This page gives you King James Version Bible verses about compassion, arranged by the situations where tenderness is hardest to show: a difficult morning, a person who has wronged you, a neighbor in need, and the quiet work of everyday kindness. It is written for anyone who wants Scripture to shape how they see and respond to others. Each group of verses comes from a different part of the Bible, yet they share one picture of God, who notices suffering and moves toward it with mercy.
Verses for Seeing Others the Way God Sees Them
Compassion starts with noticing. These verses describe God’s own heart toward people who are weary, lost or overlooked, and they invite you to let that same attention shape your eyes at the start of a day.
Matthew 9:36
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
(KJV)
Jesus looked at a crowd and saw people who were worn out and without direction. Before you hurry past the person at the checkout or the coworker who seems quiet, pause and ask what might be weighing on them. One honest question is often the first act of compassion.
Lamentations 3:22-23
22 It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
(KJV)
The writer of Lamentations found mercy in the middle of ruin, because God’s compassions do not run out. When your own patience is thin, remind yourself that you are receiving fresh mercy each morning, and let that remembered gift soften how you treat someone else today.
Psalm 103:13
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
(KJV)
The psalmist compares God’s pity for His people to a father’s tenderness toward his children. Think of one person who is struggling to live up to what they should be. Consider how a parent would respond to a child who has fallen short, and offer that same patient understanding.
Verses for When Someone Has Hurt You
Compassion is tested most sharply when the person in need is also the one who caused the harm. These verses speak to forgiveness that flows from being forgiven, and to kindness offered even when it is not deserved.
Ephesians 4:32
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
(KJV)
Paul ties tenderheartedness and forgiveness to the forgiveness you have already received. When an old wound resurfaces, name the specific offense, then name the specific mercy God has shown you. Let the second guide your next words to the person who hurt you.
Colossians 3:12-13
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
(KJV)
This passage lists the clothing of a believer: kindness, humility, meekness and patience, worn together and put on on purpose. Before a difficult conversation, choose one of these qualities and decide in advance how you will express it, whether that is a gentle tone or a willingness to let a small slight go.
Luke 6:36
Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
(KJV)
Jesus sets God’s mercy as the standard for His followers, asking them to be merciful as their Father is merciful. Measure your response not by what the other person has earned but by how generously you have been treated. Write down one area where you have been holding back, and take one small step toward generosity there this week.
Verses for Caring for Neighbors in Need
Compassion does not stop at feelings. These passages call you to act, to share what you have and to stand with people who lack food, safety or friendship. They show that mercy becomes real through concrete help.
1 John 3:17-18
17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
(KJV)
John links love for others with practical generosity, and he warns against words that never turn into deeds. Look at your own resources, your time, money or skills, and identify one need you could meet this week. Then do it, rather than only saying you care.
Isaiah 58:10
And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday…
(KJV)
Isaiah describes a people who give themselves to the hungry and the afflicted, and he promises that their own darkness will become like noon. Think about how you might make room for someone in your household or community who is going without. Even a shared meal can open a door to lasting help.
Proverbs 19:17
He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD ; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
(KJV)
The proverb says that kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, who will repay it. Practice this by giving quietly, without needing recognition. Keep a small amount of money or a few groceries ready so that when you meet someone in need, you can respond without delay.
Verses for the Everyday Work of Kindness
Most compassion is ordinary: a phone call, a patient listen, a word of encouragement at the right moment. These verses encourage you to see small acts as meaningful before God and to let kindness become a habit.
Micah 6:8
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
(KJV)
Micah sums up what the LORD requires in three parts: doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly with God. Choose one ordinary relationship this week, perhaps with a family member or neighbor, and ask how you might show mercy in that setting without pretending to be better than anyone else.
Philippians 2:3-4
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
(KJV)
Paul asks believers to look not only to their own interests but also to the interests of others. Before you respond to a request or a complaint, pause long enough to consider what the other person needs. This small shift often changes the whole tone of an exchange.
1 Peter 3:8
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous…
(KJV)
Peter urges believers to be of one mind, compassionate and courteous toward one another. At the end of a long day, consider whether your words to your family have been tender or sharp. Offer one honest apology or one warm affirmation before bed.
How to Use These Verses
Write the verses you find most challenging on an index card or a note on your phone, and keep them where you will see them: on the bathroom mirror, by the coffee maker, or as the lock screen on your phone. Choose one verse each week and read it slowly at least once a day. Ask God to show you where it applies, and notice the moments when you are more inclined to judge than to help.
Pray these verses rather than only reading them. Turn a verse into a request, such as asking God to give you His tender heart toward a specific person. Revisit the same verse on a difficult day and notice what has changed in your attitude. Over time, the words of Scripture become familiar enough to guide your instincts when a neighbor, friend or stranger needs your mercy.
A Short Prayer for Compassion
Father, thank You for the mercy You show me every morning, even when I have not earned it. Open my eyes to the people around me who are tired, hurting or lonely, and make me willing to stop and listen. When someone has wronged me, help me remember how much I have been forgiven, and give me the patience to respond with kindness rather than resentment.
Soften the parts of my heart that have grown hard or distracted. Show me one practical way to help someone this week, and give me the courage to act on it. Let my ordinary words and small acts reflect Your compassion, so that others might see something of You in the way I treat them. Amen.
