The Bible Verses About Forgiving Others below show that forgiveness is not a side topic in Scripture but close to the heart of the gospel. Jesus taught it, practiced it from the cross, and tied it to our own life with God. These passages explain what forgiving others means, why it matters, and how it reflects the mercy we have already received.
For 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 (KJV)
Jesus ties receiving the Father’s forgiveness to our own willingness to forgive the people who have wronged us.
Then 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 (KJV)
When Peter asks how often to forgive, Jesus answers seventy times seven, showing that forgiveness keeps no running tally.
Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
Matthew 18:32-35 (KJV)
The parable of the unforgiving servant ends with a sober warning that forgiveness must come from the heart.
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32 (KJV)
Paul grounds kindness and tenderheartedness in the fact that God, for Christ’s sake, has already forgiven us.
Forbearing 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 (KJV)
Believers are to forbear and forgive one another in the same way Christ forgave them.
And 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 (KJV)
Jesus teaches that when we stand praying, we should first forgive anyone we hold something against.
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
Luke 6:37 (KJV)
Here forgiving others sits alongside not judging or condemning, with the promise that we will be forgiven too.
Take 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 (KJV)
Even a brother who sins seven times in a day and returns in repentance is to be forgiven each time.
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Romans 12:17-19 (KJV)
Paul forbids repaying evil for evil and asks believers to leave vengeance in God’s hands.
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:20-21 (KJV)
Feeding a hungry enemy is Paul’s picture of overcoming evil with good instead of returning it.
The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.
Proverbs 19:11 (KJV)
Wisdom says it is a person’s glory to pass over a transgression rather than hold on to it.
He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.
Proverbs 17:9 (KJV)
Covering an offence is an act of love, while repeating it drives close friends apart.
Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 3:9 (KJV)
Christians are called to answer evil and insults with blessing rather than retaliation.
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
Luke 23:34 (KJV)
On the cross Jesus prayed for the forgiveness of those crucifying Him, the clearest example of forgiving others.
And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
Genesis 50:19-21 (KJV)
Joseph comforts the brothers who sold him, speaking kindly and promising to provide for their families.
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Matthew 5:23-24 (KJV)
Jesus says making peace with an offended brother should come even before offering a gift at the altar.
The Bible roots our forgiveness of others in God’s forgiveness of us. Paul writes that we should forgive one another even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32). Jesus makes the same link in the Lord’s Prayer and in the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35), where a man released from a huge debt refuses to cancel a small one. The point is that people who have been shown great mercy are expected to show mercy in turn.
Forgiving others does not mean pretending a wrong was small or that trust is instantly restored. Scripture still speaks of rebuke, repentance and wise boundaries (Luke 17:3). What forgiveness gives up is the right to take revenge. Paul says to leave vengeance to God and to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:19-21).
Joseph offers a vivid example. Sold into slavery by his own brothers, he later held power over them, yet he wept, spoke kindly and provided for them, saying that God meant for good what they meant for evil (Genesis 50:20). Jesus goes further still, praying for those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34). These examples show forgiveness as a costly, deliberate choice made with God’s help.
Ephesians 4:32’s instruction to forgive “even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” grounds forgiving others in forgiveness already received.
Some of the same ground is covered in Bible Verses For Answered Prayer and Bible Verses For Growing in Faith.
Scripture quotations follow the King James Version; Blue Letter Bible lets you read each one alongside its chapter.
You might also turn to Bible Verses About Husbands and Wives and Bible Verses About Death.
If you want to keep reading, Bible Verses About Hard Times and Bible Verses About Difficult Times sit close to this topic.
Two nearby collections worth opening next are Bible Verses About Change and Bible Verses About Strength During Trials.
This subject overlaps with Bible Verses About Forgiving Yourself and with Bible Verses For Forgiving Others.
Bible Gateway makes it easy to compare a verse across several English translations.
For word studies and cross-references, Bible Hub is a helpful next step.
Forgiving others is grounded throughout Scripture in the forgiveness already extended to you.
These verses were never meant to sit on a page as decoration \u2014 they’re meant to shape how you actually respond the next time someone hasn’t apologized and you’re not sure forgiveness is even fair without one.
You don’t need polished or formal language for it \u2014 an honest, plainly worded sentence is enough, something as simple as telling God directly for the strength to forgive regardless of whether they ever apologize.
Years after Jacob stole his blessing and fled, Esau saw him approaching with his family and, instead of the revenge Jacob feared, “ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept” (Genesis 33:4). Jacob had prepared elaborate gifts to soften his brother’s anger, but Esau needed none of it to let go of the old grievance from years before that moment.
