"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."
— 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)
People who search bible verses about kindness want Scripture for warm, active care — not only polite words. This page is a numbered list of fourteen passages with the NIV text and a short note on each. Love that is kind is opened further in Love is kind Bible verse and Love and kindness. Patience and forgiveness sit beside kindness under Bible verses about patience and Bible verses about forgiveness. Kindness that opens the door to guests and strangers is gathered under Bible verses about hospitality. Kindness shown in deeds, not just words, is the love 1 John 3:18 describes.
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14 Bible verses about kindness
1 Corinthians 13:4. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." Kindness is named in the same breath as patience — love's active warmth. See 1 Corinthians 13:4 and Love is kind Bible verse.
Ephesians 4:32. "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Kindness and compassion are tied to forgiveness grounded in Christ. See Bible verses about forgiveness.
Colossians 3:12. "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Kindness is clothing for people who are already dearly loved. See Bible verses about compassion.
Proverbs 11:17. "Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves." Kindness is not only for the other person; cruelty ruins the one who practices it.
Proverbs 19:22. "What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar." Unfailing love (loyalty/kindness) is what people desire — better than wealth without truth. See Love and kindness.
Micah 6:8. "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Loving mercy (kindness) is required alongside justice and humility.
Luke 6:35. "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." God's kindness reaches the ungrateful — and that becomes the pattern for loving enemies.
Romans 2:4. "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?" God's kindness is meant to lead to repentance, not to be treated lightly.
Galatians 5:22. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…" Kindness grows as fruit of the Spirit beside patience (forbearance).
2 Samuel 9:7. "'Don't be afraid,' David said to him, 'for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.'" David shows covenant kindness to Mephibosheth — kindness that restores and seats someone at the table.
Titus 3:4-5. "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." Kindness and love appear in saving mercy, not as a wage for good works. See Bible verses about God's love.
Zechariah 7:9. "This is what the Lord Almighty said: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.'" Mercy and compassion toward one another are commanded with justice.
Ruth 2:20. "'The Lord bless him!' Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. 'He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.' She added, 'That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers.'" Boaz's kindness is named as ongoing — to the living and the dead — and it opens a path of redemption.
Proverbs 31:26. "She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue." (Many translations: "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.") Kindness can be taught with the tongue — wise speech that builds rather than cuts. For the love-poem frame again, see 1 Corinthians 13:4 and Love and kindness.
How to use these verses
Pick one verse for a hard conversation, a note to someone, or a prayer — not fourteen. Read it out loud. If you need the love-poem frame, start with Love is kind Bible verse. If kindness must meet a wound, pair it with Bible verses about forgiveness. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.
Questions people ask
What is the best Bible verse about kindness?
1 Corinthians 13:4 ("love is kind") and Ephesians 4:32 are common starting places. See Love is kind Bible verse.
What does "love is kind" mean?
It means love acts with warmth and care, not only patience that waits. Kindness is love moving toward someone. See Love and kindness.
Which verse says God is kind?
Luke 6:35 (kind to the ungrateful and wicked), Romans 2:4 (riches of his kindness), and Titus 3:4-5 (kindness and love of God our Savior appeared).
How is kindness different from patience?
Patience waits without exploding; kindness does good with warmth. Both appear in 1 Corinthians 13:4 and Galatians 5:22. See Bible verses about patience.
Where should I read next?
Read Love is kind Bible verse, Love and kindness, and Bible verses about forgiveness. For meek strength (not the same page), see Bible verses about gentleness. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.
