18 Bible Verses about Friendship

Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him as king in place of his father, for Hiram had always been a friend for David.

{I am distressed} over you, my brother Jonathan. you [were] very dear to me; your love [was] more wonderful to me than the love of women.

May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he refreshed me many times, and was not ashamed of my imprisonment,

But I considered [it] necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, but your messenger and servant of my need,

{When} he finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan became attached to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his [own] soul.

And it happened that while they were conversing, and discussing, Jesus himself also approached [and] began to go along with them,

I [am] a companion of all [who] fear you and heed your precepts.

But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Then those who revered Yahweh spoke {with one another}. And Yahweh listened attentively and heard, and a scroll of remembrance was written {before him} of those who revere Yahweh and ponder his name.

And they were devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers.

O, our God, did you yourself not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham your friend forever?

And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness," and he was called God's friend.

And Yahweh would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his neighbor. And he would return to the camp, and his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the middle of the tent.

I will speak to him mouth to mouth, [in] clearness, not in riddles; and he will look at the form of Yahweh. Why were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?"

And not again has a prophet arisen in Israel like Moses, whom Yahweh knew face to face,

One of his disciples--the one whom Jesus loved--was reclining {close beside} Jesus.

(Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.)

Jesus wept. So the Jews were saying, "See how he loved him!"

No longer do I call you slaves, because the slave does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything that I have heard from my Father I have revealed to you.

And there were many women there, observing from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, serving him, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. Now [when it] was evening, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who also was a disciple of Jesus himself. read more.
This man approached Pilate [and] asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered [it] to be given [to him]. And Joseph took the body [and] wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his [own] new tomb that he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a large stone to the entrance of the tomb [and] went away. Now Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

Now after the Sabbath, at the dawning on the first [day] of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to view the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came up [and] rolled away the stone and sat down on it. Now his appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow. read more.
And the guards trembled from the fear of him and became like dead men. But the angel answered [and] said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised, just as he said. Come, see the place where he was lying. And go quickly, tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and behold, he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there.' Behold, I have told you." And they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, [and] ran to tell his disciples.

Now Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the [mother] of James and the others with them were telling these [things] to the apostles.

But Mary stood outside at the tomb, weeping. Then, while she was weeping, she bent over to look into the tomb, and she saw two angels in white, seated one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have put him!" read more.
[When she] had said these [things], she turned {around} and saw Jesus standing there, and she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?" She thought that it was the gardener, [and] said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned around [and] said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni" (which means "Teacher"). Jesus said to her, "Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, and my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene came [and] announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and he had said these [things] to her.

{When} he finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan became attached to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his [own] soul. Saul took him on that [very] day and did not allow him to return to his father's house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his [own] soul. read more.
Jonathan stripped off the robe {that he was wearing} and gave it to David, along with his fighting attire, and even his sword, his bow, and his belt.

So Jonathan the son of Saul got up and went to David [at] Horesh, and {encouraged him} through God. He said to him, "Do not be afraid, for the hand of my father Saul will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and {I will be second to you}. My father Saul knows [this] also." Then the two of them {made} a covenant before Yahweh. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went to his house.

Then David sang this funeral song over Saul and over Jonathan his son. And he ordered "The Bow" to be taught to the children of Judah. Look, it [is] written on the scroll of Jashar. "The glory of Israel [is] on your high places; how [the] mighty have fallen! read more.
Do not tell it in Gath; do not proclaim it in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of [the] Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. O mountains of Gilboa, [let there be] no dew or rain upon you or on the fields of [grain for] offerings, for there the small shield of [the] mighty [was] defiled, the small shield of Saul [was] not anointed with oil. From the blood of [the] slain, from the fat of [the] mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back, and the sword of Saul did not return {without effect}. Saul and Jonathan [were] beloved and pleasant in their lives and [were] not separated in their death. They [were] swifter than eagles, stronger than lions. O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, the one who clothed you with crimson, the one who {adorned your clothing with golden ornaments}. How [the] mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle; Jonathan [lies] slain on your high places. {I am distressed} over you, my brother Jonathan. you [were] very dear to me; your love [was] more wonderful to me than the love of women. How [the] mighty have fallen and the weapons of warfare perished."

