38 Bible Verses about Character

Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded (uncertain) (doubter) (skeptic).

They have eyes full of adultery that cannot cease from sin! They entice unsteady persons. Their hearts are full of covetousness. They are children of cursing.

The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed some fell by the side of the road. It was trampled under foot and the birds of heaven devoured it. Other seed fell on the rock. As soon as it grew it withered away because it had no moisture. Still other seed fell among the thorns. The thorns grew with it, and choked it. read more.
Other seed fell on the good ground. It grew and produced fruit a hundredfold. As he said these things he cried. He said: He who has ears to hear let him hear. His disciples asked him what this illustration means. He said: You are meant to know the secrets of the kingdom of God. I speak to the rest in illustrations, that seeing they may not see and hearing they may not understand. Now the illustration is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the side of the road are they who have heard. Then the devil comes and takes the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are those who receive the word with joy. These have no root. They believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. The seeds that fell among the thorns are people who hear the word and go their own way. They are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and do not produce fruit. The good ground represents the honest and good-hearted people. They hear the word, hold fast to it and produce forth fruit with patience.

You change your mind so easily. You will be shamed by Egypt as you were shamed by Assyria.

What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.

Men will hate you because of me. He who endures to the end will be saved.

Those who represent that sown upon the good soil hear the word and accept it. They bear fruit, thirty fold, and sixty fold, and a hundred fold.

My heart is steadfast O God. Yes my heart is steadfast. I will sing, yes, I will sing and make melody.

([Psalm of David]) O God, my heart is faithful (stable) (fixed). I will sing and give praise with my entire being.

He is not afraid of bad news. His heart remains secure, full of confidence in Jehovah.

The time came for Merab to be given to David. Instead, she was given to a man named Adriel from Meholah.

Yet they would not listen to their judges, but prostituted themselves to other gods. They worshiped them. They turned quickly, out of the way in which their fathers walked obeying the commandments of Jehovah.

They have already turned from the way I commanded them to live. They made a statue of a calf for themselves. They have bowed down to it and offered sacrifices to it. They said: Israel, here is your god who brought you out of Egypt.'

When the judge was dead they returned and corrupted themselves more than their fathers. They followed other gods to serve them, and to bow down to them. They did not give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah by supporting Rehoboam, son of Solomon, for three years. During those three years they lived the way David and Solomon had lived.

Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith. Prove your own selves. Do you not know this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is with you, unless you are disqualified?

And even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also withstand the truth. Men corrupted in mind, rejected concerning the faith,

They profess that they know God; but deny him by their works! They are detestable, disobedient, and not approved for any good work.

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

But they were hard-hearted, and went against your authority. They turned their backs on your law, and murdered your prophets. These prophets gave witness against them with the purpose of turning them back again to you. They did much to make you angry.

This precious value is for those who believe. But for the unbeliever: The stone that the builders rejected became the cornerstone.

For men will be lovers of their own selves, covetous (lovers of money), arrogant, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful (ungrateful), unholy,

Your proud heart has deceived you. You reside in the refuge of the rock. Your habitation is high above others and you say in your heart: 'Who will bring me down to the ground?'

This is because of the sins from their mouths and the words on their lips. Let them be trapped by their own arrogance because they speak curses and lies.

This is the ACCOUNT OF NOAH. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. He walked with God.

Behold, he is proud. He is not righteous. The righteous will live by faith.

There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout. He was waiting for God to save Israel. God's Holy Spirit was working in him.

But Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, hearing of it, made sport of us. They laughed at us and said: What are you doing? Will you go against the king?

And in the hearing of his countrymen and the army of Samaria he said: What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they make themselves strong? Will they make offerings? Will they get the work done in a day? Will they make the stones that have been burned come again out of the dust?

unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, despisers of those who are good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

The wicked go astray from the womb. They are wayward as soon as they are born. They speak lies.

They plan to force him out of his high position. They are happy to lie. They bless with their mouths, but in their hearts they curse.

