Forgiveness is one of the hardest things God asks us to do. It’s easy to talk about in theory, but excruciating in practice when someone has genuinely wronged you. The betrayal was real. The damage was significant. The pain lingers. They might not even be sorry. Every fiber of your being wants justice, wants them to hurt like they hurt you, wants to hold onto the offense as proof of how terrible they are. Forgiveness feels like letting them off the hook, like pretending the wound doesn’t exist, like saying what they did was okay when it absolutely wasn’t.
But unforgiveness is a prison where you’re both the inmate and the jailer. Bitterness corrodes your soul. Resentment keeps you chained to the past. The person who hurt you might have moved on, while you’re still replaying the offense on repeat. Meanwhile, God commands forgiveness not as a suggestion for when you feel like it but as a non-negotiable for followers of Jesus. You’ve been forgiven an unpayable debt; therefore, you must forgive others.
These verses reveal that forgiveness isn’t optional for Christians, that it’s how we reflect God’s character, and that holding onto unforgiveness blocks our own relationship with God and steals our peace.
Bible Verses About Forgiving Others
1. Matthew 6:14-15 – If You Forgive Others
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
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2. Ephesians 4:32 – Be Kind and Compassionate
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
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3. Colossians 3:13 – Forgive as the Lord Forgave You
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
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4. Matthew 18:21-22 – Seventy-Seven Times
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
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5. Luke 6:37 – Forgive, and You Will Be Forgiven
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
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6. Mark 11:25 – When You Stand Praying, If You Hold Anything Against Anyone
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
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7. Luke 17:3-4 – If Your Brother or Sister Sins Against You, Rebuke Them
So watch yourselves. If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.
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8. Matthew 5:23-24 – Leave Your Gift and Be Reconciled
Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
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9. Romans 12:19 – Do Not Take Revenge
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
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10. Proverbs 17:9 – Whoever Would Foster Love Covers Over an Offense
Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.
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11. 1 Peter 4:8 – Love Covers Over a Multitude of Sins
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
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12. Luke 23:34 – Father, Forgive Them
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
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13. Matthew 18:35 – From Your Heart Forgive Your Brother
This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.
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14. Proverbs 19:11 – A Person’s Wisdom Yields Patience
A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.
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15. 2 Corinthians 2:7-8 – You Ought to Forgive and Comfort Him
Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.
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16. Acts 7:60 – Lord, Do Not Hold This Sin Against Them
Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
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17. Romans 12:17-18 – Live at Peace With Everyone
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
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18. Hebrews 12:14-15 – See to It That No Bitter Root Grows Up
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
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19. James 2:13 – Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment
Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
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20. 1 John 1:9 – If We Confess Our Sins
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
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21. Leviticus 19:18 – Do Not Seek Revenge
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
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22. Psalm 103:12 – As Far as the East Is From the West
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
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23. Matthew 5:44 – Love Your Enemies
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
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24. Romans 12:20-21 – Overcome Evil With Good
On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
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25. Micah 7:18-19 – Who Is a God Like You, Who Pardons Sin?
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
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26. Luke 6:35 – Love Your Enemies, Do Good to Them
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
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27. Daniel 9:9 – The Lord Our God Is Merciful and Forgiving
The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.
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28. 2 Corinthians 2:10 – Anyone You Forgive, I Also Forgive
Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake.
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29. Proverbs 24:29 – Do Not Say, “I’ll Do to Them as They Have Done to Me”
Do not say, “I’ll do to them as they have done to me; I’ll pay them back for what they did.”
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30. Isaiah 1:18 – Though Your Sins Are Like Scarlet
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
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31. Psalm 86:5 – You, Lord, Are Forgiving and Good
You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.
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32. 1 Corinthians 13:5 – Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
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33. James 5:16 – Confess Your Sins to Each Other
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
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34. 1 John 4:20 – Whoever Claims to Love God Yet Hates a Brother
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
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35. Matthew 6:12 – Forgive Us Our Debts
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
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Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Forgiving Others
Forgiveness doesn’t mean what happened was okay or that there shouldn’t be consequences. You can forgive someone and still maintain boundaries. You can release them from the debt they owe you emotionally while recognizing they shouldn’t be trusted with certain things. Forgiveness isn’t pretending the wound doesn’t exist; it’s choosing not to use that wound as a weapon anymore. It’s releasing your right to revenge and trusting God to handle justice His way.
The reason God demands forgiveness is because of how much you’ve been forgiven. The parable of the unmerciful servant makes this brutally clear: a man forgiven an enormous debt refused to forgive someone who owed him pocket change. God’s response was severe. When you grasp the magnitude of what Christ forgave you, your sins against a holy God, it becomes harder to withhold forgiveness from others. Their offense against you, however painful, pales in comparison to your offense against God.
Unforgiveness also destroys you more than the person you refuse to forgive. Bitterness is a root that defiles many. It poisons your relationship with God, damages your other relationships, and keeps you trapped in the past. Forgiveness is how you break free. It’s not easy, and it doesn’t happen instantly, but it’s the only path to the peace and freedom God offers. Sometimes you have to choose forgiveness before you feel it, trusting God to heal what choosing revenge never could.
Say This Prayer
Heavenly Father, forgiveness feels impossible right now. What this person did hurt me deeply, and part of me wants them to suffer like I’ve suffered. I’ve replayed the offense countless times, and I’m exhausted from carrying this bitterness. But I know unforgiveness is destroying me more than it’s hurting them.
Help me to forgive as You’ve forgiven me. Remind me of the enormous debt You canceled when You saved me, and let that reality soften my heart toward those who’ve wronged me. I don’t want to minimize what they did, but I also don’t want to be chained to this resentment anymore.
Give me the strength to release my right to revenge and to trust You with justice. Help me to pray for those who’ve hurt me instead of cursing them. Where there should be boundaries for safety, give me wisdom, but where I’m just nursing grudges, break that pattern.
Heal the wounds this person caused. Pull up any bitter roots before they defile my other relationships. Let mercy triumph over judgment in my heart the way it did when You looked at me. Free me from this prison of unforgiveness so I can experience the peace that comes from extending the grace I’ve received.
In Jesus’ forgiving Name, Amen.