Bible Verses About Friendship
The Bible takes friendship seriously — Proverbs alone returns to it again and again. These verses are for thanking a faithful friend, encouraging one who is struggling, or remembering what kind of friend to be. Each one is ready to copy into a card or a message.
What a Faithful Friend Is
"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." — Proverbs 17:17 (BSB)
"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother." — Proverbs 18:24 (BSB)
"Oil and incense bring joy to the heart, and the counsel of a friend is sweetness to the soul." — Proverbs 27:9 (BSB)
"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." — Proverbs 27:17 (BSB)
Friends Carry Each Other
"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up!" — Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 (BSB)
"Carry one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." — Galatians 6:2 (BSB)
"Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep." — Romans 12:15 (BSB)
"Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing." — 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (BSB)
"And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." — Hebrews 10:24–25 (BSB)
Being a Good Friend
"The wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." — Proverbs 27:6 (BSB)
"Do not forsake your friend or your father's friend, and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity; better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away." — Proverbs 27:10 (BSB)
"A despairing man should have the kindness of his friend, even if he forsakes the fear of the Almighty." — Job 6:14 (BSB)
"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." — Colossians 3:12 (BSB)
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." — Philippians 2:3–4 (BSB)
Jesus Calls Us Friends
"No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you." — John 15:15 (BSB)
How to Use These Verses
Proverbs 17:17 belongs in a birthday card; Romans 12:15 is the one to live by when a friend is grieving or celebrating; Job 6:14 is a quiet word for standing by a friend whose faith is wavering. Pair a verse with a prayer of thanks for friendship, or pray for a friend who is struggling with a prayer for a friend going through a hard time or a prayer for a distant friend.
The verses on this page are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which is in the public domain — you may reprint and share them freely.