No one calls for justice and no one pleads his case truthfully. People trust pointless arguments and speak lies. They conceive trouble and give birth to evil.

The king saw that the frogs were dead. He became stubborn again and, just as Jehovah had said, the king would not listen to Moses and Aaron.

Again Pharaoh was stubborn and did not let the people go.

The king realized that the storm was over. He disobeyed once more. He and his officials were so stubborn

The king of Egypt was told that the people had escaped. He and his officials changed their minds and said: What have we done? We have let the Israelites escape, and we have lost them as our slaves!

He waits in ambush in the villages. From his hiding places he kills innocent people. He searches for victims.

They kill widows and foreigners, and they murder orphans.

They are filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil mindedness; they are whisperers,

As God's chosen, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness (humility), meekness (mildness), and long-suffering (patience).

You are a holy people to Jehovah your God. Jehovah your God has chosen you to be his own special people out of all the nations of the earth.

You are a holy people to Jehovah your God. Out of all the people on the face of the earth Jehovah has chosen you to be a people for His own possession.

I am compelled by the spirit to go to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there. Holy Spirit warns me that in every city, prison and hardships are facing me there. I do not consider my life of any account. It is not dear to me so that I may finish the race, and I may accomplish the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to preach the good news of the grace of God.

Why do you weep and break my heart? Paul answered: For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. He would not be dissuaded. So we ceased, saying: The will of God be done!

All of them conspired to come and launch an attack on Jerusalem, causing trouble there.

Sanballat and Geshem sent to me saying: Come; let us have a meeting in one of the little towns in the lowland of Ono. But their purpose was to do me evil.

Those who seek my life lay traps for me. Those who are out to harm me talk about ruining me. All day long they think of ways to deceive me.

Ahab said to Elijah: Have you come face to face with me, O my enemy? Elijah said: I have come to you because you have given yourself up to do evil in the eyes of Jehovah.

They caused their sons and their daughters to go through the fire to be sacrificed. They made use of secret arts and unnatural powers, and gave themselves up to doing evil in the eyes of Jehovah, till they provoked him to anger.

Their end is destruction. Their god is their belly. Their glory is in their shame. They set their mind on earthly things.

These cause divisions; they are sensual (worldly-minded) persons not having the Spirit.

There are those who rebel against the light. They are not acquainted with its ways, and do not stay in its paths.

Every one who does evil hates the light. He does not come to the light because his works would be reproved.

Among them are those who creep into houses and lead captive gullible women loaded down with sins, led away with various lusts.

My son, if sinners tempt you do not consent. If they say: Come with us. Let us lie in wait to kill someone. Let us ambush the innocent without cause. Let us swallow them alive and whole just as the grave does, and just as the dead go into the pit. read more.
We will find precious material possessions and we fill our houses with plunder. Throw in with us. Let us all have one purse.

The anointing (special endowment of Holy Spirit) you received from Him is a part of you (is with you) and you do not need anyone (any human) to teach you. His anointing taught you concerning all things. It is no lie. It is truth, just as you were taught you live through him.

Your sons will all be taught by Jehovah. Your sons will have an abundance of peace.

having a form of godliness, but denying its power. Stay away from people like this!

These people praise me with their words, said Jehovah, but they never draw near to me in their hearts (deepest thoughts). Their reverence for me comes from the repetitious tradition of men.

Who is the Almighty that we should serve him? And what do we gain if we pray to him?

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

Can I be pure with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful stone weights?

The wicked borrows and does not pay back. But the righteous is gracious and gives.

Because of the iniquity of his covetousness gain I was angry and struck him. I hid and was angry. He went on backsliding in the way of his heart (his heart directed course of life).

The guilty travel a crooked path. The pure walk on a straight road.

When a wicked man dies his expectation perishes, indeed the hope of unjust men perishes.

We were with child, we writhed in pain, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth. We have not given birth to people of the world.

They are darkened (blinded) (obscured) in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart.

You were in the past alienated and enemies because your minds were on your evil works.

