Grief is the price we pay for love, and right now that price feels impossibly high. The person you lost isn’t coming back, and that reality hits you fresh every morning when you wake up and remember all over again. Everything reminds you of them. Their absence is louder than their presence ever was. You’re supposed to be strong, supposed to trust God’s plan, supposed to find comfort in the promise of heaven, but mostly you just want them back, and you’re angry that you can’t have that.
People mean well, but their platitudes don’t help. “They’re in a better place” doesn’t ease the ache of the empty chair at dinner. “God needed another angel” makes you want to scream because you needed them here. “Time heals all wounds” feels like a cruel joke when every day without them is its own fresh hell. Nobody tells you that grief comes in waves that knock you down when you least expect it, that you can be fine one minute and sobbing in the grocery store the next.
These verses won’t take away your pain or bring back those you lost. But they acknowledge that grief is real, that God sees it, and that He doesn’t expect you to pretend you’re okay when you’re not.
Bible Verses for Grief
1. Psalm 34:18 – The Lord Is Close to the Brokenhearted
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
English Standard Version (ESV)
2. Matthew 5:4 – Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
New King James Version (NKJV)
3. Revelation 21:4 – He Will Wipe Every Tear from Their Eyes
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.
New Living Translation (NLT)
4. Psalm 147:3 – He Heals the Brokenhearted
He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
5. John 11:35 – Jesus Wept
Jesus wept.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
6. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 – The Father of Compassion and the God of All Comfort
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
King James Version (KJV)
7. Psalm 23:4 – Even Though I Walk Through the Valley
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
8. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 – Brothers and Sisters, We Do Not Want You to Be Uninformed
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
New King James Version (NKJV)
9. Psalm 116:15 – Precious in the Sight of the Lord
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.
New International Version (NIV)
10. Romans 8:38-39 – Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
New Living Translation (NLT)
11. Isaiah 41:10 – So Do Not Fear, for I Am with You
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
12. 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 last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
13. Lamentations 3:22-23 – Because of the Lord’s Great Love
It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
King James Version (KJV)
14. John 14:1-3 – Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled
Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
English Standard Version (ESV)
15. Psalm 55:22 – Cast Your Cares on the Lord
Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
New King James Version (NKJV)
16. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 – Our Light and Momentary Troubles
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
New Living Translation (NLT)
17. Psalm 73:26 – My Flesh and My Heart May Fail
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
18. Romans 8:28 – God Works for the Good
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
19. Psalm 46:1 – God Is Our Refuge and Strength
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
King James Version (KJV)
20. 1 Peter 5:7 – Cast All Your Anxiety on Him
Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
21. Isaiah 25:8 – He Will Swallow Up Death Forever
He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken.
New King James Version (NKJV)
22. Psalm 34:17 – The Righteous Cry Out
The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.
New Living Translation (NLT)
23. 2 Corinthians 5:8 – We Are Confident and Would Prefer
We are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
24. Deuteronomy 31:8 – The Lord Himself Goes Before You
The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
25. Psalm 121:1-2 – I Lift Up My Eyes to the Hills
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
King James Version (KJV)
26. John 16:22 – Now Is Your Time of Grief
So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
27. Psalm 27:13-14 – I Remain Confident of This
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!
New King James Version (NKJV)
28. Nahum 1:7 – The Lord Is Good, a Refuge in Times of Trouble
The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.
New Living Translation (NLT)
29. Philippians 4:6-7 – Do Not Be Anxious About Anything
Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
30. Psalm 62:8 – Trust in Him at All Times
Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
31. Matthew 11:28 – Come to Me, All You Who Are Weary
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
King James Version (KJV)
32. Romans 14:8 – If We Live, We Live for the Lord
For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
English Standard Version (ESV)
33. Psalm 103:13-14 – As a Father Has Compassion
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
New King James Version (NKJV)
34. Isaiah 43:2 – When You Pass Through the Waters
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.
New Living Translation (NLT)
35. Psalm 56:8 – You Keep Track of All My Sorrows
You yourself have recorded my wanderings. Put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Grief
The Bible never tells us not to grieve. Jesus wept at Lazarus’s tomb even though He knew He was about to raise him from the dead. God doesn’t expect you to skip over the pain and jump straight to acceptance or joy. Grief is the natural, human response to loss, and Scripture makes space for it. The Psalms are full of lament, of crying out in anguish, of honest questions about why God allowed something to happen. You’re allowed to hurt. You’re allowed to be angry. You’re allowed to struggle.
What Scripture does promise is that God is present in your grief. He’s close to the brokenhearted. He collects your tears. He comforts those who mourn. The comfort doesn’t make the loss okay, but it means you don’t have to carry this pain alone. God sees every tear, understands the depth of your loss, and walks through the valley with you even when you can’t feel Him there.
The hope of resurrection and reunion doesn’t erase present pain, but it does put a boundary on it. This separation is temporary. Death doesn’t get the last word. For believers, goodbye is not forever.
Say This Prayer
Father, my heart is shattered in ways I didn’t know were possible. The loss of the person I love has left a hole that nothing can fill, and I don’t know how to function in a world where they don’t exist anymore. I know You understand grief because Jesus wept when His friend died. I need You to be near me now in this unbearable pain.
Help me to keep breathing, to get through today, to survive this overwhelming grief. When waves of sorrow crash over me, hold me steady. When memories ambush me and I can’t stop crying, sit with me in that pain. When people say things that hurt instead of help, give me grace. When the future feels impossible without the person I lost, remind me that You go before me.
I don’t understand why this happened or why You didn’t prevent it. I’m angry and confused and heartbroken. But I’m choosing to trust that You’re still good even when life isn’t, that You’re still with me even when I feel abandoned, and that this separation is temporary. Comfort me with the hope of reunion. Help me to honor their memory by living well. Carry me through this grief until joy is possible again.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.