If you are looking for Bible verses about forgiving others, this list gives you passages that speak to the moment when someone has hurt you and you are trying to decide what to do with that hurt. It is written for anyone who wants to understand what Scripture asks of them and find words to hold onto while they work through it. The verses here share a common thread: forgiveness is rooted in how God has first forgiven us, and it is something we practice over time rather than a feeling we must manufacture on command.
Verses for When Forgiveness Feels Impossible
Some wounds are deep enough that forgiving feels like a demand you cannot meet. The passages in this group do not pretend the hurt is small. They point you back to the source of forgiveness and remind you that the strength to release someone comes from outside your own resources.
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 forgiveness directly to what God has done in Christ. Try reading this verse slowly before a difficult conversation, then name one specific way you can show kindness to the person who hurt you that day, even if it is only a civil word or a refusal to speak about them unkindly.
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 makes forgiveness of others a visible mark of a heart that has received forgiveness itself. Notice how this passage challenges you to examine your own attitude, not to earn God’s pardon. Write the name of the person you are struggling with and pray over it, asking God to soften what has hardened in 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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This verse holds two things together: bearing with one another and forgiving as the Lord forgave you. You can carry both by admitting the offense plainly to God, then choosing not to bring it up again in your own thoughts when it resurfaces during the week.
Verses on the Forgiveness God Gives Us
Our ability to forgive others rests on a prior truth: God has forgiven us. These verses describe the depth and generosity of that forgiveness, and they give you a settled place to stand when you are asked to offer the same grace to someone else.
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 uses the image of distance to show how completely God removes our sins. When you replay an old hurt, remind yourself that God has put your failures far away, and ask whether you are still keeping a record that He has already closed.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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John links confession with God’s faithfulness and justice in forgiving us. Practice this as a daily rhythm: confess your own sins in the morning, then ask God to help you extend to others the same honest, unhurried mercy you have received.
Micah 7:18-19
18 Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn’t retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness. 19 He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
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Micah describes a God who delights in mercy and who casts sins into the depths of the sea. Let that picture guide you when you are tempted to rehearse someone’s failure. Picture the hurt being set down rather than picked up again each evening.
Verses for Ongoing Relationships and Repeated Hurts
Forgiveness is not always a single event. Sometimes the same person hurts you again, or the damage shapes a relationship for years. These passages speak to forgiveness as a continuing practice, marked by patience and a willingness to start again.
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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When Peter asks how many times he must forgive, Jesus answers with a number that signals no limit. If you have forgiven someone before and find yourself back at the same wound, take that as a sign to renew your commitment, not proof that you failed.
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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Jesus calls for honest rebuke followed by forgiveness when someone repents. Consider whether a direct, gentle conversation is needed before you can truly release the offense, and if it is, ask God for the wisdom and tone to speak truthfully and without contempt.
Proverbs 19:11
The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger. It is his glory to overlook an offense.
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Proverbs observes that good sense makes a person slow to anger, and that overlooking an offense is a kind of honor. Before responding to a fresh irritation, pause long enough to decide whether this is a matter to let pass, and choose the response that protects both peace and truth.
Verses for Quiet Moments of Release
Forgiveness often needs to be practiced in ordinary moments, when the memory surfaces unexpectedly or when you lie awake at night. These verses are short enough to hold in your mind and return to whenever old resentment rises.
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. When you feel the urge to get even, name that urge to God, then place the outcome in His hands so that you are not left carrying the job of repayment yourself.
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 links forgiving others with prayer itself. Before you bring a request to God, check whether there is someone you still need to release, and speak that name aloud as part of your prayer time.
Psalm 86:5
For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive; abundant in loving kindness to all those who call on you.
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The psalmist calls God good, ready to forgive, and abounding in steadfast love. Use this verse as a reminder of His character when you feel tempted to withhold mercy, and let His readiness to forgive become the model you look toward.
Lamentations 3:22-23
22 It is because of the LORD’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. 23 They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
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Even in grief, Jeremiah points to the steadfast love and faithfulness of the Lord that is new every morning. When yesterday’s hurt is still heavy, start the day by asking God for fresh mercy, both for yourself and for the one who wronged you.
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 warns against letting anger linger until it gives the enemy room. Try to address resentment before the day ends, whether through a short prayer, an honest word to the person involved, or a deliberate decision to set the matter down for the night.
How to Use These Verses
Write the verses that speak most to you on a card or in a notes app, and place them where you will see them during the hardest parts of your day, such as the commute, the kitchen sink, or the moment before you check your phone at night. Reading them aloud can help them settle more deeply than reading silently, especially when your emotions are running high.
Pray through the passages rather than simply reading them. Choose one verse each week, read it at the start of your prayer time, and then name the person you are working to forgive. Ask God to show you the next small step, whether that is a prayer for their wellbeing, a letter you may never send, or a conversation you need to have with a trusted friend or pastor.
A Short Prayer for Forgiving Others
Lord, you have forgiven me in ways I could never earn, and I come to you aware of how much I need that grace today. Some hurts are still tender in my heart, and I confess that I have held on to them longer than I should. Help me remember the mercy you have shown me, and give me the willingness to release the person who wronged me into your hands.
Where bitterness has taken root, loosen its grip. Where I have been tempted to keep score, teach me to trust your justice and your timing. Give me patience for the process, honesty about what I feel, and the courage to take the next step toward peace. Amen.
