18 Bible Verses about Friendship

Now Hiram, king of Tyre, hearing that Solomon had been made king in place of his father, sent his servants to him; for Hiram had ever been a friend to David.

I am full of grief for you, my brother Jonathan: very dear have you been to me: your love for me was a wonder, greater than the love of women.

May the Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus because he frequently gave me help, and had no feeling of shame because I was in chains;

But it seemed to me necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, who has taken part with me in the work and in the fight, and your servant, sent by you for help in my need;

Now after David's talk with Saul was ended, the soul of Jonathan was joined with the soul of David, and David became as dear to him as his very life.

And while they were talking and questioning together, Jesus himself came near and went with them.

I keep company with all your worshippers, and those who have your orders in their memory.

But if we are walking in the light, as he is in the light, we are all united with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son makes us clean from all sin.

Then those in whom was the fear of the Lord had talk together: and the Lord gave ear, and it was recorded in a book to be kept in mind before him, for those who had the fear of the Lord and gave thought to his name.

And they kept their attention fixed on the Apostles' teaching and were united together in the taking of broken bread and in prayer.

Did you not, O Lord our God, after driving out the people of this land before your people Israel, give it to the seed of Abraham, your friend, for ever?

And the holy Writings were put into effect which said, And Abraham had faith in God and it was put to his account as righteousness; and he was named the friend of God.

And the Lord had talk with Moses face to face, as a man may have talk with his friend. And when Moses came back to the tents, his servant, the young man Joshua, the son of Nun, did not come away from the Tent.

With him I will have talk mouth to mouth, openly and not in dark sayings; and with his eyes he will see the form of the Lord: why then had you no fear of saying evil against my servant Moses?

There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord had knowledge of face to face;

There was at table one of his disciples, the one dear to Jesus, resting his head on Jesus' breast.

Now Jesus had love in his heart for Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

And Jesus himself was weeping. So the Jews said, See how dear he was to him!

No longer do I give you the name of servants; because a servant is without knowledge of what his master is doing: I give you the name of friends, because I have given you knowledge of all the things which my Father has said to me.

And a number of women were there, watching from a distance, who had come with Jesus from Galilee, waiting on his needs. Among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. And in the evening, there came a man of wealth from Arimathaea, Joseph by name, who was a disciple of Jesus: read more.
This man went in to Pilate, and made a request for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate gave orders for it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body, folding it in clean linen, And put it in the resting-place which had been cut out of the rock for himself; and after rolling a great stone to the door of it he went away. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, seated by the place of the dead.

Now late on the Sabbath, when the dawn of the first day of the week was near, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the place where his body was. And there was a great earth-shock; for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, rolling back the stone, took his seat on it. His form was shining like the light, and his clothing was white as snow: read more.
And for fear of him the watchmen were shaking, and became as dead men. And the angel said to the women, Have no fear: for I see that you are searching for Jesus, who was put to death on the cross. He is not here, for he has come to life again, even as he said. Come, see the Lord's resting-place. And go quickly and give his disciples the news that he has come back from the dead, and is going before you into Galilee; there you will see him, as I have said to you. And they went away quickly, with fear and great joy, to give his disciples the news.

Now they were Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary, the mother of James: and the other women with them said these things to the Apostles.

But Mary was still there outside the hole in the rock, weeping; and while she was weeping and looking into the hole, She saw two angels in white seated where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I have no knowledge where they have put him. read more.
And then looking round, she saw Jesus there, but had no idea that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? who are you looking for? She, taking him for the gardener, said to him, Sir, if you have taken him away from here, say where you have put him and I will take him away. Jesus said to her, Mary! Turning, she said to him in Hebrew, Rabboni! (which is to say, Master). Jesus said to her, Do not put your hand on me, for I have not gone up to the Father: but go to my brothers and say to them, I go up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. Mary Magdalene went with the news to the disciples, and said she had seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her.

Now after David's talk with Saul was ended, the soul of Jonathan was joined with the soul of David, and David became as dear to him as his very life. And that day Saul took David and would not let him go back to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made an agreement together, because of Jonathan's love for David. read more.
And Jonathan took off the robe he had on and gave it to David, with all his military dress, even to his sword and his bow and the band round his body.

