Bible Verses About Forgiveness
Forgiveness runs through the whole Bible in both directions — the mercy God shows us, and the mercy we are asked to show each other. These verses are grouped that way, each one ready to copy, pray over, or send.
God's Forgiveness of Us
"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 (BSB)
"He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His loving devotion for those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." — Psalm 103:10–12 (BSB)
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." — Isaiah 1:18 (KJV)
"I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more." — Isaiah 43:25 (BSB)
"Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance— who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion? He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea." — Micah 7:18–19 (BSB)
"To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, even though we have rebelled against Him." — Daniel 9:9 (BSB)
"Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,' and You forgave the guilt of my sin." — Psalm 32:5 (BSB)
"Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away" — Acts 3:19 (BSB)
Forgiving One Another
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you." — Ephesians 4:31–32 (BSB)
"Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." — Colossians 3:13 (BSB)
"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours." — Matthew 6:14–15 (BSB)
"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!'" — Matthew 18:21–22 (BSB)
"And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against another, forgive it, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses as well." — Mark 11:25 (BSB)
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." — Luke 6:37 (BSB)
"Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends." — Proverbs 17:9 (BSB)
How to Use These Verses
If guilt is the weight you carry, start with 1 John 1:9 and Psalm 103:10–12, then pray a prayer for forgiveness or a prayer to forgive myself. If the hard work is forgiving someone else, Colossians 3:13 is the verse to sit with — alongside a prayer to forgive someone who hurt me. Forgiveness rarely happens in one sitting; these verses are worth returning to.
The verses on this page are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB) and the King James Version (KJV) — both in the public domain, so you may reprint and share them freely.