Vengeance is: punishment given in retaliation for an injury or offense. It is "getting even" taking an eye for an eye. In addition to the natural urge to be vindictive and get even, in some cultures vengeance is a matter of family duty in which the honor of the individual is at stake.  Cultures where this may be found include Spanish, African and Oriental.

In the Old Testament the statute of taking an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth was not a ticket for revenge, but a legal limit to prevent people in anger from going far beyond. The New Testament is extremely clear that for believers in Jesus , who have themselves experenced the unmerited forgiveness and love of God, vengeance is not to be sought nor desired.  Good is to overcome evil, forgiveness is to bridge  broken relationships, and love(even for the enemy) is to follow the patternof our Lord and demonstrate to the world the newness of life in Christ(Matt. 5:38-48).