This list gives you Bible passages about forgiving others, grouped by the situations where forgiveness is hardest to offer: the hurt that still stings, the apology that never came, and the relationship you want to repair. It is written for anyone who knows they should forgive but does not yet feel able to.
These verses share one core conviction: forgiveness is rooted in how God has first forgiven us. Scripture rarely treats forgiving others as a feeling you must manufacture. It treats it as a response you choose, again and again, in dependence on God.
Verses for the Hurt That Still Stings
Some wounds are fresh and some have been carried for years. These passages speak to the moment when you have been wronged and the anger has not yet loosened its grip.
Ephesians 4:32
And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
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Paul ties kindness and tenderheartedness directly to forgiveness, and he grounds both in God’s forgiveness of you in Christ. Try naming one specific way God has forgiven you this week, then let that memory shape how you respond to the person who hurt you.
Colossians 3:13
Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.
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Here forgiveness is set alongside bearing with one another, which means patience is part of the work, not a shortcut past it. When the urge to rehearse the offense returns, pause and tell yourself that you are choosing to bear with them rather than settle the score.
Matthew 6:14-15
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
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Jesus links our forgiveness of others to our own standing before the Father, which is a sobering truth. It also keeps the stakes clear, so consider writing the name of the person you are struggling to forgive on a card and praying for them by name each morning.
Verses for the Apology That Never Came
Often the person who wronged you never says sorry, and you are left holding the account alone. These passages help you forgive without waiting for an admission that may never arrive.
Mark 11:25
Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions.
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Jesus speaks of forgiveness as something you do while standing in prayer, not as a reward for an apology received. Before you pray tonight, name the offense out loud and release it to God, even if it feels incomplete.
Luke 17:3-4
3 Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
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This passage pairs rebuke with forgiveness and includes the repentant person’s words, so it speaks to real reconciliation. If the other person has not repented, you can still hold the attitude of forgiveness in your heart while deciding wisely how much access they have to you.
Romans 12:19
Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.”
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Paul reminds believers that vengeance belongs to God, which frees you from having to deliver justice yourself. When you feel the pull to make someone pay, tell God plainly that you are handing the judgment to Him.
Verses for Repairing a Broken Relationship
Forgiveness and reconciliation are related but not identical. These passages address the harder work of restoring trust, which often begins with a humble step toward the other person.
Matthew 18:21-22
21 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven.
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Peter asks how many times he must forgive, and Jesus answers with a number that signals no ceiling. Notice the next time you feel you have forgiven enough, and let that feeling prompt you to keep returning to grace.
Matthew 5:23-24
23 “If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
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Jesus says to leave your gift at the altar and first go be reconciled to your brother or sister. Consider whether there is a message you could send this week, even a short one, that opens the door to restoration.
Proverbs 17:9
He who covers an offense promotes love; but he who repeats a matter separates best friends.
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This proverb contrasts the one who covers an offense with the one who keeps bringing it up, which divides close friends. Ask yourself whether you have been covering the offense in love or repeatedly exposing it, and choose the path that builds up the relationship.
Verses for Ordinary Days of Forgiving
Forgiveness is not only for dramatic betrayals. These passages fit the small irritations, the careless words, and the daily frictions of family, work and church life.
Ephesians 4:26-27
26 “Be angry, and don’t sin.” Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 and don’t give place to the devil.
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Paul allows for anger but warns against letting it settle into the night. If something bothered you at dinner, take a few minutes before bed to bring it to God and ask for the grace to let it go.
1 Peter 4:8
And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.
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Peter says love covers a multitude of sins, which describes the everyday choice to overlook minor wrongs. Pick one small irritation this week and decide to cover it in love rather than mention it.
Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
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The psalmist describes God removing our transgressions as far as east is from west, which is a vivid picture of complete removal. When a past offense resurfaces in your mind, remind yourself that God has put it far from Him, and you can release it too.
Luke 23:34
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.
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From the cross, Jesus asks the Father to forgive those who crucified Him, even while they were still acting in cruelty. Let this verse be the standard you look to when you find it hard to forgive, since it shows forgiveness offered in the middle of pain.
How to Use These Verses
Read the passages slowly, one or two at a time, rather than skimming the whole list. Write the verse you are working on in a notebook or on your phone, and return to it when the hurt resurfaces during the day.
Pray the verses back to God in your own words, naming the person and the offense as honestly as you can. Forgiveness often comes in stages, so expect to revisit the same passage several times as your heart catches up with what you have already decided.
A Short Prayer for Forgiving Others
Lord, You have forgiven me more than I can repay, and I bring You the people who have hurt me. I do not always feel willing, so I ask You to make my heart willing and to soften what has grown hard in me. Help me release my right to repayment and to trust You with justice. Where reconciliation is wise and possible, give me courage to take the first step. Thank You that Your mercy never runs out. Amen.
