20 Bible Verses about Bereavement

And he replied, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will have mercy on me, that the child may live? But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

While he was yet speaking, there another came and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their brother, the firstborn; and, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell thee. Then Job arose and rent his mantle and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground and worshipped read more.
and said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made whole. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as the others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so those who sleep in Jesus will God also bring with him. For this, we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede those who are asleep. read more.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the animals.

Though they bring up their sons, yet I will bereave them, that there shall not be a man left; yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!

Then the king was much moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept; and as he went, he said this: O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! I would rather have died instead of thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!

And Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons,

And Mahlon and Chilion both died also; and the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara; for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?

And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife had given birth unto David, and it was very sick. David, therefore, besought God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose and went to him to raise him up from the earth, but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. read more.
And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died. And the slaves of David feared to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice; how much more will it trouble him if we tell him that the child is dead? But when David saw that his slaves whispered, David understood that the child was dead; therefore, David said unto his slaves, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes and came into the house of the LORD and worshipped. Then he came to his own house; and when he asked, they set bread before him, and he ate. Then his slaves said unto him, What is this that thou hast done? Thou didst fast and weep for the child while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. And he replied, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will have mercy on me, that the child may live? But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes by death; yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down. Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind thy turban upon thy head, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet and do not cover thy lips and do not eat the bread of comfort. So I spoke unto the people in the morning; and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.

And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the animals. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his slaves and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the sons of Israel, and go, serve the LORD as ye have said. read more.
Also take your sheep and your cows, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also. And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people that they might send them out of the land in haste, for they said, We are all dead men.

Then Jacob rent his clothes and put sackcloth upon his loins and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.

Then Joseph fell upon his father's face and wept upon him and kissed him.

And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke unto those of the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

Then Moses said unto Aaron and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Do not uncover your heads, neither rend your clothes lest ye die and lest wrath come upon the whole congregation; but your brethren, the whole house of Israel, shall lament the burning which the LORD has done.