And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness," and he was called God's friend.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch that does not bear fruit in me, he removes it, and every [branch] that bears fruit, he prunes it in order that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. read more.
Remain in me, and I in you. Just as the branch is not able to bear fruit from itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither [can] you, unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you [are] the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him--this one bears much fruit, for apart from me you are not able to do anything. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and dries up, and they gather them and throw [them] into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you bear much fruit, and prove to be my disciples. "Just as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have spoken these [things] to you in order that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be made complete. This is my commandment: that you love one another just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, because the slave does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything that I have heard from my Father I have revealed to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and your fruit should remain, in order that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.

But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you, the {offspring} of Abraham my {friend}, you whom I grasped from the ends of the earth and called from its remotest parts and told, "You [are] my servant; I have chosen you and I have not rejected you." You must not fear, for I [am] with you; you must not be afraid, for I [am] your God. I will strengthen you, indeed I will help you, indeed I will take hold of you with the right hand of my salvation.

And there were many women there, observing from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, serving him, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Now after the Sabbath, at the dawning on the first [day] of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to view the tomb.

And Jonathan again made David swear an oath, because he loved him; for with the love of his soul he loved him.

But Ittai answered the king and said, "{As Yahweh lives} and {my lord the king lives}, surely in the place wherever my lord the king shall be, if for death or if for life, surely there your servant will be."

It happened that as David [was] coming up to the summit where he used to worship God, suddenly Hushai the Arkite [was] there to meet him. His coat [was] torn and dirt [was] on his head. David said to him, "If you move on with me, you will be a burden to me, but if you want to return to the city and say to Absalom, 'I [am] your servant, O king. I used to be a servant of your father, but from then and now I [will be] your servant,' then you can frustrate the counsel of Ahithophel for me. read more.
[Will] not Zadok and Abiathar the priests [be] with you there? It shall be that all the words you hear from the house of the king you shall tell Zadok and Abiathar the priests. Look, there with them [are] their two sons, Ahimaaz of Zadok and Jonathan of Abiathar. You shall send to me {by means of them} all the words that you hear." So Hushai the friend of David came to the city [as] Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Please let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set out and pursue after David {tonight}. I will come upon him while he [is] weary and {weak}. I will startle him, and all of the people who [are] with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king [while] he [is] alone. Then I will return all the people to you; when all have returned, the man whom you [are] seeking [will be dead], but all the people will be safe." read more.
The word [was] right in the eyes of Absalom and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel. Then Absalom said, "Please call also for Hushai the Arkite, and let us hear {what he has to say} also." So Hushai came to Absalom, who said to him, "Shall we do according to this word [that] Ahithophel has spoken? If not, then you tell [us]." Then Hushai said to Absalom, "The counsel that Ahithophel gave [is] not good {at this time}." Hushai continued, "You know your father and his men, that they [are] mighty warriors and they {are enraged} as a bear robbed of [her] offspring in the field. Your father [is] a man of war, so he will not spend the night with the troops. Now he has hidden himself in one of the caves or in one of the places. At the moment he falls on them the first time, {whoever hears} the report will say, 'There has been a defeat among the people who follow after Absalom.' And he [is] also a {valiant warrior}, whose heart [is] like the heart of the lion. He will {certainly melt} with fear, for all Israel knows that your father [is] a mighty warrior and [those] who [are] with him [are] {valiant warriors}. I give the advice that all of Israel from Dan to Beersheba should be completely gathered to you, as the sand which [is] on the seashore for abundance, with {you personally} going into the battle. Then we will come to him in one of the places where he may be found, and we shall come upon him as the dew falls on the ground. He and all the men who are with him will not survive, [not] even one! [Even] if he withdraws to a city, all Israel will bring up ropes to that city, and they will drag him away to the valley until there [is] not even a pebble to be found." Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The advice of Hushai the Arkite [is] better than the advice of Ahithophel." (Now Yahweh had ordained to frustrate the good counsel of Ahithophel in order for Yahweh to bring misery upon Absalom). Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, "{Thus and so} Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, but {thus and so} I have advised. So then, send quickly and tell David, 'Don't spend the night at the fords of the wilderness! Moreover, by all means cross over lest the king and all the people who [are] with him be swallowed up.'" Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz [were] staying at En Rogel, so a servant girl used to go and tell them, then they would go and tell King David, for they [were] not able to be seen coming to the city. But a young man saw them and told Absalom, so both of them went quickly and came to the house of a man at Bahurim. Now he had a well in his courtyard, so they went down there. Then the woman took and spread a covering over the opening of the well; then she spread out dried grain on it, so nothing was discovered. When the servants of Absalom came to the woman [at] the house, they said, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" And she said to them, "They crossed over the brook of water." So they searched but could not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem. After they left, they came up from the well and went and told King David. They said to David, "Set out and cross over the water quickly, for thus Ahithophel has advised against you." So David and all the people who [were] with him set out, and they crossed over the Jordan until morning light until {there was no one} missing who had not crossed over the Jordan.