Can Ethiopians change the color of their skin or leopards change their spots? Can you do good when you are taught to do wrong?

They diligently seek to do evil with their hands. The prince asks and the judge is ready for a bribe. The great man utters his own evil desire. They weave it together.

They are past feeling. They have given themselves over to loose conduct, to work all uncleanness with greediness (a lust for more).

All of us have become unclean, and all our righteous acts are like permanently stained rags. All of us wither like leaves, and our sins carry us away like the wind.

Your obedience has come to our attention abroad. I am glad therefore on your behalf. Yet I would have you wise to that which is good and simple concerning evil.

Live as children of obedience. Do not fashion yourself according to your former lusts, for you were ignorant at that time.

But the noble man devises noble plans. He stands firm for what is honorable.

The proof of this ministry is that they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the good news of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men.

If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things have passed away. Behold, they have become new.

For we are his workmanship created with Christ Jesus for good works. God prepared these works in advance that we should walk in them.

Men were scorched with great heat. They blasphemed the name of God, who has power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.

They reviled him and spoke many things against him.

Throw the worthless servant into outer darkness. There will be crying and grinding of teeth.'

All have turned away from God; they have all done wrong. No one does what is right, not even one. (Psalm 53:3)

The god of this age (world) (religious, social, political, and economic arrangement) has blinded the minds of unbelievers that the light of the good news of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine on them.

They are darkened (blinded) (obscured) in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart.

Every good tree gives righteous fruit. The bad tree gives evil fruit.

You put away your former way (course) (behavior) (conversation) of life, the old self that was corrupt with the lusts of deceit.

unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, despisers of those who are good,

A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him in bad ways.

Blessed are the meek (gentle) (mild) (humble), for they will inherit the earth.

The meek, the poor, and the needy will celebrate and shout because of Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel.

He was a devout man who respected God with his entire household. He gave many gifts of mercy to the people and prayed to God always.

Those who respected Jehovah spoke to one another, and Jehovah listened to what they had to say. In his presence a memorial record was written down in a book listing those who reverence Jehovah and respect (esteem) (regard) his name.

Then all your people will be righteous and they will possess the land everlastingly. They will be the seedlings I have planted, the honored work of my hands.

They were both righteous before God. They blamelessly obeyed all the commandments and ordinances of God (Greek: kurios: God).

You obstinate men who are uncircumcised in heart and ears. You always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers did.

Jehovah said to Moses: Tell the Israelites: You are impossible to deal with. If I were with you, I might destroy you at any time. Take off your jewelry and I will decide what to do with you.

They diligently seek to do evil with their hands. The prince asks and the judge is ready for a bribe. The great man utters his own evil desire. They weave it together.

He who devises (plans) to do evil is called a troublemaker.

For men will be lovers of their own selves, covetous (lovers of money), arrogant, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful (ungrateful), unholy,

Love your enemies and do good to them. Lend expecting nothing in return and your reward will be great. You will be sons of the Most High for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

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

Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard I was coming. They were greatly troubled because a man came to help from the children of Israel.

The wicked run when no man pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.

But the fearful and unbelieving, abominable and murderers, fornicators and those practicing spiritism, idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur: which is the second death.

Who rejoice in doing evil? They delight in the perversity of the wicked.

They know the judgment of God, that those who commit such things are worthy of death! And yet, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who do them.

You were in the past alienated and enemies because your minds were on your evil works.

This is because the mind of the flesh is hostile toward God. It is not subject to the law of God for it cannot be.

For they persecute him whom you have wounded. They tell of the sorrow of those whom you have hurt.

for he did not remember to be kind. He drove oppressed, needy, and brokenhearted people to their graves.

They are filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil mindedness; they are whisperers,

They covet fields and seize them. They covet houses and confiscate them! They oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

They continued devoting themselves to doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Even though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit (mental disposition). I am glad when I see the resolute firmness with which you stand together in your faith in Christ.

Blessed are the merciful and compassionate, for they will receive mercy and compassion.

