Bible Verses

The Best 50+ Bible Verses About Curses

Updated:
February 14, 2025
|
Author:
Joseph Cox

Ever wondered what the Bible says about curses? This article brings together 50 verses that explore this intense topic.

From ancient warnings to divine judgments, these verses offer a deep look into the concept of curses in the Bible. (Some might surprise you.)

50 Bible Verses About Curses

10 Bible Verses on Curses and Blessings

Deuteronomy 28:1-14
  • "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth." — Deuteronomy 28:1-14
  • "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you." — Deuteronomy 28:15-68
  • "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." — Galatians 3:13-14
  • "Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause shall not alight." — Proverbs 26:2
  • "Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it." — Numbers 23:20
  • "Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh." — James 3:10-12
  • "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it." — Malachi 3:10
  • "For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, but those cursed by Him shall be cut off." — Psalm 37:22
  • "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." — Ephesians 1:3
  • "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." — Matthew 5:44

10 Bible Verses on Breaking Generational Curses

Galatians 5:1
  • "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." — Galatians 5:1
  • "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!" — Ezekiel 18:30-32
  • "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." — 2 Corinthians 5:17
  • "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed." — Isaiah 53:5
  • "You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments." — Exodus 20:5-6
  • "In those days they shall say no more: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge." — Jeremiah 31:29-30
  • "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." — Romans 8:1-2
  • "But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them." — Psalm 103:17-18
  • "Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." — 1 Peter 1:18-19
  • "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." — Colossians 1:13-14

10 Bible Verses on Curses in the Old Testament

Deuteronomy 27:15-26
  • "Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret." — Deuteronomy 27:15-26
  • "But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it." — Leviticus 26:14-39
  • "You shall not permit a sorceress to live." — Exodus 22:18
  • "Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. And they shall be upon you for a sign and a wonder, and on your descendants forever." — Deuteronomy 28:45-46
  • "Then Joshua charged them at that time, saying, 'Cursed be the man before the Lord who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates.'" — Joshua 6:26
  • "Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his descendants forever. But upon David and his descendants, upon his house and his throne, there shall be peace forever from the Lord." — 1 Kings 2:33
  • "Because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath shall be aroused against this place and shall not be quenched." — 2 Kings 22:17
  • "Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left." — Isaiah 24:6
  • "Thus says the Lord: 'Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord.'" — Jeremiah 17:5
  • "Then he said to me, 'This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth: 'Every thief shall be expelled,' according to this side of the scroll; and, 'Every perjurer shall be expelled,' according to that side of it. I will send out the curse,' says the Lord of hosts; 'It shall enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name. It shall remain in the midst of his house and consume it, with its timber and stones.'" — Zechariah 5:3-4

10 Bible Verses on Spiritual Warfare Against Curses

Ephesians 6:12
  • "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." — Ephesians 6:12
  • "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." — 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
  • "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." — Luke 10:19
  • "And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen." — Romans 16:20
  • "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." — James 4:7
  • "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." — 1 John 4:4
  • "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." — Matthew 18:18
  • "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." — Revelation 12:11
  • "But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one." — 2 Thessalonians 3:3
  • "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." — Philippians 4:13

10 Bible Verses on Curses and Divine Justice

Psalm 37:28
  • "For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off." — Psalm 37:28
  • "No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord." — Isaiah 54:17
  • "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord." — Romans 12:19
  • "Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished; But the posterity of the righteous will be delivered." — Proverbs 11:21
  • "What do you conspire against the Lord? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time." — Nahum 1:9
  • "To crush under one’s feet All the prisoners of the earth, To turn aside the justice due a man Before the face of the Most High, Or subvert a man in his cause—The Lord does not approve." — Lamentations 3:34-36
  • "I will bear the indignation of the Lord, Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case And executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness." — Micah 7:9
  • "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." — Matthew 7:2
  • "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." — Revelation 20:10
  • "The Lord is known by the judgment He executes; The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah" — Psalm 9:16

What Does the Bible Say About Curses

The Bible has a lot to say about curses, and it’s not all doom and gloom. While the concept of curses can seem daunting, the scriptures offer a balanced view that includes hope and redemption. By understanding these teachings, we can find ways to apply them in our daily lives and seek a closer relationship with God.

One key theme is the connection between obedience and blessings. Verses like Deuteronomy 28:1-14 highlight that following God's commandments brings blessings, while disobedience leads to curses (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). This shows that our actions have consequences, but it also reassures us that we have the power to choose the path of blessing.

Another important theme is the breaking of generational curses. Scriptures such as Galatians 5:1 and 2 Corinthians 5:17 emphasize that through Christ, we can break free from the sins of our ancestors. This offers a message of hope and renewal, reminding us that we are not bound by the past and can start anew.

Spiritual warfare is also a significant theme. Verses like Ephesians 6:12 and 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 remind us that we are in a spiritual battle against dark forces. However, these scriptures also assure us that we have divine tools to overcome these challenges, encouraging us to stay strong in our faith.

Lastly, the Bible speaks about divine justice. Verses such as Psalm 37:28 and Romans 12:19 show that God is just and will ultimately right all wrongs. This reassures us that even when we face injustice, God is in control and will bring about justice in His time.

How to Apply These Bible Verses About Curses

Applying Bible teachings about curses to daily life can bring profound changes. These verses offer guidance on how to live a life aligned with God's will, leading to blessings and spiritual growth.

Here are some practical steps to incorporate these teachings:

  • Daily Prayer: Start your day with a prayer asking for guidance and protection from negative influences.
  • Obedience to God's Commandments: Make a conscious effort to follow God's commandments in your actions and decisions.
  • Forgiveness and Repentance: Regularly seek forgiveness for your sins and forgive others to break any generational curses.
  • Community Involvement: Join a faith-based community group to support and encourage each other in living out these principles.
  • Positive Affirmations: Speak blessings over your life and the lives of others, countering any negative words or thoughts.

Remember, God is always with you, and your faith can transform your life. Trust in His promises and stay committed to these practices.

For more prayers and Bible verses, visit PrayersFor or try our Bible Verse Generator to deepen your understanding and faith.

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