Bible Verses About Forgiveness: What Scripture Says
The power of forgiving others as God forgives us
Forgiveness is one of the most repeated themes in the New Testament. Jesus teaches about it in the Lord's Prayer, demonstrates it from the cross, and makes it a conditional element of receiving God's forgiveness in Matthew 6:14-15. The reason forgiveness occupies so much of the New Testament is that it sits at the center of the entire gospel: humanity forgiven by God through Christ's sacrifice, and then called to extend that same forgiveness to others. These verses explore both the gift of being forgiven and the hard practice of forgiving.
Leviticus 4:20
Thus shall he do with the bull; as he did with the bull of the sin offering, so shall he do with this; and the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven.
Read commentary →Leviticus 4:26
All its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin, and he will be forgiven.
Read commentary →Leviticus 4:31
All its fat he shall take away, like the fat is taken away from off of the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasant aroma to the Lord; and the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.
Read commentary →Leviticus 4:35
All its fat he shall take away, like the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them on the altar, on the offerings of the Lord made by fire; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned, and he will be forgiven.
Read commentary →Leviticus 5:10
He shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the ordinance; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he has sinned, and he shall be forgiven.
Read commentary →Leviticus 5:13
The priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned in any of these things, and he will be forgiven; and the rest shall be the priest's, as the meal offering.'"
Read commentary →Leviticus 5:16
He shall make restitution for that which he has done wrong in the holy thing, and shall add a fifth part to it, and give it to the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and he will be forgiven.
Read commentary →Leviticus 5:18
He shall bring a ram without blemish from of the flock, according to your estimation, for a trespass offering, to the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning the thing in which he sinned and did not know it, and he will be forgiven.
Read commentary →2 Kings 5:18
In this thing may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon. When I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon your servant in this thing."
Read commentary →1 Kings 8:30
Listen to the supplication of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yes, hear in heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.
Read commentary →1 Kings 8:39
then hear in heaven, your dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart you know; (for you, even you only, know the hearts of all the children of men;)
Read commentary →2 Chronicles 6:21
Listen to the petitions of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: yes, hear from your dwelling place, even from heaven; and when you hear, forgive.
Read commentary →2 Chronicles 6:25
then hear from heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land which you gave to them and to their fathers.
Read commentary →2 Chronicles 7:14
if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Read commentary →Isaiah 1:27
Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her converts with righteousness.
Read commentary →Isaiah 4:3
It will happen, that he who is left in Zion, and he who remains in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even everyone who is written among the living in Jerusalem;
Read commentary →Jeremiah 5:1
"Run back and forth through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places of it, if you can find a man, if there are any who does justly, who seeks truth; and I will pardon her.
Read commentary →Jeremiah 5:7
"How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me, and sworn by what are no gods. When I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the prostitutes' houses.
Read commentary →Lamentations 3:42
We have transgressed and have rebelled, and you have not forgiven.
Read commentary →Daniel 9:9
To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him.
Read commentary →Daniel 9:19
Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and take action! Do not delay, for your own sake, my God, because your city and your people are called by your name."
Read commentary →Amos 7:2
It happened that, when they made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, "Lord God, forgive, I beg you! How could Jacob stand? For he is small."
Read commentary →Micah 7:18
Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn't retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness.
Read commentary →Matthew 6:14
"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Read commentary →Matthew 7:24
"Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, will be compared to a wise man, who built his house on a rock.
Read commentary →Matthew 9:3
And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man blasphemes."
Read commentary →Mark 2:6
But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
Read commentary →Mark 3:28
Truly I tell you, all sins of the sons of men will be forgiven, including their blasphemies with which they may blaspheme;
Read commentary →Mark 9:14
Coming to the disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and scribes questioning them.
Read commentary →Luke 5:21
The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?"
Read commentary →Luke 7:42
When they could not pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?"
Read commentary →2 Corinthians 2:7
so that on the contrary you should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his excessive sorrow.
Read commentary →2 Corinthians 2:10
Now I also forgive whomever you forgive anything. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ,
Read commentary →Ephesians 1:7
in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
Read commentary →1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Read commentary →1 John 2:12
I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.
Read commentary →Get Forgiveness Daily
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Start Free Daily EmailFrequently Asked Questions
What does the Bible say about forgiving others?
Ephesians 4:32 says: 'Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.' Colossians 3:13 mirrors this: 'Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.' The standard for forgiveness given in Scripture is the forgiveness already received — unconditional, not based on the other person's response.
Does the Bible say I have to forgive someone who hasn't apologized?
Scripture does not condition forgiveness on the other person's repentance. Luke 23:34 records Jesus forgiving those crucifying him — without any sign of repentance from them. Forgiveness in the Bible is described primarily as a decision to release your claim against someone, not as a feeling or a reconciliation of the relationship. Reconciliation may require the other person's participation; forgiveness does not.