He is always generous and lends freely. His descendants are a blessing.

Solomon answered: You always showed great love for my father David, your servant. He was good, loyal, and honest in his relation with you. You have continued to show him your great and constant love by giving him a son who today rules in his place.

The one who walks with integrity and does what is righteous. He speaks the truth in his heart.

I do not need to write you about brotherly love. For God taught you to love one another.

We have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love you have for all the holy ones.

I will boast about Jehovah. Those who are oppressed will hear it and rejoice.

Likewise, you younger men, be subject to the older men. Yes, all of you clothe yourselves with humility and serve one another. God resists the proud, but gives loving kindness to the humble.

Is this how you repay Jehovah, you foolish and unwise people? Is he not your Father and creator, who made you and formed you?

The arrogant shall not stand before your eyes. You hate all who practice sin.

They will render vengeance to those who do not know God, and to those who do not obey the good news of our Lord Jesus.

Hear the word of Jehovah, you children of Israel! For Jehovah has a legal case against the inhabitants of the land. There is no truth! There is no goodness. There is no knowledge of God in the land.

You destroy those who speak falsehood. Jehovah abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.

Their throat is an open grave. They have practiced deceit with their tongues. The poison of snakes is under their lips. (Psalm 5:9)

The High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy, says: 'I dwell in the high and holy and also with him who has a contrite and humble spirit. I revive the spirit of the humble, and the heart of the contrite ones.'

I have made all these things. That is why all these things have come into being, declares Jehovah. I will pay attention to those who are humble and sorry for their sins and who tremble at my word.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Everyone who has this hope in him is purified. He is pure.

Jehovah knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to preserve the unrighteous for the Day of Judgment. (Psalm 34:19) (Matthew 25:46)

But know that Jehovah has chosen and distinguished the godly man for himself. Jehovah will hear when I call to him.

A good name is better than great riches, and loving favor is better than silver and gold.

A good name (honor) (renown) (reputation) is better than pleasant ointment and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

This is our pride and testimony of conscience. In holiness and Godly sincerity we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you. It was not by fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God.

For we are not as the many, corrupting the word of God; but sincere and from God. We speak in Christ in the sight of God.

Listen, heaven, and pay attention, earth! Jehovah (YHWH) has spoken: I raised my children and helped them grow, but they have rebelled against me.

These people are rebellious and deceitful children. They refuse to listen to Jehovah's Law.

The wicked person boasts about his selfish desires. He blesses the covetous, which Jehovah abhors.

They trust their riches and brag about their abundant wealth.

In his arrogant attitude he does not search for God. His faulty reasoning concludes: There is no God.

([Psalm of David]) The fool says in his heart: There is no God (Jehovah) (Psalm 10:4). They are corrupt. They do disgusting things. No one does good things.

A man named Ananias was in that city. He is a religious man who obeyed our Law and was highly respected by all the Jews living there.

Devout men buried Stephen and mourned him greatly.

When all of his own are out he leads them. The sheep follow him for they know his voice.

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

If a man marries a woman and has sex with her and then turns against her, he charges her with shameful deeds and publicly defames her. He says: 'When I had sex with this woman, I did not find proof of her virginity.' The girl's father and her mother must present evidence of the girl's virginity to the elders of the city at the gate. read more.
The girl's father shall say to the elders: I gave my daughter to be this man's wife, but he turned against her. He has charged her with shameful deeds. He says: 'I did not find your daughter to be a virgin. But this is the evidence of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city. The elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him, They will fine him a hundred shekels of silver. They will give it to the girl's father, because he publicly defamed a virgin of Israel. She will remain his wife. He may not divorce her all his days.

When Solomon was old he allowed his heart to be turned away to other gods by his wives. His heart was no longer true to Jehovah his God as the heart of his father David had been. Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, and Milcom, the disgusting god of the Ammonites. Solomon did evil in the eyes of Jehovah. He did not walk in Jehovah's ways with all his heart as David his father did. read more.
Then Solomon put up a high place for Chemosh, the disgusting god of Moab, in the mountain near Jerusalem. And for Molech, the disgusting god worshipped by the children of Ammon. He did likewise for all his strange wives, who made offerings with burning of perfumes to their gods.

