Exodus 22:21
“Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.”
Leviticus 19:13
“Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.”
Proverbs 14:21
“Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.”
Proverbs 22:22-23
“Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the Lord will take up their case and will exact life for life.”
Isaiah 1:17
“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”
Jeremiah 22:3
“This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.”
Ezekiel 22:29
“The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice.”
Micah 2:1-2
“Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it. They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud people of their homes, they rob them of their inheritance.”
Zephaniah 3:1-4
“Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God. Her officials within her are roaring lions; her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning. Her prophets are unprincipled; they are treacherous people. Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law.”
Also Read: 40 Bible Verses About Talking Bad about Others
Malachi 3:5
“So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty.
Matthew 20:26-28
“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Luke 6:30
“Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.”
Romans 12:17-19
“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 6:7
“The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?”
Galatians 6:1
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”
Ephesians 4:28
“Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.”
Philippians 2:3-4
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
James 2:6
“But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?”
James 5:4-6
“Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.”
1 Peter 5:2-3
“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”
1 Peter 3:9
“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
1 John 3:17-18
“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
Deuteronomy 15:7-8
“If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need.”
Psalm 82:3-4
“Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
Proverbs 3:27-28
“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you’—when you already have it with you.”
Proverbs 19:17
“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”
Proverbs 28:27
“Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.”
Isaiah 58:6-7
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
Matthew 25:35-36
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Luke 14:12-14
“Then Jesus said to his host, ‘When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’”
Luke 12:33-34
“Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Acts 20:35
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Romans 13:10
“Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
2 Corinthians 8:9
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
2 Corinthians 9:6-7
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Galatians 5:13
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”
Ephesians 6:7-8
“Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.”
Colossians 3:23-24
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
1 Timothy 6:17-19
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
What Does the Bible Say About Being Taken Advantage of?
Throughout the Bible, we find practical wisdom and guidance on how to handle situations where we might be taken advantage of. While human nature may make us feel resentful or eager to seek revenge, Scripture points us towards a different path.
In the New Testament, particularly in Matthew 5:39, Jesus teaches us to “turn the other cheek.” This can initially seem like an invitation to passivity. However, it encourages us to respond to exploitation and unkindness with grace rather than retaliation. This principle is an expression of the love and forgiveness that lie at the heart of Christian faith.
Moreover, in Romans 12:19, we are reminded not to take revenge but to leave room for God’s wrath. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” This verse reassures us that justice is ultimately in God’s hands, not our own. It encourages us to release our immediate desire for retribution and trust in God’s perfect judgment.
In navigating relationships and interactions, the Book of Proverbs offers further wisdom. Proverbs 25:21-22 advises us to treat our enemies kindly, stating that doing so will “heap burning coals on their heads,” and the Lord will reward us. This metaphor speaks of the disarming effect of responding to unfair treatment with unexpected kindness, often leading to personal transformation and repentance in the offending party.
Paul, writing to the Corinthians, also addresses this issue when he speaks about lawsuits among believers in 1 Corinthians 6:7. He questions why believers are willing to wrong and cheat each other, and he challenges us to be willing to suffer wrong or be cheated rather than causing disputes among ourselves. This passage emphasizes humility and the importance of maintaining unity and peace within our communities.
Still, the Bible doesn’t advise us to be perpetual victims of exploitation. In Matthew 10:16, Jesus tells us to “be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” This suggests a balance—remaining pure in our intentions while being wise and discerning enough to avoid unnecessary harm.
In our journey to live according to biblical principles, we are called to embody forgiveness, wisdom, and trust in God’s justice. By turning the other cheek, leaving vengeance to the Lord, and treating our adversaries with unexpected kindness, we rise above the cycle of hurt and retaliation, reflecting the transformative love of Christ in our actions.