Verse collection
Bible verses to memorize
The Bible has 31,102 verses. These thirty-six are the ones to learn by heart first: short famous starters, then verses for comfort, courage, the gospel, and everyday living.
Print: verse cards · take-home slips · copywork sheets · all printables
Every verse below is quoted from the Berean Standard Bible, and the version picker by the first list can swap every verse into any of the site's editions. The default, the Berean Standard Bible, is a modern public-domain translation that reads much like the popular modern versions. Tap a reference to read the verse in its chapter, or take any verse straight into the five-step method: a few minutes a day, and it is yours by heart in about five days. The word counts are there for a reason; your first verses should be your shortest.
Looking for a particular need? Each collection has its own page, every verse with a line of context: anxiety · strength · hope · love · comfort · peace · healing · gratitude · short verses · for kids · joy · trusting God · patience · prayer · courage · wisdom · encouragement · protection · rest · loneliness · money · temptation · doubt · guidance · growth · leaders · faith · forgiveness · marriage · friendship · fear · grief. En español: versículos para la ansiedad.
Start with these ten
Famous enough that you have half-learned them already, short enough to win quickly. In order: shortest first.
We love because He first loved us.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Memorizing with kids? There is a whole page of first verses for kids, with a parent tip on each: start under a dozen words, add a hand motion per phrase, and take one verse a week.
For comfort and anxiety
The verses people reach for at 2 a.m. are worth having installed before you need them. These five are a start; there are thirteen, each with a line of context, on Bible verses for anxiety. For the weeks after a death, Bible verses for grief.
Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
For courage and hard days
Four here, and fourteen with context on Bible verses for strength; for fear with a face, Bible verses about fear.
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.
Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.
The heart of the gospel
Alongside John 3:16 above, these are the verses that carry the message itself. Many churches teach them as a set, the Romans Road among them. Hebrews 11:1 opens Bible verses about faith, and Ephesians 4:32 sits on Bible verses about forgiveness.
Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.
For everyday living
Psalm 118:24 opens Bible verses about joy; there are also collections on marriage and friendship.
This is the day that the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.
Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.
Rejoice at all times. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Word counts use this site's counting rule, an unbroken run of letters and digits, in the Berean Standard Bible; other translations run a little longer or shorter. Verse references link to the verse in its chapter, because a verse memorized with its context is a verse understood.
Questions
What are the best Bible verses to memorize first?
Start short and famous: Psalm 23:1, 1 John 4:19, Genesis 1:1, Philippians 4:13, and Psalm 56:3 are all around ten words. Once a few short verses are by heart, John 3:16 and Proverbs 3:5-6 are the classic next steps.
How many Bible verses should I memorize a week?
One verse a week is a sustainable pace for most people and most families: one short step a day for five days, then quick reviews of older verses at growing intervals. Fifty verses a year at a few minutes a day is far more than most people ever memorize.
Which translation is best for memorizing?
The one you hear every week, because it will be reinforced constantly. The King James Version remains the most memorized English Bible, and the Berean Standard Bible reads closest to popular modern versions like the NIV and ESV; both are on this site, along with fifty-eight other freely usable editions in forty languages. If your version is under copyright, paste the verse from your own Bible into the memorizer and everything works the same.
Half remember a different verse?
The words don't need to match exactly, just type what you remember.