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Bible verses about family
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The families in the Bible are, almost without exception, complicated. Favouritism, rivalry, deception and estrangement appear from Genesis onwards, and the text does not usually smooth them over.
That is worth knowing if your own family is difficult. The passages below include blessings and instructions, but also acknowledgement that households are hard.
Nothing here should be read as requiring anyone to remain in a harmful situation. If you are unsafe at home, please contact a domestic abuse service or the police.
8 passages
Each shows its reference and translation, and links to the chapter it comes from.
3Behold, children are a heritage of the LORD. The fruit of the womb is his reward. 4As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of youth. 5Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. They won’t be disappointed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
6These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart; 7and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.
A Song of Ascents. By David. See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity!
20Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord. 21Fathers, don’t provoke your children, so that they won’t be discouraged.
1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2“Honour your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with a promise: 3“that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.” 4You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
If it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
But if anyone doesn’t provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible British Edition, which is in the public domain. “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org.