Soon his master's wife began to desire Joseph and asked him to go to bed with her. He refused, and said to her: My master does not have to concern himself with anything in the house, because I am here. He has put me in charge of everything he has. No one in this house is greater than I. He has kept nothing back from me except you. You are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? read more.
She kept asking Joseph day after day. He refused to go to bed with her or be with her. One day he went into the house to do his work. None of the household servants were there. She grabbed him by his coat and said: Come to bed with me! But he ran outside and left his coat in her hand.

The doorkeeper opens to him and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his sheep by name and leads them. When all of his own are out he leads them. The sheep follow him for they know his voice.

Reuben, you are my firstborn; you are my strength and the first child of my manhood. You are the proudest and strongest of all my sons. You are like a raging flood. But you will not be the most important, for you slept with my concubine. You dishonored your father's bed.

Pilate answered: What I have written, I have written.

There you will remember the way you lived and everything you did to dishonor yourselves. You will be disgusted by every wrong thing that you did.

There are many unruly (rebellious) men, vain talkers, and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision.

Yet, when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together. They gathered together against me. Unknown attackers tore me apart without stopping.

Their end is destruction. Their god is their belly. Their glory is in their shame. They set their mind on earthly things.

I will punish Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, and Moab. I will punish all who shave the hair on their foreheads or live in the desert. Even though all these nations are uncircumcised, all Israel has uncircumcised hearts.

Such is the destiny of all who forget God. The hope of the godless will perish.

Their feet run to do evil. They hurry to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil. Ruin and destruction are on their highways.

An ungodly man digs up evil. It lies on his lips like a burning fire.

Blessed are those whose way is blameless. They walk in the law of Jehovah.

Those servants are blessed, for the master will find them alert when he comes. I tell you he will tighten his belt, have them sit down at the table, and he will serve them the meal.

The wise in heart will be called sensible. The sweetness of the lips increases learning.

That way you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. You are seen as lights in the world.

He (Jesus Christ) gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify a people for himself, who are special people, zealous for good works.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him. He said: Look an Israelite indeed. There is no deceit in him!

They will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome (conquer) them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings. Those who are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

It is better to be humble and lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud.

traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

I am sending you to these defiant and stubborn children. Tell them: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says:

But the people of Israel will refuse to listen to you because they refuse to listen to me. All the people of Israel are very stubborn and hardheaded.

unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, despisers of those who are good,

But the fearful and unbelieving, abominable and murderers, fornicators and those practicing spiritism, idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur: which is the second death.

without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, and unmerciful.

A righteous man hates lying. A wicked man is loathsome and shameful.

He gave a thorough witness with many words and exhorted them, saying: Save yourselves from this indecent generation.

They have corrupted themselves; they are not His sons. They are a blemished, crooked and perverse generation.

I am sending you to these defiant and stubborn children. Tell them: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says:

For men will be lovers of their own selves, covetous (lovers of money), arrogant, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful (ungrateful), unholy,

traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

For men will be lovers of their own selves, covetous (lovers of money), arrogant, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful (ungrateful), unholy,

Is this how you repay Jehovah, you foolish and unwise people? Is he not your Father and creator, who made you and formed you?

All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

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

The wicked run when no man pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.

The expression on their faces will be held against them. They boast about their sins! They are like those of the people of Sodom. They do not even bother to hide them. How horrible it will be for these people. They have brought disaster on themselves.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed (Greek: makarios: happy, blessed) are those conscious of their spiritual need, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

I am no more in the world but they are in the world. I come to you Holy Father. Keep them in your name, which you have given to me, that they may be one*, even as we are. *(Greek: heis; united in purpose and love)

Yet you are holy, you who dwell seated on the praises of Israel.