Bible verse for forgiveness
Struggling to forgive, or looking for forgiveness yourself? Here are the Bible verses people turn to most — with context, a short prayer for each, and why they fit.
"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Chris..." Matthew 6:14-15 and Colossians 3:13 are the two verses that pair with it most often, below.
Why this one: it ties your forgiveness of others directly to having been forgiven yourself, which reframes the ask.
Why this one: it's one of the more direct, uncomfortable statements in the Bible about the stakes of holding a grudge.
Why this one: "if any man have a quarrel" acknowledges real, specific conflict rather than speaking in the abstract.
More on forgiveness and Scripture
Forgiveness in these three verses is consistently tied to something already received, not something generated on your own. Ephesians 4:32 doesn't ask for forgiveness in the abstract — it grounds it in a comparison: "forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." The forgiveness asked of you is modeled on forgiveness already given, which changes the shape of it — less a debt you owe, more a pattern you're invited into.
Matthew 6:14-15 is one of the more sobering statements in the Sermon on the Mount, tying God's forgiveness of you directly to your willingness to forgive others. It's not a verse to weaponize against yourself in a moment of real pain, but it is a serious statement about how connected the two are meant to be. Colossians 3:13 adds a phrase worth sitting with — "if one has a complaint against another" — Scripture doesn't pretend the hurt behind forgiveness is imaginary. The complaint is real; forgiveness is asked for anyway.
Forgiveness doesn't mean pretending you weren't hurt, and it doesn't mean the relationship has to go back to exactly what it was. These verses describe forgiveness as something released, not something that erases what happened. If you're in the middle of that process and it's slow, that's not a failure — these are verses to return to over time, not a task to complete in one sitting.
KJV text is public domain. Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Bible verse for forgiveness?
Ephesians 4:32 is the one most people reach for first — it ties your forgiveness of others directly to having been forgiven yourself, which reframes the ask.
Where else does the Bible talk about forgiveness?
Matthew 6:14-15 and Colossians 3:13 are the two verses most often read alongside Ephesians 4:32 on this topic, each adding a different angle.
Is there a short prayer for forgiveness?
Yes — each verse on this page includes a short prayer written to go with it, meant as a starting point rather than something to recite word for word.
Explore the whole Calcs family here.
Try the Bible Verse Finder.