And Saul's son Jonathan went to David in Horesh, and made his hands strong in God; And said to him, Have no fear, for Saul my father will not get you into his power; and you will be king of Israel, and I will be by your side, and my father Saul is certain of this. And the two of them made an agreement before the Lord: and David went on living in Horesh, and Jonathan went back to his house.

Then David made this song of grief for Saul and Jonathan, his son: (It is recorded in the book of Jashar for teaching to the sons of Judah) and he said: The glory, O Israel, is dead on your high places! How have the great ones been made low! read more.
Give no news of it in Gath, let it not be said in the streets of Ashkelon; or the daughters of the Philistines will be glad, the daughters of men without circumcision will be uplifted in joy. O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain on you, you fields of death: for there the arms of the strong have been shamed, the arms of Saul, as if he had not been marked with the holy oil. From the blood of the dead, from the fat of the strong, the bow of Jonathan was not turned back, the sword of Saul did not come back unused. Saul and Jonathan were loved and pleasing; in their lives and in their death they were not parted; they went more quickly than eagles, they were stronger than lions. O daughters of Israel, have sorrow for Saul, by whom you were delicately clothed in robes of red, with ornaments of gold on your dresses. How have the great ones been made low in the fight! Jonathan is dead on your high places. I am full of grief for you, my brother Jonathan: very dear have you been to me: your love for me was a wonder, greater than the love of women. How have the great ones been made low, and the arms of war broken!

And the holy Writings were put into effect which said, And Abraham had faith in God and it was put to his account as righteousness; and he was named the friend of God.

I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He takes away every branch in me which has no fruit, and every branch which has fruit he makes clean, so that it may have more fruit. You are clean, even now, through the teaching which I have given you. read more.
Be in me at all times as I am in you. As the branch is not able to give fruit of itself, if it is not still on the vine, so you are not able to do so if you are not in me. I am the vine, you are the branches: he who is in me at all times as I am in him, gives much fruit, because without me you are able to do nothing. If a man does not keep himself in me, he becomes dead and is cut off like a dry branch; such branches are taken up and put in the fire and burned. If you are in me at all times, and my words are in you, then anything for which you make a request will be done for you. Here is my Father's glory, in that you give much fruit and so are my true disciples. Even as the Father has given me his love, so I have given my love to you: be ever in my love. If you keep my laws, you will be ever in my love, even as I have kept my Father's laws, and am ever in his love. I have said these things to you so that I may have joy in you and so that your joy may be complete. This is the law I give you: Have love one for another, even as I have love for you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man gives up his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I give you orders to do. No longer do I give you the name of servants; because a servant is without knowledge of what his master is doing: I give you the name of friends, because I have given you knowledge of all the things which my Father has said to me. You did not take me for yourselves, but I took you for myself; and I gave you the work of going about and producing fruit which will be for ever; so that whatever request you make to the Father in my name he may give it to you.

But as for you, Israel, my servant, and you, Jacob, whom I have taken for myself, the seed of Abraham my friend: You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and sent for from its farthest parts, saying to you, You are my servant, whom I have taken for myself, and whom I have not given up: Have no fear, for I am with you; do not be looking about in trouble, for I am your God; I will give you strength, yes, I will be your helper; yes, my true right hand will be your support.

And a number of women were there, watching from a distance, who had come with Jesus from Galilee, waiting on his needs. Among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Now late on the Sabbath, when the dawn of the first day of the week was near, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the place where his body was.

And Jonathan again took an oath to David, because of his love for him: for David was as dear to him as his very soul.

And Ittai the Gittite in answer said, By the living Lord, and by the life of my lord the king, in whatever place my lord the king may be, for life or death, there will your servant be.

Now when David had come to the top of the slope, where they gave worship to God, Hushai the Archite came to him in great grief with dust on his head: David said to him, If you go on with me, you will be a trouble to me: But if you go back to the town and say to Absalom, I will be your servant, O king; as in the past I have been your father's servant, so now I will be yours: then you will be able to keep Ahithophel's designs against me from being put into effect. read more.
And have you not there Zadok and Abiathar the priests? so whatever comes to your ears from the king's house, give word of it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. See, they have with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar; by them you may send word to me of everything which comes to your ears. So Hushai, David's friend, went into the town, and Absalom came to Jerusalem.

Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me take out twelve thousand men and this very night I will go after David: And I will come up with him when he is tired and feeble, and make him full of fear: and all the people with him will go in flight; and I will make an attack on the king only: And I will make all the people come back to you as a bride comes back to her husband: it is the life of only one man you are going after; so all the people will be at peace. read more.
And the saying was pleasing to Absalom and to the responsible men of Israel. Then Absalom said, Now send for Hushai the Archite, and let us give ear to what he has to say. And when Hushai came, Absalom said to him, This is what Ahithophel has said: are we to do as he says? if not, what is your suggestion? And Hushai said to Absalom, Ahithophel's idea is not a good one at this time. Hushai said further, You have knowledge of your father and his men, that they are men of war, and that their feelings are bitter, like those of a bear in the field whose young ones have been taken from her: and your father is a man of war, and will not take his night's rest with the people; But he will certainly have taken cover now in some hole or secret place; and if some of our people, at the first attack, are overcome, then any hearing of it will say, There is destruction among the people who are on Absalom's side. Then even the strongest, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will become like water; for all Israel is conscious that your father is a man of war, and those who are with him are strong and without fear. But my suggestion is that all Israel, from Dan as far as Beer-sheba, comes together to you, a great army like the sands of the sea in number; and that you yourself go out among them. Then we will come on him in some place, wherever he may be, falling on him as the dew comes on the earth: and of him and all the men who are with him not one will get away with his life. And if he has gone into some town, then let all Israel take strong cords to that town, and we will have it pulled into the valley, till not one small stone is to be seen there. Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, Hushai's suggestion is better than that of Ahithophel. For it was the purpose of the Lord to make the wise designs of Ahithophel without effect, so that the Lord might send evil on Absalom. Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, This is the suggestion made by Ahithophel to Absalom and the responsible men of Israel, and this is what I said to them. So now send the news quickly to David, and say, Do not take your night's rest by the way across the river to the waste land, but be certain to go over; or the king and all the people with him will come to destruction. Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting by En-rogel; and a servant-girl went from time to time and gave them news and they went with the news to King David, for it was not wise for them to let themselves be seen coming into the town. But a boy saw them, and gave word of it to Absalom: so the two of them went away quickly, and came to the house of a man in Bahurim who had a water-hole in his garden, and they went down into it. And a woman put a cover over the hole, and put crushed grain on top of it, and no one had any knowledge of it. And Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house and said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone from here to the stream. And after searching for them, and seeing nothing of them, they went back to Jerusalem. Then after the servants had gone away, they came up out of the water-hole and went to give King David the news; and they said, Get up and go quickly over the water, for such and such are Ahithophel's designs against you. So David and all the people who were with him went up over Jordan: when dawn came, every one of them had gone over Jordan.

Now, while they were on their way, he came to a certain town; and a woman named Martha took him into her house. And she had a sister, by name Mary, who took her seat at the Lord's feet and gave attention to his words. But Martha had her hands full of the work of the house, and she came to him and said, Lord, is it nothing to you that my sister has let me do all the work? Say to her that she is to give me some help. read more.
But the Lord, answering, said to her, Martha, Martha, you are full of care and troubled about such a number of things: Little is needed, or even one thing only: for Mary has taken that good part, which will not be taken away from her.

