What Does the Bible Say About Foster Care?
Here are 22 Bible verses about foster care, ordered by how relevant readers found them, with the King James Version and the modern Berean Standard Bible side by side.
- #1Psalms 82:3-4
Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
BSBDefend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; save them from the hand of the wicked.
- #2Mark 9:37
Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.
BSB“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.”
- #3Psalms 72:4
He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
BSBMay he vindicate the afflicted among the people; may he save the children of the needy and crush the oppressor.
- #4Matthew 18:5
And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
BSBAnd whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.
- #52 Corinthians 9:6-8
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
BSBRemember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
- #6James 1:27
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
BSBPure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
- #7Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
BSBLearn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”
- #8Mark 10:14
But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
BSBBut when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
- #91 Samuel 1:27
For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:
BSBI prayed for this boy, and since the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him,
- #10John 13:34
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
BSBA new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.
- #11Matthew 25:40
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
BSBAnd the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
- #12Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
BSBTrain up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
- #13Psalms 10:14
Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
BSBBut You have regarded trouble and grief; You see to repay it by Your hand. The victim entrusts himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.
- #14Proverbs 31:20
She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
BSBShe opens her arms to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.
- #151 Timothy 1:9-11
Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
BSBWe realize that law is not enacted for the righteous, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for killers of father or mother, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching that agrees with the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
- #16Psalms 72:13-14
He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
BSBHe will take pity on the poor and needy and save the lives of the oppressed. He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their blood is precious in his sight.
- #17John 10:11-15
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
BSBI am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock. The man runs away because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep.
- #18Proverbs 31:8-9
Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
BSBOpen your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.
- #19Leviticus 19:33
And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.
BSBWhen a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him.
- #20Jeremiah 22:16
He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the Lord.
BSBHe took up the cause of the poor and needy, and so it went well with him. Is this not what it means to know Me?” declares the LORD.
- #21Job 31:18
(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb;)
BSBthough from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow—
- #22Psalms 107:41
Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock.
BSBBut He lifts the needy from affliction and increases their families like flocks.
Verse rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY). Scripture: KJV & BSB (public domain).