Infidelity shatters more than anything in a marriage; it destroys the very foundation of what you believed about your relationship and your spouse. The betrayal cuts so deep that you question everything you thought you knew about your life together. Every memory feels tainted, every “I love you” from the past now sounds like a lie, and the future you planned together seems impossible to envision. Whether the infidelity was emotional, physical, or both, the violation of sacred trust creates a pain that feels unbearable.
You might find yourself cycling through rage, despair, and numbness, sometimes within the same hour. Well-meaning friends offer conflicting advice: some say leave immediately, others urge you to work it out, but none of them understand the complexity of betrayal in marriage. The practical questions feel overwhelming: Can trust ever be rebuilt? Is forgiveness possible when the wound is this deep? How do you move forward when you can’t even imagine healing?
But God specializes in impossible restorations. The same power that can resurrect the dead can breathe life back into a marriage devastated by betrayal. Healing is possible, though the path is long and requires both divine intervention and hard work from both spouses.
Bible Verses That Heal Infidelity and Broken Trust
1. Isaiah 61:3 – Beauty from Ashes
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
New International Version (NIV)
2. Joel 2:25 – I Will Repay You for the Years the Locusts Have Eaten
I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
3. Psalm 147:3 – He Heals the Brokenhearted and Binds Up Their Wounds
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
New King James Version (NKJV)
4. 2 Corinthians 5:17 – The Old Has Gone, the New Is Here
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
New Living Translation (NLT)
5. Romans 8:28 – All Things Work Together for Good
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
6. 1 John 1:9 – If We Confess Our Sins, He Is Faithful and Just
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
7. Isaiah 43:18-19 – Forget the Former Things
Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
King James Version (KJV)
8. Jeremiah 31:3 – I Have Loved You with an Everlasting Love
the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
9. Hosea 2:14-15 – I Will Lead Her into the Wilderness and Speak Tenderly
But then I’ll start over with her as in the early days when we first met. I’ll lead her into the desert. In that quiet place, I’ll woo her heart and soul. I’ll give her bouquets of roses. I’ll turn Heartbreak Valley into Acres of Hope.
The Message (MSG)
10. Ephesians 4:32 – Be Kind and Compassionate, Forgiving Each Other
Instead, be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
11. Psalm 34:18 – The Lord Is Close to the Brokenhearted
The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he delivers those who are discouraged.
New English Translation (NET)
12. 1 Peter 4:8 – Love Covers Over a Multitude of Sins
Above all, maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
13. Isaiah 54:4 – You Will Not Remember the Shame of Your Youth
Don’t be afraid. You won’t be put to shame anymore. Don’t be embarrassed. You won’t be disgraced anymore. You will forget the shame you felt earlier.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
14. Psalm 51:10 – Create in Me a Pure Heart, O God
Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me.
Good News Translation (GNT)
15. Lamentations 3:22-23 – His Compassions Never Fail
The Lord’s love never ends. His mercies never stop. They are new every morning. Lord, your loyalty is great.
New Century Version (NCV)
16. Matthew 19:6 – What God Has Joined Together
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate.
International Standard Version (ISV)
17. Colossians 3:13 – Bear with Each Other and Forgive
bearing with one another and forgiving each other, if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord forgave you, so you also should forgive.
Tree of Life Version (TLV)
18. Psalm 103:12 – As Far as the East Is from the West
As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
19. Isaiah 43:25 – I Will Not Remember Your Sins
I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins.
World English Bible (WEB)
20. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 – The God of All Comfort
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction.
American Standard Version (ASV)
21. Romans 5:8 – But God Demonstrates His Own Love for Us
But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
22. Psalm 30:5 – Weeping May Stay for the Night
For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
New American Bible (NAB)
23. Isaiah 49:15-16 – Can a Mother Forget Her Nursing Child?
Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have pity on the son of her womb? yea, these may forget, yet will not I forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.
Douay-Rheims Bible (DRB)
24. Mark 10:27 – All Things Are Possible with God
Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for all things are possible with God.
English Revised Version (ERV)
25. Psalm 126:5 – Those Who Sow with Tears Will Reap with Songs of Joy
Those sowing in tears, with singing they reap.
Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)
26. Jeremiah 30:17 – I Will Restore You to Health and Heal Your Wounds
For I will apply healing to thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith Jehovah; for they have called thee an outcast: This is Zion that no man seeketh after.
Darby Translation (DARBY)
27. Luke 1:37 – For No Word from God Will Ever Fail
For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Weymouth New Testament (WNT)
28. Psalm 23:3 – He Restores My Soul
He restorith my soule; and ledith me forth in the pathis of riytfulnesse, for his name.