Now as they traveled along, he entered into a certain village. And a certain woman {named} Martha welcomed him. And {she had} a sister named Mary, who also sat at the feet of Jesus [and] was listening to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much preparation, so she approached [and] said, "Lord, is it not a concern to you that my sister has left me alone to make preparations? Then tell her that she should help me!" read more.
But the Lord answered [and] said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many [things]! But few [things] are necessary, or [only] one [thing], for Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (Now it was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) So the sisters sent [word] to him, saying, "Lord, behold, [the one] whom you love is sick." read more.
And [when he] heard [it], Jesus said, "This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, in order that the Son of God may be glorified through it." (Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.) So when he heard that he was sick, then he remained in the place {where} he was two days. Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were seeking just now to stone you, and are you going there again?" Jesus replied, Are [there] not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks around in the daylight, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks around in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. He said these [things], and after this he said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going so that I can awaken him." So the disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well." (Now Jesus had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was speaking about {real sleep}.) So Jesus then said to them plainly, "Lazarus has died, and I am glad {for your sake} that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." Then Thomas (the one who is called Didymus) said to his fellow disciples, "Let us go also, so that we may die with him." So [when he] arrived, Jesus found he had already [been] four days in the tomb. (Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia. So many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary in order to console them concerning their brother.) Now Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house. So Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever you ask God, God will grant you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die {forever}. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who comes into the world." And [when she] had said this, she went and called her sister Mary privately, saying, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." So that one, when she heard [it], got up quickly and went to him. (Now Jesus has not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha went to meet him.) So the Jews who were with her in the house and were consoling her, [when they] saw Mary--that she stood up quickly and went out--followed her, [because they] thought that she was going to the tomb in order to weep there. Then Mary, when she came where Jesus was [and] saw him, fell at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Then Jesus, when he saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her weeping, was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled within himself. And he said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus wept. So the Jews were saying, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Was not this man who opened the eyes of the blind able to do [something] so that this man also would not have died?" Then Jesus, deeply moved within himself again, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying on it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the one who had died, said to him, "Lord, he is stinking already, because it has been four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes above and said, "Father, I give thanks to you that you hear me. And I know that you always hear me, but for the sake of the crowd standing around I said [it], so that they may believe that you sent me." And [when he] had said these [things], he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The one who had died came out, his feet and his hands bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped with a facecloth. Jesus said to them, "Untie him and let him go." Then many of the Jews who had come with Mary and saw [the things] which he did believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them [the things] which Jesus had done.

Two [are] better than the one, for they enjoy a better reward for their toil. For if one falls, his companion may help him up. But pity the one who falls and there is {no one} to help him up.

And Naomi took the child and she put him on her bosom and became his nurse.

But I considered [it] necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, but your messenger and servant of my need,

But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I also may be encouraged [when I] know {your circumstances}. For I have no one like-minded who [will] sincerely be concerned about {your circumstances}.

But you know his proven character, that like a child with a father he served with me for the gospel.

Jehu mounted his chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram [was] lying there, and Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to visit Joram.