Now a certain man named Lazarus was ill; he was of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (The Mary whose brother Lazarus was ill, was the Mary who put perfumed oil on the Lord and made his feet dry with her hair.) So the sisters sent to him, saying, Lord, your dear friend is ill. read more.
When this came to his ears, Jesus said, The end of this disease is not death, but the glory of God, so that the Son of God may have glory because of it. Now Jesus had love in his heart for Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when the news came to him that Lazarus was ill, he did not go from the place where he was for two days. Then after that time he said to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. The disciples said to him, Master, the Jews were attempting only the other day to have you stoned, and are you going back there again? Then Jesus said in answer, Are there not twelve hours in the day? A man may go about in the day without falling, because he sees the light of this world. But if a man goes about in the night, he may have a fall because the light is not in him. These things said he: and after that he said to them, Lazarus our friend is at rest; but I go so that I may make him come out of his sleep. Then his disciples said to him, Lord, if he is resting he will get well. Jesus, however, was talking of his death: but they had the idea that he was talking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them clearly, Lazarus is dead. And because of you I am glad I was not there, so that you may have faith; but let us go to him. Then Thomas, who was named Didymus, said to the other disciples, Let us go so that we may be with him in death. Now when Jesus came, he made the discovery that Lazarus had been put into the earth four days before. Now Bethany was near to Jerusalem, about two miles away; And a number of Jews had come to Martha and Mary to give them comfort about their brother. When Martha had the news that Jesus was on the way, she went out to him, but Mary did not go from the house. Then Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here my brother would not be dead. But I am certain that, even now, whatever request you make to God, God will give it to you. Jesus said to her, Your brother will come to life again. Martha said to him, I am certain that he will come to life again when all come back from the dead at the last day. Jesus said to her, I am myself that day and that life; he who has faith in me will have life even if he is dead; And no one who is living and has faith in me will ever see death. Is this your faith? She said to him, Yes, Lord: my faith is that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world. And having said this, she went away and said secretly to her sister Mary, The Master is here and has sent for you. And Mary, hearing this, got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not at this time come into the town, but was still in the place where Martha had seen him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, comforting her, when they saw Mary get up quickly and go out, went after her in the belief that she was going to the place of the dead and would be weeping there. When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she went down at his feet, saying, Lord, if you had been here my brother would not be dead. And when Jesus saw her weeping, and saw the Jews weeping who came with her, his spirit was moved and he was troubled, And said, Where have you put him? They said, Come and see, Lord. And Jesus himself was weeping. So the Jews said, See how dear he was to him! But some of them said, This man, who made open the eyes of the blind man, was he not able to keep his friend from death? So Jesus, deeply troubled in heart, came to the place of the dead. It was a hole in the rock, and a stone was over the opening. Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said, Lord, by this time the body will be smelling, for he has been dead four days. Jesus said to her, Did I not say to you that if you had faith you would see the glory of God? So they took away the stone. And Jesus, looking up to heaven, said, Father, I give praise to you for hearing me. I was certain that your ears are at all times open to me, but I said it because of these who are here, so that they may see that you sent me. Then he said in a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! And he who was dead came out, with linen bands folded tightly about his hands and feet, and a cloth about his face. Jesus said to them, Make him free and let him go. Then a number of the Jews who had come to Mary and had seen the things which Jesus did had belief in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees with the news of what Jesus had done.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their work. And if one has a fall, the other will give him a hand; but unhappy is the man who is by himself, because he has no helper.

And Naomi took the child and put her arms round it, and she took care of it.

But it seemed to me necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, who has taken part with me in the work and in the fight, and your servant, sent by you for help in my need;

But I am hoping in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you before long, so that I may be comforted when I have news of you. For I have no man of like mind who will truly have care for you.

But his quality is clear to you; how, as a child is to its father, so he was a help to me in the work of the good news.

So Jehu got into his carriage and went to Jezreel, for Joram was ill in bed there; and Ahaziah, king of Judah, had come down to see Joram.

He went with Joram, the son of Ahab, to make war on Hazael, king of Aram, at Ramoth-gilead: and Joram was wounded by the Aramaeans. So King Joram went back to Jezreel to get well from the wounds which the bowmen had given him at Ramah, when he was fighting against Hazael, king of Aram. And Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Joram, the son of Ahab, in Jezreel, because he was ill.

And the Lord said to Samuel, How long will you go on sorrowing for Saul, seeing that I have put him from his place as king over Israel? Take oil in your vessel and go; I will send you to Jesse, the Beth-lehemite: for I have got a king for myself among his sons.

And Samuel never saw Saul again till the day of his death; but Samuel was sorrowing for Saul: and it was no longer the Lord's pleasure for Saul to be king over Israel.

There are friends who may be a man's destruction, but there is a lover who keeps nearer than a brother.

