The 40 Greatest Bible Quotes of All-Time

So, how can any one person determine the "greatest" quotes of all time from a book inspired by God? Truthfully, you can't. Even if you read it all, you'll miss parts of it, groove on one part today and another a year from now, hear a sermon about it, get a better understanding of it, and pick different parts that appeal to you. It's a little like picking your favorite part of the river that's flowing right in front of you. It changes over time.

Still, it's okay to have favorite parts of the Bible and note particular quotes that resonate with who you are as a human being right now. These are those "greatest quotes" in my eyes. Feel free to add your favorites down below in the comments section.

1) "Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God granted his request." -- 1 Chronicles 4:10

2) "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." -- 2 Chronicles 7:14

3) "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." -- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

4) "Then David said to the Philistine, 'You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day unto the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand.’" -- 1 Samuel 17:45-47

5) "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." -- 2 Timothy 4:3

6) "There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace." -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

7) "For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." -- Galatians 6:7

8) "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." -- Galatians 6:9

9) "And God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.’ So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.’" -- Genesis 1:26-28

10) "They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind." -- Hosea 8:7

11) "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." -- James 1:5

12) "Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." -- James 5:16

13) "’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’" -- Jeremiah 29:11

14) "For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son; that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." -- John 3:16

15) "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die.'" -- John 11:25

16) "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." -- John 14:6

17) "Then Samson said, 'With a donkey's jawbone I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey's jawbone I have killed a thousand men.'" -- Judges 15:16

18) "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. For if you love those who love you, what thanks do you receive? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks do you receive? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks do you receive? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much in return. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be the sons of the Highest. For He is kind to the unthankful and the evil. Be therefore merciful, even as your Father is merciful." -- Luke 6:31-36

19) "One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, 'Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!' But the other responded, and rebuking him, said, 'Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our crimes; but this man has done nothing wrong.' And he was saying, 'Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!'” And He said to him, 'Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.'" -- Luke 23:39-43

20) "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea." -- Mark 9:42

21) "Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?" -- Matthew 6:26

22) "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." -- Matthew 7:3-5

23) "Do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces." -- Matthew 7:6

24) "So, everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven." -- Matthew 10:32-33

25) "Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." -- Matthew 15:14

26) "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." -- Matthew 22:21

27) "'For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes, and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’" -- Matthew 25: 35-40

28) "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." -- Matthew 26:41

29) "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." -- Peter 5:8

30) "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." -- Proverbs 3:5-6

31) "What good people want always results in good; when the wicked get what they want, everyone is angry." -- Proverbs 11:23

32) "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." -- Proverbs 15:1

33) "Condemning the innocent or letting the wicked go - both are hateful to the Lord." -- Proverbs 17:15

34) "Better to live on the roof than share the house with a nagging wife." -- Proverbs 21:9

35) "If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink. You will make them burn with shame, and the Lord will reward you." -- Proverbs 25: 21-22

36) "Too much honey is bad for you, and so is trying to win too much praise." — Proverbs 25:27

37) "Why don’t lazy people ever get out of the house? What are they afraid of? Lions?" -- Proverbs 26:13

38) "Correction and discipline are good for children. If they have their own way, they will make their mothers ashamed of them." -- Proverbs 29:15

39) "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." -- Psalm 23

40) "Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." -- Psalm 37: 3-5

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