A-Z: Common sayings from the Bible: On one's own head

Usage

When one takes full responsibility for one's decisions, or receives the (unpleasant) results of one's actions.

Definition

The Psalmist rejoices in the justice of God, which means that people's tricks misfire. Paul's speech records his decision to preach to the Gentiles rather than to the Jews who have opposed and persecuted him.

Bible References

Psalms 7:16; Acts 18:6

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, ²lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver. ³O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, ⁴if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause, ⁵let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Selah ⁶Arise, O Lord, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment. ⁷Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you; over it return on high. ⁸The Lord judges the peoples; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me. ⁹Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous&emdash; you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God! ¹⁰My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. ¹¹God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. ¹²If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; ¹³he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts. ¹⁴Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. ¹⁵He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. ¹⁶His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends. ¹⁷I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

¹O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: ²Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver. ³O LORD my God, If I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; ⁴If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:) ⁵Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah. ⁶Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded. ⁷So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high. ⁸The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me. ⁹Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. ¹⁰My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart. ¹¹God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. ¹²If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. ¹³He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors. ¹⁴Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. ¹⁵He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. ¹⁶His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. ¹⁷I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. ²And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, ³and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. ⁴And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. ⁵When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. ⁶And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles. ⁷And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. ⁸Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. ⁹And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, ¹⁰for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people. ¹¹And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. ¹²But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, ¹³saying, This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law. ¹⁴But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. ¹⁵But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things. ¹⁶And he drove them from the tribunal. ¹⁷And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this. ¹⁸After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. ¹⁹And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. ²¹But on taking leave of them he said, I will return to you if God wills, and he set sail from Ephesus. ²²When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. ²³After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. ²⁴Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. ²⁵He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. ²⁶He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. ²⁷And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, ²⁸for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

¹After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; ²And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. ³And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. ⁴And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. ⁵And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. ⁶And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. ⁷And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. ⁸And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. ⁹Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: ¹⁰For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. ¹¹And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. ¹²And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, ¹³Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law. ¹⁴And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: ¹⁵But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters. ¹⁶And he drave them from the judgment seat. ¹⁷Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things. ¹⁸And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow. ¹⁹And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; ²¹But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus. ²²And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch. ²³And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples. ²⁴And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. ²⁵This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. ²⁶And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. ²⁷And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: ²⁸For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.

Scan and go

Scan on your mobile for direct link.