Malice

Malice is ill will that wishes or plots harm against others. This page lists verses on putting away malice, devising evil, hatred in the heart, rejoicing at another's trouble, harm that falls back on the plotter, and returning good for evil.

Put away malice

• Ephesians 4:31
  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.
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• Colossians 3:8
  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
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• 1 Peter 2:1
  Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.
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• 1 Corinthians 5:8
  Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old bread, leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth.
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• 1 Corinthians 14:20
  Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
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• Titus 3:3
  For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
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Devising evil against others

• Proverbs 3:29
  Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.Do not devise evil against your neighbor, for he trustfully dwells beside you.
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• Proverbs 6:14
  Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.With deceit in his heart he devises evil; he continually sows discord.
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• Micah 2:1
  Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands.
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• Psalm 36:4
  He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.Even on his bed he plots wickedness; he sets himself on a path that is not good; he fails to reject evil.
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• Proverbs 24:8
  He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.He who plots evil will be called a schemer.
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• Zechariah 8:17
  And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.do not plot evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely, for I hate all these things,” declares the LORD.
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Hatred in the heart

• Leviticus 19:17-18
  ¹⁷Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.You must not harbor hatred against your brother in your heart. Directly rebuke your neighbor, so that you will not incur guilt on account of him. ¹⁸Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
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• Proverbs 26:24-26
  ²⁴He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart. ²⁵When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart. ²⁶Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
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• Psalm 55:21
  The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.
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• Proverbs 10:18
  He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.
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• 1 John 3:15
  Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.
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Rejoicing at another's trouble

• Proverbs 24:17-18
  ¹⁷Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles, ¹⁸Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him.
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• Proverbs 17:5
  Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.
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• Job 31:29-30
  ²⁹If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him— ³⁰Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse—
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• Obadiah 1:12
  But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.But you should not gloat in that day, your brother’s day of misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast proudly in the day of their distress.
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• Psalm 35:15
  But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee; they gathered together against me. Assailants I did not know slandered me without ceasing.
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Harm falls back on the plotter

• Psalm 7:14-16
  ¹⁴Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.Behold, the wicked man travails with evil; he conceives trouble and births falsehood. ¹⁵He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making. ¹⁶His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.
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• Psalm 9:15
  The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.The nations have fallen into a pit of their making; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
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• Psalm 57:6
  They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.They spread a net for my feet; my soul was despondent. They dug a pit before me, but they themselves have fallen into it! Selah
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• Proverbs 26:27
  Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.
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• Proverbs 11:27
  He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him.He who searches out good finds favor, but evil will come to him who seeks it.
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• Esther 7:10
  So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the fury of the king subsided.
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Good for evil

• Romans 12:17
  Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.
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• Romans 12:20-21
  ²⁰Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
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• 1 Peter 3:9
  Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.Do 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.
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• Matthew 5:44
  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
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• 1 Thessalonians 5:15
  See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.Make sure that no one repays evil for evil. Always pursue what is good for one another and for all people.
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See also

• Hate
• Revenge
• Bitterness
• Enemies
• False accusation
• Mockery

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.