Among Bible Verses About Forgiving Others, Esau’s response is striking because Scripture never records him receiving a formal apology first at all. His forgiveness came before any negotiation, showing that Bible Verses About Forgiving Others sometimes describe letting go faster than the wronged person’s own careful planning had expected.
Even while Saul hunted him relentlessly, David twice had the chance to kill him and refused both times, saying, “the Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord’s anointed” (1 Samuel 24:6). In the cave at En-gedi he cut off a corner of Saul’s robe instead, and later in the camp he took only a spear and water jug as proof he could have struck (1 Samuel 26:11-12).
David’s restraint did not mean he trusted Saul or stopped protecting himself; he kept his distance and stayed alert to danger. Bible Verses About Forgiving Others can include this kind of careful restraint, refusing personal revenge while still taking sensible precautions.
When a sinful woman anointed His feet with tears in a Pharisee’s house, Jesus told a story of two men who owed money, one much and one little, both forgiven freely, then asked, “which of them will love him most?” (Luke 7:41-42). The Pharisee answered correctly that the one forgiven more would love more.
Jesus then pointed to the woman’s lavish gratitude compared to His host’s cool welcome, tying the size of forgiveness received to the size of love shown afterward. This parable adds a layer to Bible Verses About Forgiving Others by connecting how much someone has been forgiven to how readily they in turn forgive others.
Lord, I am struggling to forgive someone who has never said they are sorry, and part of me feels like waiting for an apology is only fair. Help me remember Esau, who ran to embrace his brother before any words of regret were spoken. I am not asking You to make what happened acceptable, only to loosen my grip on it.
Give me David’s kind of restraint, willing to let go of revenge while still using wisdom about how close I let this person stay. Free my heart from carrying a debt You never asked me to collect. Amen.
These steps will not erase what happened, but they help Bible Verses About Forgiving Others move from a nice idea into an actual daily practice worth returning to often. Bible Verses About Forgiving Others are meant to be lived, not just admired quietly from a distance.
Jesus prayed for the very people executing Him, and Stephen followed His example while being stoned, asking God not to hold the sin against his killers. Praying for someone by name, even in a short sentence, tends to soften resentment faster than simply trying to think kind thoughts about them in the abstract.
This does not require pretending affection you do not feel; it can be as plain as asking God to work in their life while you continue processing your own hurt at your own pace and in your own time. For more encouragement on this kind of costly prayer, Bible Verses For Forgiving Others offers further passages worth reading alongside this page.
Day 1: Genesis 33:1-11, Esau and Jacob’s reunion. Day 2: 1 Samuel 24:1-12, David sparing Saul in the cave. Day 3: 1 Samuel 26:7-25, David sparing Saul a second time. Day 4: Luke 7:36-47, the parable of the two debtors. Day 5: Matthew 18:21-35, the unforgiving servant.
Reading through these five accounts across a week shows how many forms Bible Verses About Forgiving Others actually take, from a warm embrace to careful, watchful restraint, and every angle is worth its own slow reflection.
Many assume that truly forgiving someone requires immediately trusting them exactly as before, but David forgave Saul’s murderous intentions while still sleeping in caves and moving camp to stay safe. His forgiveness and his caution existed side by side without contradiction.
Joseph forgave his brothers yet still tested them carefully before revealing himself fully, wanting to see whether their hearts had actually changed (Genesis 42-44). Reading Bible Verses About Forgiving Others with these examples in mind can free someone from thinking they must expose themselves to repeated harm in order to have truly let go of a grudge.
Before confronting someone who has hurt you, it can help to ask a few honest questions first: Am I seeking this conversation to find real resolution, or mainly to make the other person feel as bad as I do? Have I already decided to forgive regardless of how they respond, the way Joseph seems to have settled his heart before his brothers ever arrived? Is there a wiser, calmer time to raise this than right now, in the heat of fresh frustration?
A final question worth sitting with is whether you are confusing forgiveness with silence, assuming that letting go means never addressing the issue honestly. Bible Verses About Forgiving Others do not ask believers to stay quiet about real harm, only to release the right to repay it entirely themselves personally.
Some wounds are simply too deep to release through willpower or a single decision, no matter how sincerely a person wants to forgive. Talking with a pastor, counselor, or trusted mentor can provide both wisdom and accountability that private prayer alone sometimes cannot offer, especially after serious betrayal or abuse of someone’s trust.
