Push From God

Bible verses for grief and loss

Psalm 34:18 is the one to start with: the LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit. It makes no promise about the timeline and asks nothing of you. That matters, because most of what gets said to grieving people is trying to move them along. The passages below don't. Several of them simply sit down next to you.

14 passages · World English Bible & King James · public domain

  1. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.Psalms 34:18 · World English Bible

    No timeline, no conditions, no instruction to cheer up. Just proximity, which is usually the only thing that helps.

    King James

    The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

  2. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.Matthew 5:4 · World English Bible

    Blessed are those who mourn — a strange sentence until you notice it's a promise of comfort, not a compliment on grieving well.

    King James

    Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

  3. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more. The first things have passed away.”Revelation 21:4 · World English Bible

    The long view. Read at almost every funeral, and it earns its place: every tear, wiped away, by hand.

    King James

    And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

  4. He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.Psalms 147:3 · World English Bible

    Binds up wounds — the language is medical and unhurried. Bandaging takes time and it's meant to.

    King James

    He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

  5. Jesus wept.John 11:35 · World English Bible

    Two words, at the grave of a friend he was about to raise. He knew how it ended and wept anyway.

    King James

    Jesus wept.

  6. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.2 Corinthians 1:3-4 · World English Bible

    The best argument in Scripture for simply turning up. Comfort received becomes comfort you can pass on.

    King James

    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.

  7. 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.Psalms 23:4 · World English Bible

    Note it's through the valley, not around it — and the comfort named is a rod and a staff, which are tools for company on a path.

    King James

    Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

  8. But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 · World English Bible

    Written to people frightened about their dead. It does not say don't grieve; it says don't grieve as those who have no hope.

    King James

    But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

  9. For his anger is but for a moment. His favour is for a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.Psalms 30:5 · World English Bible

    Weeping may stay for the night. A whole night — not a moment. The morning is promised, not scheduled.

    King James

    For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

  10. For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 · World English Bible

    The honest version of the seasons idea: a time to weep and a time to laugh, and no suggestion you can pick.

    King James

    To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

  11. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.Romans 8:38-39 · World English Bible

    A long list of everything that has been ruled out, with death at the front of the queue.

    King James

    For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

  12. “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many homes. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also.John 14:1-3 · World English Bible

    Spoken to people about to lose him, the night before. Comfort offered by someone who knew exactly what was coming.

    King James

    Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

  13. The Lord GOD’s Spirit is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the humble. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to those who are bound, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.Isaiah 61:1-3 · World English Bible

    Beauty for ashes, and the oil of joy for mourning — an exchange rather than an erasure.

    King James

    The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

  14. Precious in the LORD’s sight is the death of his saints.Psalms 116:15 · World English Bible

    Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. A hard verse that has quietly held up a lot of funerals.

    King James

    Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

The verse people forget

John 11:35 — Jesus wept — is two words long and it is standing at the grave of a friend he is about to raise from the dead. He knew how the afternoon ended and he cried anyway. If anyone has told you that grief is a failure of faith, that verse is the answer.

Grief that comes in waves

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 is honest about seasons in a way that greetings cards are not: there is a time to weep and a time to laugh, and the point is that both are real and neither is permanent. Psalm 30:5 says weeping may stay for the night — a whole night, not a moment. Lamentations, Job and roughly a third of the Psalms are complaints made directly to God, which suggests that saying the bitter thing out loud is well within the tradition rather than a lapse from it.

If you're looking for something to say to someone

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 is the passage about being comforted so that you can comfort others with the comfort you received. It's the best argument in Scripture for showing up and saying very little.

What this looks like on a phone

Push From God sends one of these when it fits what you've told it about your week — not on a schedule you have to keep up with.

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For the first month without her

The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.

Psalm 34:18

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Questions

What is the best Bible verse for grief?

Psalm 34:18 — the LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit. It offers presence without asking the grieving person to feel differently. Revelation 21:4 and Psalm 147:3 are the other two most often read at funerals.

Does the Bible say it's wrong to grieve?

No. John 11:35 records Jesus weeping at a friend's grave moments before raising him. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 tells Christians not to grieve as those who have no hope — which assumes they will grieve. Roughly a third of the Psalms are laments.

What Bible verse can I send to someone who is grieving?

Psalm 34:18 and Matthew 5:4 are gentle and make no demands. If you know them well, Revelation 21:4 carries the long view. Whatever you send, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 suggests presence matters more than the words.

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