Proverbs 25:21

THE MESSAGE

If you see your enemy hungry, go buy him lunch; if he's thirsty, bring him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness, and God will look after you.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat,and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

Hebrew Names Version
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; If he is thirsty, give him water to drink:

King James Version
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

English Standard Version
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,

New American Standard Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

New Century Version
If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink.

Amplified Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

World English Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; If he is thirsty, give him water to drink:

Geneva Bible (1587)
If hee that hateth thee be hungry, giue him bread to eate, and if he be thirstie, giue him water to drinke.

Legacy Standard Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

Berean Standard Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

Contemporary English Version
If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat. And if they are thirsty, give them something to drink.

Complete Jewish Bible
If someone who hates you is hungry, give him food to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

Darby Translation
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

Easy-to-Read Version
If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat. If they are thirsty, give them some water.

George Lamsa Translation
If your enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink;

Good News Translation
If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink.

Lexham English Bible
If your enemy is hungry, feed him bread, and if thirsty, let him drink water.

Literal Translation
If one hating you is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf thine enemie honger, fede him: yf he thyrst, geue him drynke:

American Standard Version
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

Bible in Basic English
If your hater is in need of food, give him bread; and if he is in need of drink, give him water:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink;

King James Version (1611)
If thine enemie be hungry, giue him bread to eate: and if hee be thirstie, giue him water to drinke.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
If thyne enemie hunger, feede hym, if he thirst, geue him drinke:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
By three thing the earth is troubled, and the fourth it cannot bear:

English Revised Version
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If thin enemy hungrith, feede thou him; if he thirstith, yyue thou watir to hym to drinke;

Update Bible Version
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink:

Webster's Bible Translation
If thy enemy shall hunger, give him bread to eat; and if he shall thirst, give him water to drink:

New English Translation
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,

New King James Version
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

New Living Translation
If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink.

New Life Bible
If the one who hates you is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him water.

New Revised Standard
If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat; and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If he that hateth thee hunger, give him bread to eat, and, if he be thirsty, give him water to drink;

Douay-Rheims Bible
If thy enemy be hungry, give him to eat: if he thirst, give him water to drink:

Revised Standard Version
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

Young's Literal Translation
If he who is hating thee doth hunger, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirst, cause him to drink water.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

Contextual Overview

²¹If you see your enemy hungry, go buy him lunch; if he's thirsty, bring him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness, and God will look after you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 24:17, Exodus 23:4, Exodus 23:5, Matthew 5:44, Luke 10:33-36, Romans 12:20, Romans 12:21

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 24:19 - the Lord 1 Samuel 30:11 - gave him 2 Kings 6:22 - set bread 2 Kings 6:23 - he prepared 2 Chronicles 28:15 - gave them Job 24:23 - yet his eyes Proverbs 19:11 - and Proverbs 24:29 - Say Isaiah 21:14 - brought Isaiah 58:7 - to deal Ezekiel 18:16 - but hath Matthew 25:35 - thirsty Luke 6:27 - Love Luke 10:34 - went 1 Thessalonians 5:15 - none

Cross-References

Genesis 11:30
Sarai was barren; she had no children.

Genesis 25:3
Jokshan had Sheba and Dedan. Dedan's descendants were the Asshurim, the Letushim, and the Leummim.

Genesis 25:12
This is the family tree of Ishmael son of Abraham, the son that Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's maid, bore to Abraham.

Genesis 25:19
This is the family tree of Isaac son of Abraham: Abraham had Isaac. Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan Aram. She was the sister of Laban the Aramean.

