Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
You do not have to get even. Leaving justice in God’s hands is part of forgiving.
Mark 11:25
Mark 11:25
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
When you pray, forgive what you hold against anyone, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you too. Forgiving can take time, and it never means accepting harm.
KJVMark 11:25 in context
22And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 25And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. 27And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders, 28And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?
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Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Peter asks if seven times is enough; Jesus answers seventy times seven: forgiveness that stops counting. It is not a call to stay where you are being hurt.
The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.
Patience slows anger, and letting a wrong go can be a kind of glory.
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Jesus’ words right after the Lord’s Prayer: receiving God’s forgiveness and forgiving others belong together. Forgiving often takes time, and it never means accepting harm.