Do not give up your friend and your father's friend; and do not go into your brother's house in the day of your trouble: better is a neighbour who is near than a brother far off.

A friend is loving at all times, and becomes a brother in times of trouble.

Iron makes iron sharp; so a man makes sharp his friend.

May the Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus because he frequently gave me help, and had no feeling of shame because I was in chains;

There are friends who may be a man's destruction, but there is a lover who keeps nearer than a brother.

There are friends who may be a man's destruction, but there is a lover who keeps nearer than a brother.

A friend is loving at all times, and becomes a brother in times of trouble.

Greater love has no man than this, that a man gives up his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I give you orders to do.

Great numbers will make attempts to get the approval of a ruler: and every man is the special friend of him who has something to give.

The wounds of a friend are given in good faith, but the kisses of a hater are false.

He who keeps a sin covered is looking for love; but he who keeps on talking of a thing makes division between friends.

Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, Why are you coming with us? go back and keep with the king: for you are a man of another country, you are far from the land of your birth. It was only yesterday you came to us; why then am I to make you go up and down with us? for I have to go where I may; go back then, and take your countrymen with you, and may the Lord's mercy and good faith be with you. And Ittai the Gittite in answer said, By the living Lord, and by the life of my lord the king, in whatever place my lord the king may be, for life or death, there will your servant be.

Who for my life put their necks in danger; to whom not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are in debt:

And Elijah said to Elisha, Come no farther for the Lord has sent me to Beth-el. But Elisha said, As the Lord is living and as your soul is living, I will not be parted from you. So they went down to Beth-el.

And Job's three friends had word of all this evil which had come on him. And they came every one from his place, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. So they came together to a meeting-place, in order that they might go and make clear to Job their grief for him, and give him comfort. And lifting up their eyes when they were still far off, it did not seem that the man they saw was Job because of the change in him. And they gave way to bitter weeping, with signs of grief, and put dust on their heads. And they took their seats on the earth by his side for seven days and seven nights: but no one said a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.

And Abram, hearing that his brother's son had been made a prisoner, took a band of his trained men, three hundred and eighteen of them, sons of his house, and went after them as far as Dan. And separating his forces by night, he overcame them, putting them to flight and going after them as far as Hobah, which is on the north side of Damascus. And he got back all the goods, and Lot, his brother's son, with his goods and the women and the people.

Then Thomas, who was named Didymus, said to the other disciples, Let us go so that we may be with him in death.

But Ruth said, Give up requesting me to go away from you, or to go back without you: for where you go I will go; and where you take your rest I will take my rest; your people will be my people, and your God my God. Wherever death comes to you, death will come to me, and there will be my last resting-place; the Lord do so to me and more if we are parted by anything but death.

Now before the feast of the Passover, it was clear to Jesus that the time had come for him to go away from this world to the Father. Having once had love for those in the world who were his, his love for them went on to the end.

Give my love to Prisca and Aquila, workers with me in Christ Jesus, Who for my life put their necks in danger; to whom not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are in debt:

Keep here with me and have no fear; for he who has designs on my life has designs on yours: but with me you will be safe.

O you who are false to God, do you not see that the friends of this world are not God's friends? Every man desiring to be a friend of this world makes himself a hater of God.

O you who are false to God, do you not see that the friends of this world are not God's friends? Every man desiring to be a friend of this world makes himself a hater of God.

But Paul's sister's son had word of their design, and he came into the army building and gave news of it to Paul.

And David said, I will be a friend to Hanun, the son of Nahash, as his father was a friend to me. So David sent his servants, to give him words of comfort on account of his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.

And at Daniel's request, the king gave Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego authority over the business of the land of Babylon: but Daniel was kept near the king's person.

Now Hiram, king of Tyre, hearing that Solomon had been made king in place of his father, sent his servants to him; for Hiram had ever been a friend to David.

I have given an earlier account, O Theophilus, of all the things which Jesus did, and of his teaching from the first,

See, a time is coming, yes, it is now here, when you will go away in all directions, every man to his house, and I will be by myself: but I am not by myself, because the Father is with me.

See, a time is coming, yes, it is now here, when you will go away in all directions, every man to his house, and I will be by myself: but I am not by myself, because the Father is with me.