Bible verses by topic
59 topics and 497 curated passages. Every topic page carries an original introduction, an explanation of how its passages were chosen, and a link from each passage to the chapter it comes from.
Last reviewed
A topic appears once, under the category that fits it best. Where a subject is meaningfully more than one thing — forgiveness is a need, a life situation and a theme — it is cross-referenced rather than duplicated, so there is only ever one page to read. How topics are curated.
Needs
What you are looking for.
- ComfortPassages often turned to for consolation, gathered with their setting kept in view.
- CouragePassages about facing something difficult, with a note on who each was first spoken to.
- DirectionPassages people turn to when facing a decision, presented without claiming to answer it.
- EncouragementShort passages of encouragement, with their original setting noted.
- ForgivenessPassages about being forgiven and about forgiving others, kept distinct from one another.
- HopePassages about hope, including several written from situations that had not yet improved.
- PatiencePassages about waiting well, and about patience with other people.
- PeacePassages about inward peace and about peace between people.
- ProtectionPassages using the imagery of shelter and refuge, with a note on how they have been read.
- RestPassages about rest, tiredness and stopping.
- StrengthPassages about strength, several of which are explicitly about weakness.
- WisdomPassages from the wisdom books and the New Testament letters about how to live well.
Moods
How you are arriving.
- AnxiousPassages people turn to when anxious, with their setting shown and support signposted.
- AfraidPassages about fear, mostly spoken to people facing something concrete.
- AngryPassages about anger, including several that treat it as legitimate.
- ConfusedPassages about not knowing, and about the limits of understanding.
- DiscouragedPassages for low points, including several written from them.
- GratefulPassages of thanks and praise.
- HopefulPassages that name hope as something being waited for.
- JoyfulPassages about joy, celebration and gladness.
- LonelyPassages about isolation and about being accompanied.
- OverwhelmedPassages for when there is too much, including some about delegating and stopping.
- PeacefulShort passages suited to unhurried reading.
- SadPassages that make room for sorrow rather than hurrying it.
- TiredPassages about weariness and about being carried.
- UncertainPassages about not knowing what comes next.
Life situations
What is happening in your life.
- GriefPassages for bereavement, chosen to accompany grief rather than shorten it.
- LossPassages for losses other than bereavement — work, health, home, a relationship.
- IllnessPassages for times of illness, offered alongside medical care rather than instead of it.
- MarriagePassages about marriage and commitment, with a note on where traditions differ.
- FriendshipPassages about friends, loyalty and honest company.
- ParentingPassages about raising children and about being a parent.
- WorkPassages about labour, rest, fairness and doing a job well.
- School and studyPassages about learning, effort and nerves, suitable for students.
- Financial difficultyPassages about money and need, without any promise of financial return.
- New beginningsPassages for starts of all kinds — a move, a job, a year, a recovery.
- Difficult decisionsPassages about deciding well, which do not attempt to decide for you.
- WaitingPassages about long waits, including ones that were not resolved.
- ConflictPassages about disagreement and repair between people.
- Difficult timesA general selection for hard periods, linking through to more specific pages.
- BirthdaysPassages suited to a birthday card or message, with references you can check.
- WeddingsReadings and short passages commonly used at weddings, with references.
- Moving homePassages about leaving, arriving and settling somewhere new.
- Starting a new jobPassages for a first week: nerves, effort and doing the work well.
- RetirementPassages about later life, rest and the value of long experience.
Themes
Subject matter across the Bible.
- FamilyPassages about households and family life, including some difficult ones.
- FaithPassages about trust and belief, including several about faith under strain.
- GracePassages about unearned favour and kindness.
- LovePassages about love — of God, of neighbours, and of people who are hard to love.
- MercyPassages about mercy given and received.
- PrayerPassages about praying, including prayers that went unanswered.
- SalvationPassages about salvation, presented without adjudicating between traditions.
- JusticePassages about fairness, honest dealing and care for people with little power.
- HumilityPassages about humility, distinguished from self-deprecation.
- GratitudePassages of thanks, including several written in difficult circumstances.
- GenerosityPassages about giving, without any implication of financial return.
- ObediencePassages about faithfulness in practice, with a note on where care is needed.
- CreationPassages about the natural world, including some of the Bible's finest poetry.
- LeadershipPassages about leading, including a good deal of criticism of leaders.