Bible Verses

Topical Study

Bible Verses About Grief

Verses for grief and loss — when sorrow has made itself at home.

13 verses · curated by hand

From the wider Bible

More verses about grief in Scripture

142 passages mentioning “mourn” across WEB & KJV — beyond the curated set above.

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  1. Zechariah 12:11

    “In that day there will be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.”

  2. Zechariah 12:12

    “The land will mourn, every family apart; the family of David’s house apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;”

  3. Malachi 3:14

    “You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God;’ and ‘What profit is it that we have followed his instructions, and that we have walked mournfully before Yahweh of Armies?”

  4. Matthew 2:18

    ““A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; she wouldn’t be comforted, because they are no more.””

  5. Matthew 9:15

    “Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

  6. Matthew 11:17

    “and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you didn’t dance. We mourned for you, and you didn’t lament.’”

  7. Matthew 24:30

    “and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.”

  8. Mark 16:10

    “She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.”

  9. Luke 6:25

    “Woe to you, you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.”

  10. Luke 7:32

    “They are like children who sit in the marketplace, and call to one another, saying, ‘We piped to you, and you didn’t dance. We mourned, and you didn’t weep.’”

  11. Luke 8:52

    “All were weeping and mourning her, but he said, “Don’t weep. She isn’t dead, but sleeping.””

  12. Luke 23:27

    “A great multitude of the people followed him, including women who also mourned and lamented him.”

  13. 1 Corinthians 5:2

    “You are puffed up, and didn’t rather mourn, that he who had done this deed might be removed from among you.”

  14. 2 Corinthians 7:7

    “and not by his coming only, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, while he told us of your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced still more.”

  15. 2 Corinthians 12:21

    “that again when I come my God would humble me before you, and I would mourn for many of those who have sinned before now, and not repented of the uncleanness and sexual immorality and lustfulness which they committed.”

  16. James 4:9

    “Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom.”

  17. Revelation 1:7

    “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. Even so, Amen.”

  18. Revelation 18:7

    “However much she glorified herself, and grew wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning. For she says in her heart, ‘I sit a queen, and am no widow, and will in no way see mourning.’”

  19. Revelation 18:8

    “Therefore in one day her plagues will come: death, mourning, and famine; and she will be utterly burned with fire; for the Lord God who has judged her is strong.”

  20. Revelation 18:11

    “The merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise any more;”

Frequently asked

Questions about grief in the Bible

What does the Bible say about grief?
The Bible is unusually honest about grief. Jesus himself wept at Lazarus's tomb (John 11:35) even though he knew the resurrection was minutes away — grief is not a failure of faith. Psalm 34:18 promises that "Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 names God as "the Father of mercies and God of all comfort" — a God who comforts so that the comforted can later comfort others. Mourning is not the opposite of faith; sometimes it is the form faith takes.
Which Bible verses help with loss of a loved one?
Three passages return again and again at funerals and quiet moments of memory. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 — believers grieve, but "not as the rest, who have no hope" — naming both the sorrow and the resurrection promise. Psalm 23, particularly verse 4, "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." Revelation 21:4 — God will "wipe away every tear from their eyes," and there will be "no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, nor pain." None of these remove grief; they accompany it.
How should I pray when I am grieving?
Pray honestly. The Bible records grief prayers that complain, protest, and even argue with God — Job, Jeremiah, the Psalms of lament. Psalm 13 is a template: it begins "How long, O Yahweh?" and ends, after several verses of struggle, "I will sing to Yahweh, because he has been good to me." You don't need to manufacture trust before you can pray. Bring the grief honestly, name what is lost, and let God carry it.