Relationships
Updated April 17, 2026
Thoughtful Bible verses on life and choice offer reflection on complex topics. These verses encourage compassion and understanding.
Verses for 25+ Bible Verses About Abortion
Start with one passage. If it catches your attention, stay there before moving through the rest of the list.
The Bible can offer inspiration, strength, and knowledge even when it comes to the most complex of topics. Abortion is something that sparks many discussions in religious communities, as they turn to Scripture to find the true repercussions of the act. It is a moral, religious, and legal debate all at once, but the components are not independent from each other.
Perhaps one of the most quoted verses when it comes to abortion debates is Psalm 139:13-16, which, through its rich imagery of a baby being made in his mother’s womb underlines the fact that life begins at conception, and therefore abortion takes a life.
And, as Exodus 20:13 says, “You shall not murder.” Apart from talking about how and when life is made, we must not forget that the Bible also praises compassion and forgiveness. Such topics must not give way to hatred.
Passage 1
"For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well."
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: This verse reflects God’s intimate involvement in creating each life, suggesting that each person is purposefully made by Him.
Passage 2
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."
Read aloud: Give this verse room to breathe. Let one word or image stand out before you move to the explanation.
In plain words: God knew Jeremiah before he was born, indicating His awareness and purpose for individuals even from conception.
Passage 3
"You shall not murder."
Read aloud: Try saying the last line slowly, then turn it into a one-sentence prayer in your own words.
In plain words: This commandment emphasizes the sanctity of human life, often referenced in discussions about protecting life.
Passage 4
"Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?"
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: Job acknowledges that God is the creator of life in the womb, seeing all people as formed by His hands.
Passage 5
"Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar! The Lord has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name."
Read aloud: Give this verse room to breathe. Let one word or image stand out before you move to the explanation.
In plain words: God’s call and purpose extend even before birth, suggesting that life in the womb has significance.
Passage 6
"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
Read aloud: Try saying the last line slowly, then turn it into a one-sentence prayer in your own words.
In plain words: Every person is created in God’s image, which underpins the belief in the inherent value and dignity of each life.
Passage 7
"And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit."
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: This verse describes the unborn John the Baptist reacting to Mary’s voice, showing awareness and life in the womb.
Passage 8
"But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God."
Read aloud: Give this verse room to breathe. Let one word or image stand out before you move to the explanation.
In plain words: The Psalmist acknowledges God’s presence and care even before birth, indicating the value of life from the earliest stages.
Passage 9
"These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood."
Read aloud: Try saying the last line slowly, then turn it into a one-sentence prayer in your own words.
In plain words: God condemns the shedding of innocent blood, a principle often cited in the context of protecting the vulnerable, including the unborn.
Passage 10
"As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything."
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: This verse highlights the mystery of God’s work in creation, especially in the formation of life in the womb.
Passage 11
"Thus says the Lord who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you: ‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant; And you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.'"
Read aloud: Give this verse room to breathe. Let one word or image stand out before you move to the explanation.
In plain words: God’s role as Creator is emphasized, portraying Him as actively forming life in the womb.
Passage 12
"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;"
Read aloud: Try saying the last line slowly, then turn it into a one-sentence prayer in your own words.
In plain words: God encourages choosing life, a verse often used to support the sanctity of life and the protection of future generations.
Passage 13
"Your hands have made me and fashioned me, An intricate unity; Yet You would destroy me. Remember, I pray, that You have made me like clay. And will You turn me into dust again? Did You not pour me out like milk, And curdle me like cheese, Clothe me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews? You have granted me life and favor, And Your care has preserved my spirit."
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: Job reflects on God’s intentional creation of life, recognizing His care and purpose in forming each individual.
Passage 14
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward."
Read aloud: Give this verse room to breathe. Let one word or image stand out before you move to the explanation.
In plain words: Children are seen as a blessing from God, reinforcing the value of life and family.
Passage 15
"Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, Who have been upheld by Me from birth, Who have been carried from the womb; Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you."
Read aloud: Try saying the last line slowly, then turn it into a one-sentence prayer in your own words.
In plain words: God cares for and sustains each life from birth through old age, showing His commitment to every stage of life.
Passage 16
"Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man."
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: Human life is sacred because people are made in God’s image, emphasizing the importance of protecting life.
Passage 17
"Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?" says the Lord. "Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?" says your God."
Read aloud: Give this verse room to breathe. Let one word or image stand out before you move to the explanation.
In plain words: God is depicted as sovereign over birth and life, highlighting His role in bringing forth new life.
Passage 18
"Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven."
Read aloud: Try saying the last line slowly, then turn it into a one-sentence prayer in your own words.
In plain words: Jesus values children highly, indicating God’s care and concern for the most vulnerable.
Passage 19
"Samaria is held guilty, For she has rebelled against her God. They shall fall by the sword; Their infants shall be dashed in pieces, And their women with child ripped open."
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: This verse reflects the tragedy of violence against the unborn in ancient times, illustrating the heartbreak associated with loss of life.
Passage 20
"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."
Read aloud: Give this verse room to breathe. Let one word or image stand out before you move to the explanation.
In plain words: This verse speaks to God’s heart for protecting and caring for the vulnerable, underscoring the value of compassionate care for all.
Passage 21
"Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to Him and said, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.'"
Read aloud: Try saying the last line slowly, then turn it into a one-sentence prayer in your own words.
In plain words: Jesus welcomes and blesses children, showing His love for them and underscoring their value in God’s eyes.
Passage 22
"For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor."
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: Human life is honored and valuable in God’s creation, highlighting the dignity of every person.
Passage 23
"Because He did not kill me from the womb, Or that my mother might have been my grave, And her womb always enlarged."
Read aloud: Give this verse room to breathe. Let one word or image stand out before you move to the explanation.
In plain words: Jeremiah expresses the pain of suffering but recognizes life as a gift, even amid difficulties.
Passage 24
"But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace."
Read aloud: Try saying the last line slowly, then turn it into a one-sentence prayer in your own words.
In plain words: Paul speaks of God’s calling on his life from the womb, showing that God has purposes for each person.
Passage 25
"Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand."
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: God’s sovereignty over life and death affirms that life is ultimately in His hands.
Start with Psalm 139:13-14, Jeremiah 1:5, and Exodus 20:13. Read one of them aloud before you read the rest, so the page feels less like a list and more like a conversation with Scripture.
Choose one reference, read it slowly, and write the line that stays with you in your own words. Turn that sentence into a short prayer before you move to another passage.
The Bible contains more than 31,000 verses. In the King James Version, there are 31,102 verses across 66 books, though totals can vary slightly between translations because some passages are grouped differently.
A Chosen Portion take
Before you turn abortion into a list to finish, give yourself a little quiet. Let the verses search your posture toward real people, not an imaginary version of them.
Start with Psalm 139:13-14 and read it out loud if you can. Then carry one honest sentence into the rest of the day: a confession, a request, a thank-you, or a small act of obedience.
Take Scripture into prayer with a gentler daily rhythm: reflection, quiet attention, and one faithful conversation at a time.