Wycliffe Bible (WYC)
29. Isaiah 40:31 – Those Who Hope in the Lord Will Renew Their Strength
But they that waite vpon the Lord, shall renue their strength: they shall lift vp the wings as the eagles: they shall runne, and not be wearie, and they shall walke and not faint.
Geneva Bible (GNV)
30. Psalm 30:11 – You Turned My Wailing into Dancing
Thou hast turned for me my mournyng into daunsyng: thou hast put of my sackecloth, and gyrded me with gladnes.
Bishop’s Bible
31. John 8:11 – Neither Do I Condemn You
She sayde: No man lorde. And Iesus sayd: Nether do I condempne the. Goo and synne no moore.
Tyndale Bible
32. Psalm 40:2 – He Lifted Me Out of the Slimy Pit
He has lifted me out of the pit of despair, out from the bog and the mire, and set my feet on a hard, firm path, and steadied me as I walked along.
The Living Bible (TLB)
33. Isaiah 54:10 – My Unfailing Love Will Not Be Shaken
For even if the mountains were to crumble and the hills disappear, my heart of steadfast, faithful love will never leave you, and my covenant of peace will never be shaken, says the Lord, whose love and compassion will never end.
The Passion Translation (TPT)
34. Psalm 71:20 – Though You Have Made Me See Troubles
You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore my life again, lifting me up from the depths of the earth.
The Voice Bible (VOICE)
35. Revelation 21:4 – He Will Wipe Every Tear from Their Eyes
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death. And there will be no more sadness. There will be no more crying or pain. Things are no longer the way they used to be.
New International Reader’s Version (NIrV)
Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Healing Infidelity and Broken Trust
Scripture doesn’t minimize the devastating impact of betrayal in marriage or suggest that healing happens quickly. Instead, it acknowledges the depth of pain while pointing to God’s power to restore what seems irreparably broken. The Bible presents numerous examples of unfaithfulness and restoration, from David’s adultery to Hosea’s marriage to Gomer, showing that God specializes in redeeming even the most shattered relationships.
Biblical restoration from infidelity requires both supernatural grace and practical commitment from both spouses. The unfaithful partner must genuinely repent, cut off all contact with the affair partner, and commit to complete transparency and accountability. The betrayed spouse must navigate the difficult process of choosing forgiveness while setting healthy boundaries. This isn’t about quick reconciliation but about rebuilding on a foundation of truth, humility, and God’s transforming power.
Many couples discover that while they can never return to the naive trust they once had, they can build something stronger: a relationship based on deliberate choice, honest communication, and shared dependence on God. The marriage that emerges from properly processed betrayal can become more intimate and resilient than it was before, though the journey requires professional help, spiritual support, and enormous commitment from both partners.
Say This Prayer
Heavenly Father, the betrayal in our marriage has left us both broken and wondering if healing is even possible. The trust that took years to build was destroyed in moments, and the pain feels unbearable. I don’t know if I can ever trust again, and I don’t know if we can rebuild what has been so completely shattered.
But I know that You specialize in resurrections and impossible restorations. What seems beyond repair to us is not beyond Your power to heal. Help us both to come to You with honest hearts, willing to face the truth about what has happened and what it will take to rebuild.
For the unfaithful one, create genuine repentance and a willingness to do whatever it takes to rebuild trust. For the one who was betrayed, provide supernatural grace to forgive without excusing the behavior, and wisdom to set healthy boundaries while remaining open to restoration.
Transform both of our hearts in this process. Don’t just patch up our marriage; create something new and stronger than what we had before. Surround us with wise counselors who can guide us through this difficult journey, and help us to lean on Your strength when our own runs out.
Make our restored marriage a testimony to Your power to heal what seems beyond healing.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Evang. Anabelle Thompson is the founder of Believers Refuge, a Scripture-based resource that helps Christians to find biblical guidance for life’s challenges.
With over 15 years of ministry experience and a decade of dedicated Bible study, she creates content that connects believers with relevant Scripture for their daily struggles.
Her work has reached over 76,000 monthly readers (which is projected to reach 100,000 readers by the end of 2025) seeking practical faith applications, biblical encouragement, and spiritual guidance rooted in God’s Word.
She writes from personal experience, having walked through seasons of waiting, breakthrough, and spiritual growth that inform her teaching.
Evang. Thompson brings 12 years of active ministry and evangelism experience, along with over 10 years of systematic Bible study and theological research.
As a former small group leader and Sunday school teacher, she has published over 200 biblical resources and devotional studies.
She specializes in applying Scripture to everyday life challenges and regularly studies the original Hebrew and Greek texts for a deeper biblical understanding.