He went with Joram the son of Ahab for the battle against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-Gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram. Joram the king returned to Jezreel to heal from the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted at Ramah when Hazael king of Aram fought him. Ahaziah the son of Joram, king of Judah, went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, for he [was] ill.

Then Yahweh said to Samuel, "{How long} will you mourn about Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel! Fill up your horn [with] oil and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have chosen a king for myself among his sons."

Samuel {did not see Saul again} until the day of his death, but Samuel mourned over Saul, and Yahweh regretted that he made Saul king over Israel.

A man of [many] friends will come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

As for your friend and a friend of your father, do not forsake [them], and the house of your brother, do not enter on the day of your calamity. Better is a close neighbor than a distant brother.

The friend loves at all times, but a brother is born for adversity.

[As] iron sharpens iron, so {one man sharpens another}.

May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he refreshed me many times, and was not ashamed of my imprisonment,

A man of [many] friends will come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

A man of [many] friends will come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

The friend loves at all times, but a brother is born for adversity.

No one has greater love than this: that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.

Many will seek favor before the generous, and everyone [is] the friend of a man of gifts.

The wounds of a friend mean well, but the kisses of an enemy are profane.

He who forgives an affront fosters love, but he who waits on a matter will alienate a friend.

The king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why [are] you also coming with us? Return and stay with the king, for you [are] a foreigner; moreover, you [are] an exile. {You [are] far from your place}. Yesterday when you came and {today}, I have caused you to wander by going with us. Now I [am] going to where I [am] going; return and let your brothers return. [May] loyal love and faithfulness [be] with you." But Ittai answered the king and said, "{As Yahweh lives} and {my lord the king lives}, surely in the place wherever my lord the king shall be, if for death or if for life, surely there your servant will be."

who risked their own necks for my life, for which not only I am thankful, but also all the churches of the Gentiles;

Elijah said to Elisha, "Please stay here, for Yahweh has sent me up to Bethel." Elisha said, "{As Yahweh lives} and {as your soul lives}, I will certainly not leave you!" So they went down [to] Bethel.

Thus Job's three friends heard of this calamity that had come upon him. So each set out from his [own] place: Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite. And they met together to come to console him and to comfort him. Thus they lifted up their eyes from afar, but they did not recognize him, so they raised their voice, and they wept, and each man tore his outer garment and threw dust on their heads {toward the sky}. Then they sat with him on the ground [for] seven days and seven nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw that {his} suffering was very great.

When Abram heard that his {relative} was taken captive, he summoned his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen [of them], and he went in pursuit up to Dan. And he divided [his trained men] against them at night, he and his servants. And he defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, which [is] north of Damascus. And he brought back all the possessions. And he also brought back Lot, his {relative}, and his possessions, and the women and the people as well.

Then Thomas (the one who is called Didymus) said to his fellow disciples, "Let us go also, so that we may die with him."

But Ruth said, "{Do not urge} me to leave you [or] to return from {following you}! For where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people [will be] my people and your God [will be] my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. So may Yahweh do to me, {and even more, unless} death {separates you and me}!"

Now before the feast of Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, [and] having loved [his] own in the world, loved them to the end.

Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, for which not only I am thankful, but also all the churches of the Gentiles;

Stay with me! Do not fear, because he who seeks my life seeks your life. You are in good care with me."

Adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes [himself] an enemy of God.

Adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes [himself] an enemy of God.

But [when] the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush, he came and entered into the barracks [and] reported [it] to Paul.

David said, "I will show loyal love with Hanun, the son of Nahash, as his father showed loyal love with me." So David sent to console him concerning his father, by the hand of his servants. And the servants of David came to the land of the {Ammonites}.

And Daniel made a request from the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel [remained] in the court of the king.

Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him as king in place of his father, for Hiram had always been a friend for David.

I produced the former account, O Theophilus, about all {that} Jesus began to do and to teach,

Behold, an hour is coming--and has come--that you will be scattered each one to his own [home], and you will leave me alone. And I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

Behold, an hour is coming--and has come--that you will be scattered each one to his own [home], and you will leave me alone. And I am not alone, because the Father is with me.