Bible Verses About Cursing

What does the Bible say about cursing?

In today’s culture cussing is normal. People cuss when they’re happy and excited. People cuss when they’re mad and even when they’re sad. Even though the world throws curse words around like it’s nothing, Christians are to be set apart. We are not to imitate the world and the way the people of the world communicate with each other.

We must be careful not to think upon curse words towards others. Those words we call someone in our minds when they do something we don’t like.

When thoughts like these pop up we are to rebuke the devil and discard them instead of dwelling on them. Cursing is a sin.

It doesn’t matter if it’s intended for someone or not it’s still sinful. Think about it!

With our mouth’s we worship the Lord daily. How can we then use our mouth to say f-bombs and other profanity? Swearing reveals a wicked heart. A true Christian will bear fruits of repentance.

They won’t continue to use their tongue for evil. Words are powerful. Scripture tells us we will be judged for every idle word. We all have fallen short in this category.

It gives us a great comfort that Jesus bore our sins on His back. Through Him we are forgiven. Repentance is a result of our faith in Jesus Christ. We must allow our speech to reflect our appreciation for the great price that was paid for us on the cross. These cursing verses include translations on KJV, ESV, NIV, NASB, and more.

Christen quotes about cursing

“The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low that every person of sense and character detests and despises it.”  George Washington

The words you speak become the house you live in. — Hafiz

“The tongue is you in a unique way. It is the tattletale on the heart and discloses the real person. Not only that, but misuse of the tongue is perhaps the easiest way to sin. There are some sins that an individual may not be able to commit simply because he does not have the opportunity. But there are no limits to what one can say, no built-in restraints or boundaries. In Scripture, the tongue is variously described as wicked, blasphemous, foolish, boasting, complaining, cursing, contentious, sensual and vile. And that list is not exhaustive. No wonder God put the tongue in a cage behind the teeth, walled in by the mouth!” John MacArthur

“Profanity is wrong not simply because it shocks or disgusts, but at a much deeper level, profanity is wrong because it trashes that which God has declared to be holy and good and beautiful.” Ray Pritchard

Bible verses about cuss words and swearing

1. Romans 3:13-14 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

2. James 1:26 If a person thinks that he is religious but can’t control his tongue, he is fooling himself. That person’s religion is worthless.

3. Ephesians 4:29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

4. Psalm 39:1 For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of David. I said to myself, “I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me.”

5. Psalm 34:13-14 Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

6. Proverbs 21:23  Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.

7. Matthew 12:35-36 Good people do the good things that are in them. But evil people do the evil things that are in them. “I can guarantee that on judgment day people will have to give an account of every careless word they say.

8. Proverbs 4:24 Remove perverse speech from your mouth; keep devious talk far from your lips.

9. Ephesians 5:4 “and there must be no filthiness or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.”

10. Colossians 3:8 “But now you also put off all these things: anger, rage, malice, slander, foul language out of your mouth.”

We must guard our heart and lips

11. Matthew 15:18-19 But whatever goes out of the mouth comes from within, and that’s what makes a person unclean. Evil thoughts, murder, adultery, [other] sexual sins, stealing, lying, and cursing come from within.

12. Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”

13. Matthew 12:34 “You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

14. Psalm 141:3 “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips [to keep me from speaking thoughtlessly].”

How can we praise a holy God with our mouth, then use it for profanity and bad language?

15. James 3:9-11 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.  And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.

Praying for help with profanity.

16. Psalm 141:1-3 O Lord, I cry out to you, “Come quickly.” Open your ears to me when I cry out to you. Let my prayer be accepted as sweet-smelling incense in your presence. Let the lifting up of my hands in prayer be accepted as an evening sacrifice. O Lord, set a guard at my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips.

The things we watch and listen to does indeed trigger bad language.

If we are listening to devilish music and watching movies with a lot of profanity we will be wrongly influenced.

17. Ecclesiastes 7:5 It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools.

18. Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.

19. Colossians 3:2 Keep your mind on things above, not on worldly things.

20. Colossians 3:5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Be careful who you hang around with.

If you’re not careful you can pick up on unwholesome speech.

21. Proverbs 6:27 Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned?

Reminders

22. Jeremiah 10:2 This is what the LORD says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them.

23. Colossians 1:10 So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

24. Ephesians 4:24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God–truly righteous and holy.

25. Proverbs 16:23 “The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent, and their lips promote instruction.”

When someone curses at you do not seek revenge.

26. Luke 6:28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

27. Ephesians 4:26-27 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.

28. Romans 12:14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.

Examples of cursing in the Bible

29. Psalm 10:7-8 His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness. He sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the hiding places he kills the innocent; His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate.

30. Psalm 36:3 The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good.

31. Psalm 59:12 Because of the sinful things they say, because of the evil that is on their lips, let them be captured by their pride, their curses, and their lies.

32. 2 Samuel 16:10 “But the king said, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?”

33. Job 3:8 “Let those who are experts at cursing— whose cursing could rouse Leviathan— curse that day.”

34. Ecclesiastes 10:20 “Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say.”

35. Psalm 109:17 “He loved to pronounce a curse— may it come back on him. He found no pleasure in blessing— may it be far from him.”

36. Malachi 2:2 “If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor my name,” says the LORD Almighty, “I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me.”

37. Psalm 109:18 “Cursing is as natural to him as his clothing, or the water he drinks, or the rich food he eats.”

38. Genesis 27:29 “May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.”

39. Leviticus 20:9 “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death. Because they have cursed their father or mother, their blood will be on their own head.”

40. 1 Kings 2:8 “And remember Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin. He cursed me with a terrible curse as I was fleeing to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I swore by the LORD that I would not kill him.”