38 Bible Verses about Character

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: a heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. read more.
And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bore fruit a hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that has ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are they that hear; then comes the devil, and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. Those on the rock are they, who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who for awhile believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, who, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But that on the good ground are they, who in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Why gad you about so much to change your way? you also shall be ashamed of Egypt, as you were ashamed of Assyria.

O Ephraim, what shall I do unto you? O Judah, what shall I do unto you? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goes away.

And you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endures to the end shall be saved.

And these are they who are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.

My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

[A song. A Psalm of David.] O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.

He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.

But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite as his wife.

And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.

They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshiped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, These are your gods, O Israel, who have brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.

Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; prove your own selves. Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are counterfeits?

Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

For we ourselves also were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against you, and cast your law behind their backs, and slew your prophets who testified against them to turn them to you, and they worked great provocations.

Unto you therefore who believe he is precious: but unto them who are disobedient, the stone which the builders rejected, the same is made the head of the corner,

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

The pride of your heart has deceived you, you that dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that says in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?

For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for the cursing and lying which they speak.

These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Behold, his soul which is proud is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed at us, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that you do? will you rebel against the king?

And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they finish in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?

Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.

None calls for justice, nor does any plead for truth: they trust in empty words, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.

And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.

And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?

He sits in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places does he murder the innocent: his eyes are secretly set against the poor.

They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

For you are a holy people unto the LORD your God: the LORD your God has chosen you to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

For you are a holy people unto the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Except that the Holy Spirit witnesses in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Then Paul answered, What mean you to weep and to break my heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.

And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.

That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me harm.

They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and plan deceit all the day long.

And Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, O my enemy? And he answered, I have found you: because you have sold yourself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

These are they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not its ways, nor abide in its paths.

For everyone that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

For of this sort are they who creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with various lusts,

My son, if sinners entice you, consent not. If they say, Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: read more.
We shall find all kinds of precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: Cast in your lot among us; let us all have one purse:

But the anointing which you have received of him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in him.

And all your children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of your children.

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Therefore the Lord said, Since this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.

Shall I count those pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?

The wicked borrows, and pays not again: but the righteous shows mercy, and gives.

For the iniquity of his covetousness was I angry, and struck him: I hid myself, and was angry, and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.

The way of man is perverse and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.

When a wicked man dies, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perishes.

We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were given birth to wind; we have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

And you, that were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has he reconciled

Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may you also do good, that are accustomed to doing evil.

That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asks, and the judge asks for a bribe; and the great man, he utters his evil desire: so they weave it together.

Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto licentiousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

For your obedience is well known unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and innocent concerning evil.

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

But the noble plans noble things; and by noble things shall he stand.

While by the proof of this ministry they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.

And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, who has power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

And many other things blasphemously spoke they against him.

And cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that does good, no, not one.

In whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of them who believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit.

That you put off concerning the former way of life the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

A violent man entices his neighbor, and leads him into the way that is not good.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always.

Then they that feared the LORD spoke often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

Your people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do you.

For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, you are a stiff-necked people: I will come up into the midst of you in a moment, and consume you: therefore now put off your ornaments from you, that I may know what to do unto you.

That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asks, and the judge asks for a bribe; and the great man, he utters his evil desire: so they weave it together.

He that plans to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward shall be great, and you shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

For we ourselves also were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there had come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

The wicked flee when no man pursues: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perverseness of the wicked;

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they who commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

And you, that were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has he reconciled

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

For they persecute him whom you have smitten; and they talk of the grief of those whom you have wounded.

Because he remembered not to show mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, rejoicing and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

He is ever merciful, and lends; and his descendants are blessed.

And Solomon said, You have shown unto your servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before you in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with you; and you have kept for him this great kindness, that you have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

He that walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.

But concerning brotherly love you need not that I write unto you: for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have to all the saints,

My soul shall make its boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

Likewise, you younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble.

Do you thus repay the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he your father that has bought you? has he not made you, and established you?

The foolish shall not stand in your sight: you hate all workers of iniquity.

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel: for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land: Because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

You shall destroy them that speak falsehood: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

For thus says the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

For all those things has my hand made, and all those things have been, says the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at my word.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

But know that the LORD has set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.

A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you.

For we are not as many, who corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD has spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:

For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire, and blesses the covetous, whom the LORD abhors.

They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;

The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in any of his thoughts.

[To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.] The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that does good.

And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews who dwelt there,

And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

If any man takes a wife, and goes in unto her, and hates her, And charges her with shameful conduct, and brings an evil name upon her, and says, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a virgin: Then shall the father of the young woman, and her mother, take and bring forth the evidence of the young woman's virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate: read more.
And the young woman's father shall say unto the elders, I gave my daughter unto this man as a wife, and he hates her; And, lo, he has charged her with shameful conduct, saying, I found not your daughter a virgin; and yet these are the evidence of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. And the elders of that city shall take that man and chastise him; And they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the young woman, because he has brought an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.

For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. read more.
Then did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master knows not what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? read more.
And it came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his work; and there was none of the men of the house there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got out.

To him the gatekeeper opens; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: Unstable as water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it: he went up to my couch.

Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.

And there shall you remember your ways, and all your doings, in which you have been defiled; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that you have committed.

For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, especially they of the circumcision:

But in my adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:

Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the farthest corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.

So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish:

Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.

An ungodly man digs up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.

[Aleph] Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he comes shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to eat, and will come forth and serve them.

The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increases learning.

That you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world;

Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own, zealous of good works.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

For they are impudent children and stubborn. I do send you unto them; and you shall say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD.

But the house of Israel will not hearken unto you; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted.

Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

A righteous man hates lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and comes to shame.

And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.

They have corrupted themselves, their blemish is not the blemish of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.

For they are impudent children and stubborn. I do send you unto them; and you shall say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

Traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

Do you thus repay the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he your father that has bought you? has he not made you, and established you?

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

By honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;

The wicked flee when no man pursues: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

The look on their countenance does witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have brought evil unto themselves.

Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to you. Holy Father, keep through your own name those whom you have given me, that they may be one, as we are.

But you are holy, O you that inhabit the praises of Israel.