1 Samuel 1:27
Hannah Pours Out Her Heart to God There once was a man who lived in Ramathaim. He was descended from the old Zuph family in the Ephraim hills. His name was Elkanah. (He was connected with the Zuphs from Ephraim through his father Jeroham, his grandfather Elihu, and his great-grandfather Tohu.) He had two wives. The first was Hannah; the second was Peninnah. Peninnah had children; Hannah did not. Every year this man went from his hometown up to Shiloh to worship and offer a sacrifice to God -of-the-Angel-Armies. Eli and his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, served as the priests of God there. When Elkanah sacrificed, he passed helpings from the sacrificial meal around to his wife Peninnah and all her children, but he always gave an especially generous helping to Hannah because he loved her so much, and because God had not given her children. But her rival wife taunted her cruelly, rubbing it in and never letting her forget that God had not given her children. This went on year after year. Every time she went to the sanctuary of God she could expect to be taunted. Hannah was reduced to tears and had no appetite. Her husband Elkanah said, "Oh, Hannah, why are you crying? Why aren't you eating? And why are you so upset? Am I not of more worth to you than ten sons?" So Hannah ate. Then she pulled herself together, slipped away quietly, and entered the sanctuary. The priest Eli was on duty at the entrance to God 's Temple in the customary seat. Crushed in soul, Hannah prayed to God and cried and cried—inconsolably. Then she made a vow: Oh, God -of-the-Angel-Armies, If you'll take a good, hard look at my pain, If you'll quit neglecting me and go into action for me By giving me a son, I'll give him completely, unreservedly to you. I'll set him apart for a life of holy discipline. It so happened that as she continued in prayer before God , Eli was watching her closely. Hannah was praying in her heart, silently. Her lips moved, but no sound was heard. Eli jumped to the conclusion that she was drunk. He approached her and said, "You're drunk! How long do you plan to keep this up? Sober up, woman!" Hannah said, "Oh no, sir—please! I'm a woman hard used. I haven't been drinking. Not a drop of wine or beer. The only thing I've been pouring out is my heart, pouring it out to God . Don't for a minute think I'm a bad woman. It's because I'm so desperately unhappy and in such pain that I've stayed here so long." Eli answered her, "Go in peace. And may the God of Israel give you what you have asked of him." "Think well of me—and pray for me!" she said, and went her way. Then she ate heartily, her face radiant. Up before dawn, they worshiped God and returned home to Ramah. Elkanah slept with Hannah his wife, and God began making the necessary arrangements in response to what she had asked. Before the year was out, Hannah had conceived and given birth to a son. She named him Samuel, explaining, "I asked God for him." When Elkanah next took his family on their annual trip to Shiloh to worship God , offering sacrifices and keeping his vow, Hannah didn't go. She told her husband, "After the child is weaned, I'll bring him myself and present him before God —and that's where he'll stay, for good." Elkanah said to his wife, "Do what you think is best. Stay home until you have weaned him. Yes! Let God complete what he has begun!" So she did. She stayed home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. Then she took him up to Shiloh, bringing also the makings of a generous sacrificial meal—a prize bull, flour, and wine. The child was so young to be sent off! They first butchered the bull, then brought the child to Eli. Hannah said, "Excuse me, sir. Would you believe that I'm the very woman who was standing before you at this very spot, praying to God ? I prayed for this child, and God gave me what I asked for. And now I have dedicated him to God . He's dedicated to God for life." Then and there, they worshiped God .

Ezra 8:23
So we fasted and prayed about these concerns. And he listened.

Psalms 127:3
Don't you see that children are God 's best gift? the fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior's fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don't stand a chance against you; you'll sweep them right off your doorstep.

Psalms 145:19
He does what's best for those who fear him— hears them call out, and saves them.

Proverbs 10:24
The nightmares of the wicked come true; what the good people desire, they get.

Isaiah 45:11
Thus God , The Holy of Israel, Israel's Maker, says: "Do you question who or what I'm making? Are you telling me what I can or cannot do? I made earth, and I created man and woman to live on it. I handcrafted the skies and direct all the constellations in their turnings. And now I've got Cyrus on the move. I've rolled out the red carpet before him. He will build my city. He will bring home my exiles. I didn't hire him to do this. I told him. I, God -of-the-Angel-Armies."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat,.... Which includes all manner of food; whatever persons may have in their houses, that they should bring out and feed the hungry with, even though an enemy;

and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink; which was what was usually and in common drank in those countries. These two, bread and water, take in all the necessaries of life; and giving them is expressive of all acts of beneficence and humanity to be performed to enemies; see 2 Kings 6:22; or "drink to him", so Pagninus and Montanus; which is still more expressive of respect and kindness.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A precept reproduced by Paul Romans 12:20; the second clause of which seems at first sight to suggest a motive incompatible with a true charity. Leviticus 16:12 suggests an explanation. The high priest on the Day of Atonement was to take his censer, to fill it with “coals of fire,” and then to put the incense thereon for a sweet-smelling savor. So it is here. The first emotion in another caused by the good done to him may be one of burning shame, but the shame will do its work and the heart also will burn, and prayer and confession and thanksgiving will rise as incense to the throne of God. Thus, “we shall overcome evil with good.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 25:21. If thine enemy be hungry — See this and the next verse explained, Romans 12:20.