35 Bible Verses for Fighting Human Trafficking

The statistics are staggering. Over 27 million people are trapped in modern slavery right now, many of them children forced into labor or sexual exploitation. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of human trafficking or wondered what one person could do against such an enormous evil, you’re not alone. The darkness of this issue can feel so immense that it’s tempting to look away entirely.

But God never intended for His children to remain silent in the face of injustice. From the cries of the Israelites in Egyptian bondage to Jesus’ mission statement about setting captives free, Scripture consistently reveals God’s heart for liberation and justice. The same God who heard the groaning of slaves in Egypt hears the cries of trafficking victims today, and He calls His people to be agents of rescue and restoration.

These verses won’t single-handedly end human trafficking, but they provide the theological foundation for why this fight matters so deeply to God. They remind us that every person caught in the web of trafficking bears His image and deserves freedom. They call us to action, prayer, and advocacy for those who have no voice.

Bible Verses for Fighting Human Trafficking

1. Isaiah 61:1 – The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord Is on Me

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.

New International Version (NIV)

2. Luke 4:18-19 – He Has Sent Me to Proclaim Freedom for the Prisoners

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

English Standard Version (ESV)

3. Psalm 82:3-4 – Defend the Weak and the Fatherless

Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked.

New King James Version (NKJV)

4. Isaiah 1:17 – Learn to Do Right; Seek Justice

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.

New Living Translation (NLT)

5. Micah 6:8 – What Does the Lord Require of You?

Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

6. Proverbs 31:8-9 – Speak Up for Those Who Cannot Speak

Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

7. Jeremiah 22:3 – Do No Wrong or Violence to the Foreigner

Thus saith the Lord; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.

King James Version (KJV)

8. Exodus 3:7-8 – I Have Indeed Seen the Misery of My People

Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land.”

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

9. Isaiah 58:6 – Is Not This the Kind of Fasting I Have Chosen?

This is the kind of fast day I’m after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts.

The Message (MSG)

10. Galatians 5:1 – It Is for Freedom That Christ Has Set Us Free

In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off].

Amplified Bible (AMP)

11. 1 John 3:17-18 – If Anyone Has Material Possessions

But whoever has this world’s possessions and sees his brother in need and shuts off his compassion from him, how can the love of God reside in such a person? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and in truth.

New English Translation (NET)

12. James 2:15-17 – Suppose a Brother or Sister Is Without Clothes

If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

13. Zechariah 7:9-10 – This Is What the Lord Almighty Said

Long ago the Lord All-Powerful told your ancestors: “See that justice is done and be kind and merciful to one another! Don’t mistreat widows or orphans or foreigners or anyone who is poor, and stop making plans to hurt each other.”

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

14. Deuteronomy 15:7-8 – If Anyone Is Poor Among Your Fellow Israelites

If there are any of your people who are poor in any of the towns of the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be selfish or greedy toward them. Instead, be generous and lend them whatever they need.

Good News Translation (GNT)

15. Matthew 25:40 – Truly I Tell You

The King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.’

New Century Version (NCV)

16. Psalm 10:17-18 – You, Lord, Hear the Desire of the Afflicted

Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

International Standard Version (ISV)

17. 2 Corinthians 3:17 – Where the Spirit of the Lord Is, There Is Freedom

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Tree of Life Version (TLV)

18. Leviticus 25:10 – Consecrate the Fiftieth Year

You will consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim freedom in the land for all its inhabitants. It will be your Jubilee, when each of you is to return to his property and each of you to his clan.

Lexham English Bible (LEB)

19. Nehemiah 5:7-8 – I Pondered Them in My Mind

Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, “You exact usury, everyone of his brother.” I held a great assembly against them. I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace, and found never a word.

World English Bible (WEB)

20. Job 29:12-17 – Because I Rescued the Poor Who Cried for Help

Because I delivered the poor that cried, The fatherless also, that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: My justice was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, And feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the needy: And the cause of him that I knew not I searched out. And I brake the jaws of the unrighteous, And plucked the prey out of his teeth.

American Standard Version (ASV)

21. Romans 6:18 – You Have Been Set Free from Sin

And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

Revised Standard Version (RSV)

22. 1 Corinthians 7:21-23 – Were You a Slave When You Were Called?

Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity. For whoever was called in the Lord as a slave is a freed person belonging to the Lord, just as whoever was free when called is a slave of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of human masters.

New American Bible (NAB)

23. Ecclesiastes 4:1 – Again I Looked and Saw All the Oppression

I turned myself to other things, and I saw the oppressions that are done under the sun, and the tears of the innocent, and they had no comforter; and they were not able to resist their violence, being destitute of help from any.

Douay-Rheims Bible (DRB)

24. Amos 5:24 – Let Justice Roll On Like a River

But let judgment roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

English Revised Version (ERV)

25. Psalm 146:7 – He Upholds the Cause of the Oppressed

Jehovah looseth the prisoners. Jehovah openeth [the eyes of] the blind; Jehovah raiseth up them that are bowed down; Jehovah loveth the righteous.

Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)

26. Exodus 21:16 – Anyone Who Kidnaps Someone

And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall certainly be put to death.

Darby Translation (DARBY)

27. 1 Timothy 1:9-10 – We Also Know That the Law Is Made

We know that the Law was not given for the righteous man, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for immoral persons and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching.

Weymouth New Testament (WNT)

28. Deuteronomy 23:15-16 – If a Slave Has Taken Refuge with You

Thou schalt not bitake a seruaunt to his lord, which seruaunt fleeth to thee; he schal dwelle with thee in the place that plesith hym, and he schal reste in oon of thi citees; make thou not hym sori.

Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

29. Philemon 1:15-16 – Perhaps the Reason He Was Separated from You

It may be that he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receiue him for euer, Not now as a seruant, but aboue a seruant, euen a beloued brother, specially to me: how much more vnto thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord?

Geneva Bible (GNV)

30. Isaiah 42:6-7 – I, the Lord, Have Called You in Righteousness

I the Lord haue called thee in righteousnesse, and will holde thine hande, and will keepe thee, and giue thee for a couenant of the people, and for a light of the Gentiles, That thou mayest open the eyes of the blinde, and bring out the prisoners from the prison: and them that sit in darkenesse, out of the prison house.

Bishop’s Bible

31. Matthew 23:23 – Woe to You, Teachers of the Law

Wo be to you scribes and pharises ypocrites which tythe mynt annyse and comon and leave the waygtyer matters of the lawe vndone: iudgemet mercy and fayth. These ought ye to have done and not to have left the othre vndone.

Tyndale Bible

32. Colossians 4:1 – Masters, Provide Your Slaves with What Is Right

You slave owners must be just and fair to all your slaves. Always remember that you, too, have a Master in heaven who is closely watching you.

The Living Bible (TLB)

33. Psalm 72:12-14 – For He Will Deliver the Needy Who Cry Out

For he will deliver the needy who cry out and the poor who have no helper. He will have compassion on the poor and needy; the lives of the needy he will save. From oppression and violence he will rescue them, for their blood is precious in his sight.

The Passion Translation (TPT)

34. Isaiah 59:15-16 – The Lord Looked and Was Displeased

Truth stumbles in the street, and honesty cannot enter. The Lord observed all this, and it was evil in His eyes that justice no longer existed. He was amazed that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So He Himself stepped in to save them with His strong arm, and His justice sustained Him.

The Voice Bible (VOICE)

35. Revelation 18:13 – Cargoes of Gold, Silver, Precious Stones

They also bought your gold, silver, jewels, and pearls. They bought your expensive cloth made from fine linen, purple cloth, silk and red cloth. They bought all kinds of citron wood and all kinds of objects made from ivory, expensive wood, bronze, iron, and marble. They also bought cinnamon, spice, incense, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, and wheat. They bought cattle, sheep, horses, and carriages. They even bought and sold human beings as slaves.

New International Reader’s Version (NIrV)

Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Fighting Human Trafficking

Scripture makes it abundantly clear that human trafficking is an abomination to God. The Bible explicitly condemns kidnapping and selling people in both Old and New Testament passages, and consistently commands God’s people to defend the vulnerable and oppressed. When we read about God hearing the cries of the Israelites in Egyptian slavery, we’re seeing His heart for all who are trapped in forced bondage today.

What strikes me most about the biblical approach to injustice is how personal it is to God. He doesn’t view trafficking as merely a social problem to be solved but as an assault on His image-bearers that demands His intervention. The same Jesus who proclaimed freedom for captives expects His followers to be agents of that liberation. This isn’t optional charity work; it’s central to what it means to follow Christ.

The Bible also reveals that fighting trafficking requires both immediate rescue and systemic change. Isaiah calls us to “break the chains of injustice” while also providing practical care for survivors. Modern anti-trafficking work mirrors this dual approach: rescuing victims while addressing the poverty, corruption, and demand that fuel the trade. Our response must be as comprehensive as God’s heart for justice.

Say This Prayer

Heavenly Father, my heart breaks when I think about the millions of people trapped in modern slavery right now. I confess that I’ve sometimes felt overwhelmed by this issue and used that feeling as an excuse for inaction. Forgive me for the times I’ve looked away from suffering because it felt too big or too distant to address.

Open my eyes to see trafficking victims as You see them: precious image-bearers deserving of freedom and dignity. Give me the courage to speak up for those who have no voice and wisdom to know how I can be part of the solution. Whether through supporting anti-trafficking organizations, advocating for stronger laws, or simply being more aware of the products I buy, show me practical ways to fight this evil.

Comfort those who are trapped in exploitation right now. Provide them with hope in their darkest moments and surround them with people who will help them find freedom. Strengthen the organizations and individuals working on the front lines of this battle, and use me to support their efforts in whatever way You see fit.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.