Bible verses about
Bible Verses About Forgiveness
Forgiveness is the subject where the verses are easy and the doing is not.
Most of what makes it hard is not confusion about the instruction. It is that the instruction seems to require pretending — that the thing was smaller than it was, or that the person has changed when she has not.
Read carefully, Scripture asks for neither. Twelve passages below, quoted in full in both translations. Two of them are frankly uncomfortable, and there is a note at the end about what forgiveness is not.
12 verses for when you need them
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32 ESVAnd be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32 KJVForgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. The pattern is given before the instruction — you are asked to pass on the shape of something you have already received rather than to invent generosity from nothing.
bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Colossians 3:13 ESVForbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Colossians 3:13 KJVForbearing one another, and forgiving one another. Forbearing is the unglamorous half: putting up with, in the meantime. The verse assumes an ongoing situation rather than a single clean act.
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6:14-15 ESVFor if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6:14-15 KJVThe hardest sentence on this page, and it sits inside the prayer Jesus taught. The two forgivenesses are linked, and the link does not loosen on a second reading.
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Matthew 18:21-22 ESVThen came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Matthew 18:21-22 KJVPeter offers seven, which was already generous by the standards of the day. The reply effectively removes the counter — which means the tally itself, not the number, is what is being addressed.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 ESVIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 KJVHe is faithful and just to forgive. Just is the surprising word: the forgiveness is described as a matter of God keeping his own commitments rather than of him being lenient.
as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:12 ESVAs far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:12 KJVAs far as the east is from the west. The measurement is deliberately the one that does not terminate — north and south meet at the poles; east and west never do.
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
Luke 23:34 ESVThen said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
Luke 23:34 KJVFather, forgive them; for they know not what they do. Said during the execution, about the people carrying it out. It is the highest possible bar and it is not offered as a technique — but it does settle whether forgiveness is possible before an apology.
Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
Micah 7:18-19 ESVWho is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
Micah 7:18-19 KJVHe delighteth in mercy — the verb is not resigned. And thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea, which is a picture of disposal rather than of storage.
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Mark 11:25 ESVAnd when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Mark 11:25 KJVAnd when ye stand praying, forgive. The instruction is placed at a specific moment, which makes it practical: the grudge is to be dealt with where it will otherwise sit, in the middle of prayer.
“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.
Isaiah 43:25 ESVI, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
Isaiah 43:25 KJVI, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake. For mine own sake is the striking phrase — the motive named is God's, not your improvement, which removes the pressure to have earned it.
Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Luke 17:3-4 ESVTake heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
Luke 17:3-4 KJVThe one that includes rebuke. If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. Naming the wrong is not treated as incompatible with forgiving it — the two sit in the same sentence.
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Romans 12:18 ESVIf it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Romans 12:18 KJVIf it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all. Two qualifiers in one short verse, and both are honest: Paul concedes it may not be possible and that the other party has a vote. Your obligation stops at your own conduct.
Two of these are hard in different ways.
Matthew 6:14-15 is hard because of what it links. Forgiveness received and forgiveness given are tied together in the prayer Jesus taught, and the sentence does not soften on a second reading.
Matthew 18:21-22 is hard because of the arithmetic. Peter offers seven, which was generous; the answer effectively removes the counter. If you are keeping a tally, the tally is the thing being addressed.
But notice what none of these say. Not one asks you to decide the offence was small. Not one requires that the other person has changed, apologised, or is safe to be near. Forgiveness in these verses is about releasing a debt, not about restoring access — and Romans 12:18 concedes outright that peace with someone may not be possible.
If you are somewhere genuinely unsafe, forgiveness and reconciliation are different things, and Scripture does not fuse them. Talk to someone who can help with the second.
Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version, which is in the public domain. Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.