Bible Verses About Curse
This collection includes 114 passages about Curse. Copy a verse or open its chapter for context.
This collection is a starting point, not a count of every relevant passage in the Bible.
And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
Reading context: Serpent is directly cursed by God; foundational curse narrative.
Scripture Passages
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Reading context: Ground is directly cursed because of Adam's sin; central curse text.
And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;
Reading context: Cain is directly cursed from the earth after Abel's blood; curse consequence.
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Reading context: Abrahamic promise includes blessing those who bless him and cursing those who curse him.
And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.
Reading context: Law declares whoever curses his God shall bear his sin; direct teaching on cursing God.
Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
Reading context: Balak asks Balaam to curse Israel, making this a direct setting for biblical curse language.
And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
Reading context: God explicitly forbids Balaam to curse Israel, since they are blessed.
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?
Reading context: Balaam declares he cannot curse whom God has not cursed, directly addressing the limits of cursing.
Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;
Reading context: Central declaration: the Lord sets before Israel blessing and curse, framing covenant obedience and disobedience.
And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
Reading context: Defines the curse as coming for disobedience and turning to other gods; directly about being cursed.
Nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee.
Reading context: God refused Balaam and turned the intended curse into a blessing.
Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Reading context: Explicit covenant curse formula; part of the curse list in Deuteronomy 27.
Cursed be he that lieth with his father’s wife; because he uncovereth his father’s skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Reading context: Explicit covenant curse formula; part of the curse list in Deuteronomy 27.
Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Reading context: Explicit covenant curse formula; part of the curse list in Deuteronomy 27.
Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Reading context: Explicit covenant curse formula; part of the curse list in Deuteronomy 27.
Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Reading context: Explicit covenant curse formula; part of the curse list in Deuteronomy 27.
Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Reading context: Explicit covenant curse formula; part of the curse list in Deuteronomy 27.
Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Reading context: Explicit covenant curse formula; part of the curse list in Deuteronomy 27.
Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Reading context: Explicit covenant curse formula; climactic curse for not confirming the law.
But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
Reading context: Introduces the covenant curses that will come and overtake Israel for not obeying the Lord.
Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:
Reading context: Says all these curses will pursue and overtake Israel for disobedience; directly summarizes covenant curse.
The Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven.
Reading context: All the curses written in the book will lie on the unrepentant man; explicit curse judgment.
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book:
Reading context: The Lord's anger brings upon the land all the curses written in the book; direct covenant curse language.
And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee,
Reading context: Recalls the blessing and curse set before Israel and the need to remember them in exile.
And the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.
Reading context: The Lord will put all these curses on Israel's enemies who persecuted them; explicit curse language.
And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
Reading context: Joshua pronounces an explicit curse on anyone rebuilding Jericho.
Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.
Reading context: The angel of the Lord commands a bitter curse on Meroz.
Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah:
Reading context: Explicitly announces all covenant curses written in the book coming on Judah for forsaking the Lord.
Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.
Reading context: Direct instruction not to curse the king or the rich, even inwardly.
Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.
Reading context: The Lord pronounces an explicit curse on the man who trusts in man.
Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.
Reading context: Jeremiah explicitly curses the day of his birth.
Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad.
Reading context: Jeremiah explicitly curses the man who brought birth news to his father.
For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.
Reading context: The Lord says the people will become a curse among the nations.
If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.
Reading context: God threatens to send a curse and curse their blessings because they do not heed; central curse.
Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
Reading context: Whole nation is cursed with a curse for robbing God in tithes and offerings; explicit curse.
Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
Reading context: Direct ethical command to bless persecutors and not curse.
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
Reading context: Those relying on works of law are under the curse; quotes the curse formula for failing all the law.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Reading context: Christ redeems from the law's curse by becoming a curse for us, citing 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.'
And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
Reading context: God promises not to curse the ground again; direct curse language in flood aftermath.
And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
Reading context: Noah pronounces a curse on Canaan after the incident with Ham.
My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
Reading context: Jacob fears bringing a curse on himself instead of blessing; direct curse/blessing contrast.
Read every passage in this collection (114)
Each reference opens its full verse with chapter context, saving and practice.
