If you are searching for Bible verses about friendship in the King James Version, this page gives you fifteen passages from Scripture, shown in the KJV, along with a short reflection on each one. It is written for anyone who wants to understand what God says about loyal, honest, and lasting friendship, whether you are looking for a companion, trying to be a better friend, or grieving someone you have lost. These verses share a common thread: they describe friendship as a bond of faithfulness, counsel, and sacrifice rather than convenience.
Verses on Loyalty in Hard Seasons
Friends are tested when circumstances turn difficult, and the Bible speaks plainly about who stays and why. The passages below look at steadfast love when life grows heavy and the people around you have less to give.
Proverbs 17:17
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
(KJV)
This verse describes a friend who loves at all times, including the hard ones. Think of one person who has been steady in your life and send them a message today to say you noticed. Loyalty is often shown in small, ordinary acts of staying close.
Ruth 1:16-17
16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
(KJV)
Ruth refuses to leave Naomi when leaving would have been easier and more expected. Her words are a model of commitment that chooses presence over self-protection. Consider whether there is a friend you have been tempted to step back from, and what it would look like to stay.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
(KJV)
The writer observes that two people working together get more done and are better able to recover when one falls. This is a practical truth about companionship as much as a spiritual one. Name one task or burden you could share with a friend this week instead of carrying it alone.
Verses on Honesty and Godly Counsel
A true friend is willing to speak truthfully, and to receive truth in return. These verses address the courage and humility that good friendship requires, and how speech can either build up or tear down.
Proverbs 27:17
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
(KJV)
Iron sharpens iron, and the image suggests friction that improves both people involved. Healthy friendships include honest conversation that makes each person more thoughtful. Pick one area where a trusted friend has seen growth in you, and thank them for the sharpening instead of resisting it.
Proverbs 27:6
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
(KJV)
The verse contrasts the wounds of a faithful friend with the flattery of an enemy. Honesty offered in love can sting, but it reflects real care. Ask yourself whether you have been avoiding a hard but needed conversation with someone you love.
Proverbs 18:24
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
(KJV)
This verse notes that some friends are unreliable, while one friend may stay closer than a brother. It encourages you to seek out and invest in those few relationships that prove durable. Write down the names of two or three people who have shown this kind of steadiness, and pray for them by name.
Verses on Love That Lays Down Its Life
At its deepest, friendship reflects self-giving love. The passages in this group describe the kind of love Jesus showed and invited his followers to share, a love measured by sacrifice rather than sentiment.
John 15:13
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
(KJV)
Jesus defines the greatest love in terms of laying down one’s life for one’s friends. The verse grounds friendship in something larger than mutual enjoyment. Consider one practical way you could put a friend’s needs ahead of your own comfort this week.
John 15:14-15
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
(KJV)
Here Jesus calls his disciples friends and says he has made known to them what he has heard from the Father. Friendship with Christ involves openness and shared understanding. Reflect on how you might share what you are learning from Scripture with a friend in a way that invites them closer.
1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
(KJV)
John ties love to the knowledge of God, insisting that love comes from him. This means our friendships can be shaped by his character rather than our moods. Before your next conversation with someone close to you, pause and ask God to fill you with love for them.
Verses on Encouragement and Shared Faith
The Christian life was never meant to be lived in isolation. These passages describe how believers strengthen one another, pray together, and remind each other of the hope they share.
Hebrews 10:24-25
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is ; but exhorting one another : and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
(KJV)
The writer urges believers to consider how to stir one another up to love and good works, and not to neglect meeting together. Encouragement is an active choice. Think of someone in your church or small group who could use a word of encouragement, and send it before the week ends.
Romans 12:10
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another…
(KJV)
Paul asks believers to be kindly affectionate toward one another and to prefer one another in honor. This verse turns friendship into a daily practice of putting others first. Try noticing one way you can honor a friend in a conversation today, even in a small detail.
Colossians 3:13
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)
Forbearance and forgiveness are part of lasting friendship, since everyone eventually disappoints someone. The verse points to forgiveness modeled on what we have received. Identify one offense you have been holding against a friend, and bring it to God in prayer.
Verses on Trust and Faithful Companionship
Friendship grows through reliability and sincerity over many years. These final verses look at trust as something built slowly and protected carefully.
Proverbs 22:24-25
24 Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: 25 Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.
(KJV)
This passage warns against forming close ties with people who are quick to anger, because their habits can become yours. Wise friendships shape us toward peace. Consider honestly which of your current relationships tend to draw out your best or your worst, and let that inform your time together.
Proverbs 13:20
He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
(KJV)
The verse observes that walking with the wise makes a person wise, while companions of fools suffer harm. Who we spend time with shapes who we become. Think about one habit you would like to grow in and whether a friend could help you develop it.
Philippians 2:4
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
(KJV)
Paul encourages believers to look not only on their own interests but also on the interests of others. Faithful friends watch out for one another in quiet, consistent ways. Try asking a friend this week what they are hoping for, then listen without steering the conversation back to yourself.
How to Use These Verses
Write the verses that speak most to you on a card or in the notes app on your phone, and keep them where you will see them during the week. Reading one passage each morning, before the day’s messages and obligations begin, gives the verse room to shape your attitude toward the people you will meet. Many readers find it helpful to choose a single verse and return to it for several days rather than moving quickly through the whole list.
These passages also work well as prayer. Read a verse, then pray for the specific friend it brings to mind, asking God to help you love them the way the verse describes. Consider sharing a verse with a friend when they are struggling, not as a lecture but as a simple sign that you are thinking of them and trust God with their situation.
A Short Prayer for Friendship
Lord, thank you for the friends you have given me, some who have stayed close through many seasons and some who came into my life only recently. Teach me to be faithful in the ordinary moments, to speak the truth with love, and to forgive quickly when I am hurt. Help me to see the people around me the way you see them, and to lay down my own comfort when someone needs me. Where there are friendships that have grown cold or strained, I ask you to restore what is broken, and where I have been the one to pull away, make me willing to return. Keep my heart open to the people you place in my path, and let my friendships point others toward your faithful love. Amen.