Seeking that kind of outside support is not a failure of faith; it often becomes the very means God uses to walk someone toward real forgiveness. Bible Verses About Forgiving Others were never meant to pressure anyone into forcing a feeling before their own heart is genuinely ready to release it fully and honestly.
Joseph had every reason to stay bitter. His brothers threw him in a pit, sold him to traders, and let their father believe he was dead. Decades later those same men stood in front of him, hungry and frightened, not recognizing the Egyptian official who held their lives in his hands. He sent everyone else out of the room and wept so loudly the household heard it (Genesis 45:1-2).
What he says next is worth reading slowly. “Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life” (Genesis 45:5). He is not pretending the betrayal was small. He is choosing to read the story from the far end of it, and the choosing took years. Notice that he tested his brothers first (Genesis 44), watching whether they would abandon Benjamin the way they once abandoned him. Forgiving did not mean being naive.
Seventeen years later, after their father died, the brothers panicked that Joseph had only been waiting. He wept again. “Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good” (Genesis 50:20). A grudge-free heart, it turns out, may need to be chosen more than once, even by a man who got it right the first time.
Mark had gone with Paul and Barnabas on their first trip and then, partway through, turned back for home (Acts 13:13). Whatever the reason, Paul took it hard. When the second trip was planned, Barnabas wanted to give Mark another chance, and Paul refused. The disagreement was sharp enough that the two older friends split up and went different directions (Acts 15:37-39). Honestly, it is a little comforting that Scripture does not hide this.
Years pass, and the story picks up in the last letter Paul ever wrote. Sitting in a cold Roman prison, he writes to Timothy: “Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11). The man he once refused to travel with is now someone he asks for by name.
We are not told whether there was a long conversation or a quiet change over time. What we can see is that forgiving someone does not always arrive with a speech. Sometimes it looks like needing their help, trusting their work again, and saying so in a letter. If a young person once let you down at work or church, this small story is worth a second read.
English has one word where Greek has several, and each paints something different. The verb most often used in the Lord's Prayer, aphiemi, carries the idea of sending away or letting go, like releasing a debt from a ledger. That fits the wording in Luke 11:4: “forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.” The debt is not erased from history. It is released from your hands.
Paul reaches for another verb in Ephesians 4:32 and Colossians 3:13, charizomai, which comes from the same root as grace. It means to give freely, as a gift. When he writes “forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you,” the thought is closer to handing someone a present they did not earn than to cancelling a bill.
Put the two pictures together and you get a fuller sense of what you are being asked to do. First you let go of the claim you hold against a person. Then, as God has done with you, you stop treating them as someone who owes you. Neither word says you must feel warm toward them by Friday. Both describe something you decide and then keep deciding, whether the feelings catch up quickly or slowly.
Picture a woman whose brother never called after their mother's funeral, never mentioned the money he borrowed, and acts at every holiday as if nothing happened. She keeps rehearsing what she would say if he ever apologized. The speech has grown longer for eleven years. Meanwhile the one person it is hurting is her.
Paul writes with a realistic eye for that situation. “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). He admits two limits in one sentence: if it is possible, and as much as lies in you. Some people will not meet you halfway. Hebrews 12:15 warns about the other danger, “lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.” Bitterness grows quietly and spreads to people who were never part of the original wound.
One honest caution. Forgiving does not oblige anyone to stay in reach of someone who is still harming them, and it does not mean pretending abuse was a misunderstanding. If you are in that kind of situation, put safety first and talk with a pastor, counselor, or trusted advocate. For the ordinary silence of a relative who will not say sorry, however, releasing the speech you have been carrying may be the first quiet step toward a lighter life.
Readers interested in this topic often continue with Bible Verses For Forgiving Others, Bible Verses About Forgiving Yourself, Bible Verses For Forgiving Yourself, Bible Verses About Loving Others and Bible Verses For Praying for Others.
To study these verses in more depth, try Bible Gateway, Bible Hub and Bible Study Tools.
The Bible roots our forgiveness of others in God's forgiveness of us. Paul writes that we should forgive one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32).
This page brings together 14 King James Version references about forgiving Others, drawn from 6 different books of the Bible.
Yes. The verses about forgiving Others gathered here include passages from both the Old Testament and the New Testament, such as Genesis 50:20 and Ephesians 4:32.
Ephesians 4:32 is one of the verses about forgiving Others referenced in this collection, alongside Matthew 18:21.
Yes, the verses referenced on this page, including Ephesians 4:32, are quoted according to the King James Version (KJV), and are suitable for daily reading, memorization, or devotional use.
