Illness makes life narrow – physically and often mentally too. The Bible is full of the sick who cry out to God, and full of encounters in which Jesus heals. Here you will find 20 Bible verses for illness: for the sick themselves, for those who accompany them, and for cards with wishes for recovery.
God is with the sick
Comfort for days in the sickbed.
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The LORD will restore him on his sickbed; you will help him from all sickness.
Psalm 41:4
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Even though my body and soul are consumed, you are, O God, the comfort of my heart always and my portion.
Psalm 73:26ExhaustionHeart
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And though I walk in the valley of the shadow, I will fear no evil; for you are with me, your rod and your staff comfort me.
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Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you also, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
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Therefore we are not weary; but though our outer man is perishing, yet our inner man is being renewed from day to day.
2 Corinthians 4:16Old ageCare and medicine
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And he said to me: Let enough be your grace; for my power is mighty in the weak. Therefore I will most gladly boast of my weakness, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
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God is our confidence and strength. A help in the great troubles that have befallen us.
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He gives strength to the weary, and sufficient strength to the powerless.
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LORD, be gracious to me, for I am weak; heal me, LORD, for my bones are dismayed.
Psalm 6:3
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LORD, be gracious to me, for I am afraid; my form is fallen in sorrow, even my soul and my body.
Psalm 31:10Courage to livePsalms
Prayer for healing
Verses with which you can pray for the sick.
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Heal me, LORD, and I shall be healed; help me, and I am helped; for you are my glory.
Jeremiah 17:14Healing
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If someone is sick, let him call for the elders of the congregation, that they may pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the LORD. And the prayer of faith will help the sick, and the LORD will raise him up; and if he has done sins, they shall be forgiven him.
James 5:14-15
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Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.
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For I am the LORD, your physician.
Exodus 15:26bHealing
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Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not what he has done good to you: who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.
Psalm 103:2-3Healing
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That it may be fulfilled which was said by the prophet Isaiah, who speaks: “He took up our weaknesses, and bore our diseases.”
Matthew 8:17
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And Jesus went about in all the cities and markets, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
Matthew 9:35
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I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.
Matthew 25:36Care and medicineClothing
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My beloved, I wish in all things that you may prosper and be healthy, even as your soul prospers.
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But he said to her: My daughter, your faith has made you whole; go your way in peace, and be whole from your affliction!
Bible texts: Luther Bible 1912 (public domain), carefully adapted to modern spelling.
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“I am the LORD, your physician” (Exodus 15:26) – the poster for JHWH Rapha is a greeting for a hospital room, practice, or ward.
YHWH Rapha - Names of God PosterPoster for JHWH Rapha – “I am the LORD, your physician” (Exodus 15:26).€12
Feel embraced - PostcardPostcard that sends an embrace when you cannot be there yourself.€2
Easy Yoke Fleece HalfzipSoft fleece half-zip from the Easy Yoke collection for quiet days.€68
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What the Bible says about illness
The Bible deals honestly with illness. The psalmists complain about weak limbs, sleepless nights, and loneliness. At the same time, it rejects the idea that illness is automatically a punishment for sin: When the disciples ask who sinned that a man was born blind, Jesus answers: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned” (John 9:3). Illness is part of a broken world – and God meets the sick with compassion, not with accusations.
Accompanying the sick
Jesus explicitly counts visiting the sick among the things that one does to himself: “I was sick, and you visited me” (Matthew 25:36). James recommends that the congregation pray for the sick and anoint them (James 5:14). When writing to a sick person, it is best to choose a verse that promises closeness instead of promising healing – such as Psalm 73:26 or Isaiah 41:10 – and to complement it with a personal greeting. Verses about healing can be found at Bible verses about healing, for caregivers and doctors at Bible verses for care and medicine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Bible verse is suitable for the sick?
Psalm 73:26, Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 23:4, 2 Corinthians 4:16, and Jeremiah 17:14 are often chosen: “Heal me, LORD, and I shall be healed.”
Is illness a punishment from God?
The Bible rejects this equation. Jesus explicitly says about a man born blind that neither he nor his parents had sinned (John 9:3).
