short bible verses about love

Short Bible Verses About Love: 15 Scriptures

Short Bible verses about love: 15 brief NIV lines for cards, texts, and memory, with plain notes and links.

Illustrated portrait of Christopher McAllister

By Christopher McAllister

Founder of theBibleand.Love

Published September 28, 2026Updated October 6, 20264 min read1 Peter 4:8 (NIV)

A woman mends a cloak on a courtyard wall while a man waits nearby with open hands.

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."

— 1 Peter 4:8 (NIV)

People who search short bible verses about love want lines that fit a card, a lock screen, or a memory verse — brief enough to carry, dense enough to mean something. This page is a numbered list of fifteen short NIV passages with a short note on each. The wider love hub is Bible verses about love. God's love is under Bible verses about God's love. Unconditional love is under Bible verses about unconditional love. Marriage-shaped love sits under Bible verses for marriage.

15 short Bible verses about love

  1. 1 John 4:8. "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." Four words at the end carry the weight: God is love. See 1 John 4:8 and God is love.

  2. 1 John 4:19. "We love because he first loved us." Love starts with God, not with our effort. See 1 John 4:19 and We love because he first loved us.

  3. John 13:34. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." Short command; lifelong practice. See John 13:34.

  4. John 15:13. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." Love measured by giving, not by feeling. See John 15:13.

  5. 1 Corinthians 13:4. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." The shortest famous definition of love. See 1 Corinthians 13:4 and Love is patient.

  6. 1 Corinthians 13:13. "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." Three remain; love is greatest. See 1 Corinthians 13:13.

  7. 1 Peter 4:8. "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." Short, and aimed at real faults. See 1 Peter 4:8.

  8. Romans 13:10. "Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." Love summarized as doing no harm. See Bible verses about loving your neighbor.

  9. Colossians 3:14. "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." One verse: put on love. See Colossians 3:14.

  10. Proverbs 10:12. "Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs." Love covers; hatred stirs. Short contrast, clear choice.

  11. Song of Songs 8:6. "Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death." Love as strong as death — brief and fierce. See Song of Solomon 8:6.

  12. Romans 5:8. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God's love shown while we were still sinners. See Romans 5:8.

  13. 1 John 3:18. "Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." Short push from talk to action. See Bible verses about loving others.

  14. Ephesians 4:2. "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." Love that bears with people — short and practical. See Bible verses about patience.

  15. Psalm 136:26. "Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever." The refrain of enduring love in one line. See Bible verses about God's love and Bible verses about gratitude.

How to use these verses

Pick one short verse for a card, a text, or a morning memory line — not fifteen. Write it where you will see it. If you want the longer marriage set, see Bible verses for marriage. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.

Questions people ask

What is a good short Bible verse about love?

1 John 4:19, 1 Corinthians 13:4, and 1 Peter 4:8 are favorites — brief, clear, and easy to remember.

What short verse says God is love?

1 John 4:8 ends with "God is love." See God is love Bible verse.

Can short love verses be used in wedding cards?

Yes — John 15:13, Song of Songs 8:6, and 1 Corinthians 13:13 fit cards well. For a fuller ceremony list, see Wedding Bible readings.

Are short verses enough, or do I need longer passages?

Short verses are real Scripture. Longer units like 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 add context when you want more than one line.

Read Bible verses about love, Bible verses about God's love, and Bible verses for marriage. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.

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