- Genesis 3:14
- Genesis 3:17
- Genesis 4:11
- Genesis 12:3
- Leviticus 24:15
- Numbers 22:6
- Numbers 22:12
- Numbers 23:8
- Deuteronomy 11:26
- Deuteronomy 11:28
- Deuteronomy 23:5
- Deuteronomy 27:19
- Deuteronomy 27:20
- Deuteronomy 27:21
- Deuteronomy 27:22
- Deuteronomy 27:23
- Deuteronomy 27:24
- Deuteronomy 27:25
- Deuteronomy 27:26
- Deuteronomy 28:15
- Deuteronomy 28:45
- Deuteronomy 29:20
- Deuteronomy 29:27
- Deuteronomy 30:1
- Deuteronomy 30:7
- Joshua 6:26
- Judges 5:23
- 2 Chronicles 34:24
- Ecclesiastes 10:20
- Jeremiah 17:5
- Jeremiah 20:14
- Jeremiah 20:15
- Jeremiah 42:18
- Malachi 2:2
- Malachi 3:9
- Romans 12:14
- Galatians 3:10
- Galatians 3:13
- Genesis 8:21
- Genesis 9:25
- Genesis 27:12
- Genesis 27:13
- Genesis 27:29
- Genesis 49:7
- Exodus 21:17
- Exodus 22:28
- Leviticus 19:14
- Leviticus 20:9
- Leviticus 24:11
- Leviticus 24:14
- Numbers 5:18
- Numbers 5:19
- Numbers 5:21
- Numbers 5:22
- Numbers 5:23
- Numbers 5:24
- Numbers 5:27
- Numbers 22:11
- Numbers 22:17
- Numbers 23:7
- Numbers 23:11
- Numbers 23:13
- Numbers 23:27
- Numbers 24:9
- Numbers 24:10
- Deuteronomy 11:29
- Deuteronomy 23:4
- Deuteronomy 27:13
- Deuteronomy 27:15
- Deuteronomy 27:16
- Deuteronomy 27:17
- Deuteronomy 27:18
- Deuteronomy 28:16
- Deuteronomy 28:17
- Deuteronomy 28:18
- Deuteronomy 28:19
- Deuteronomy 28:20
- Deuteronomy 29:19
- Deuteronomy 29:21
- Deuteronomy 30:19
- Joshua 6:18
- Joshua 7:12
- Joshua 9:23
- Joshua 24:9
- Judges 9:57
- Judges 21:18
- 1 Samuel 14:24
- 1 Samuel 14:28
- 1 Samuel 26:19
- 1 Kings 2:8
- Nehemiah 13:2
- Psalms 37:22
- Psalms 109:17
- Psalms 109:18
- Proverbs 3:33
- Isaiah 43:28
- Jeremiah 11:3
- Jeremiah 24:9
- Jeremiah 29:18
- Jeremiah 44:12
- Jeremiah 48:10
- Lamentations 3:65
- Zechariah 5:3
- Zechariah 8:13
- Malachi 1:14
- John 7:49
- Acts 23:14
- Romans 3:14
- Genesis 5:29
- Leviticus 24:23
- Numbers 23:25
- Deuteronomy 7:26
- Judges 9:27
- 1 Samuel 17:43
Reference selection. Read each chapter for context. About
These 114 English KJV passages were kept from 120 candidates after each was read with its neighbouring verses and checked for relevance to curse. Verses that only shared a word, or named a related but different thing, were left out. This is a machine-assisted selection, not every passage on the subject.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I start reading about curse?
114 KJV passages, each checked with its neighbouring verses for relevance to curse. Open chapter context, save a verse, or practise with it. Read the surrounding chapter to understand the speaker, audience, and setting before drawing a conclusion.
Does this collection include every relevant passage?
No. Each of these 114 passages was checked against its surrounding verses in a machine-assisted relevance review; verses that only shared a word or a related number were left out. Other passages may also speak to curse.
Which Bible version is quoted?
The version is shown on each verse card and included when you copy the quotation. Commentary is separate from the Bible text.