoice, and exult; because great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets that were before you. ¹³ Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt become tasteless, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot by men. ¹⁴ Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill can not be hid. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under the bushel, but on the lamp-stand; and it shines to all that are in the house. ¹⁶ Thus let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. ¹⁷ Think not that I came to destroy the law, or the prophets; I came not to destroy, but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For verily I say to you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall not pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. ¹⁹ Whoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I say to you, that except your righteousness shall exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. ²¹ Ye heard that it was said to those of old: Thou shalt not kill; and whoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. ²² But I say to you, that every one who is angry with his brother, without cause, shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, Raca! shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, Thou fool! shall be in danger of hell-fire. ²³ Therefore if thou bringest thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother has aught against thee; ²⁴ leave there thy gift before the altar, and go, first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift. ²⁵ Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. ²⁶ Verily I say to thee, thou shalt not come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. ²⁷ Ye heard that it was said: Thou shalt not commit adultery. ²⁸ But I say to you, that every one who looks on a woman, to lust after her, has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ And if thy right eye causes thee to offend, pluck it out and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell. ³⁰ And if thy right hand causes thee to offend, cut it off and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell. ³¹ And it was said: Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement. ³² But I say to you, that whoever shall put away his wife, save for the cause of fornication, makes her commit adultery; and whoever shall marry her when put away, commits adultery. ³³ Again ye heard, that it was said to those of old: Thou shalt not swear falsely, but shalt perform to the Lord thine oaths. ³⁴ But I say to you, swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; ³⁵ nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Nor shalt thou swear by thy head; because thou canst not make one hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your word be, Yea, yea, Nay, nay; for that which is more than these comes of evil. ³⁸ Ye heard that it was said: An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. ³⁹ But I say to you, that ye resist not evil; but whoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰ And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. ⁴¹ And whoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴² Give to him that asks of thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not away. ⁴³ Ye heard that it was said: Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and shalt hate thine enemy. ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you; ⁴⁵ that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if ye love those who love you, what reward have ye? Do not also the publicans the same? ⁴⁷ And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye that excels? Do not also the heathen thus? ⁴⁸ Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.

⁵² Then says Jesus to him: Put back thy sword into its place; for all they who take the sword shall perish with the sword. ⁵³ Thinkest thou that I can not now pray to my Father, and he will send me more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴ How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

³⁸ Ye heard that it was said: An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. ³⁹ But I say to you, that ye resist not evil; but whoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

³⁶ Therefore said he to them: But now, he that has a purse let him take it, and likewise a bag; and he that has not, let him sell his garment and buy a sword.

⁴ for he is God's minister to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he bears not the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger for wrath to him that does evil.

⁸ But if any one provides not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.