The Bible has a great deal to say about love, and very little of it is sentimental. It describes love as something that acts: patient, self-giving, and durable enough to survive being tested. It begins with God’s love for us and works outward into how we love one another.
These 25 Bible verses about love are grouped by that movement: God’s love for you, loving one another, what love actually looks like, love in marriage, and love that lasts. You can read any passage in full at Bible Gateway.
Read at weddings, carried in wallets, given between people who mean it — a verse about love travels well when it travels on something kept close.
God’s love for you
Every other kind of love in Scripture flows from this one.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16
“Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” — Romans 8:39
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son.” — 1 John 4:10
“The Lord your God is with you … he will take great delight in you … he will rejoice over you with singing.” — Zephaniah 3:17
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God.” — 1 John 3:1
Loving one another
Jesus made love the mark by which his followers would be known.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” — John 13:34
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” — John 13:35
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.” — 1 John 4:7
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” — 1 Peter 4:8
“Do everything in love.” — 1 Corinthians 16:14
What love looks like
The clearest description of love in the Bible, and the reason it is read at so many weddings.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” — 1 Corinthians 13:4
“It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” — 1 Corinthians 13:5
“It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” — 1 Corinthians 13:7
“And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” — Colossians 3:14
“Let all that you do be done in love.” — 1 Corinthians 16:14
Love in marriage and family
For the covenants and homes where love is lived out day after day.
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” — Ephesians 5:25
“Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away.” — Song of Songs 8:7
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” — Ephesians 4:2
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” — 1 Corinthians 13:13
“Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death.” — Song of Songs 8:6
Love that endures
Scripture ties love to permanence — God’s, and the love that reflects it.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.” — Psalm 136:1
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end.” — Lamentations 3:22
“Love never fails.” — 1 Corinthians 13:8
“We love because he first loved us.” — 1 John 4:19
“And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.” — Ephesians 5:2
Carrying a verse that steadies you
A verse tends to stay with us when it stays near us. That is the quiet idea behind every piece we make: a Bible verse debossed into full-grain leather — hot-stamped into the grain, not printed on top — on something carried every day. A leather bookmark marks the verse you keep returning to; a keychain or wallet carries a few words into an ordinary afternoon. Browse the full Bible verses by theme collection, or read the companion guides to verses about hope and verses for grief and comfort.
Common questions about Bible verses about love
What is the best Bible verse about love?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 is the most quoted, because it describes love as patient, kind, and enduring rather than as a feeling. For God’s love, John 3:16 and Romans 8:38–39 are anchors. The best verse depends on whether you mean God’s love, love for others, or love in marriage.
What does 1 Corinthians 13 say about love?
It says love is patient and kind, not envious, boastful, or proud, and that it “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” It frames love as action and character, which is why it reads so well at weddings and anniversaries.
Which Bible verse about love is good for a wedding?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 and Colossians 3:14 are common wedding readings, and Song of Songs 8:6–7 speaks to love that endures. Any of them makes a fitting verse for a gift that marks the day.