Category
108 Bible Verses about Joy
In the Old Testament, they celebrated joy with feasts and festivals. My joy comes from discovering God's will for my life, which the Bible reveals is good, pleasing, and perfect. It's not about what's happening around me or how I'm feeling at the moment, but about finding true joy in the salvation I have in Jesus.
I want to encourage you today to let go of any sadness you're holding onto. Cast out bitterness and resentment from your heart, and let the everlasting joy of Jesus flood your soul. You'll find you have so much to smile about, and so much less to feel down about.
Think about it: everything around you was created by God for your enjoyment. So smile for Him, and let your heart overflow with love in His presence. That gray sky will soon disappear, and He’ll paint a rainbow just for you.
He’s turned my mourning into dancing; He’s filled me with joy. Sure, life isn’t always happy-go-lucky, but in God, I find peace because I trust that He’s working everything out for my good (Romans 8:28).
Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, take pleasure in Him]; again I will say, rejoice! [Ps 37:4]
Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift]. [Prov 22:9]
A man has joy in giving an appropriate answer, And how good and delightful is a word spoken at the right moment—how good it is!
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore. [Acts 2:25-28, 31]
This [day in which God has saved me] is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
constantly rejoicing in hope [because of our confidence in Christ], steadfast and patient in distress, devoted to prayer [continually seeking wisdom, guidance, and strength],
Rejoice always and delight in your faith;be unceasing and persistent in prayer;in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
So for now you are in grief; but I will see you again, and [then] your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away from you your [great] joy.
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.Serve the Lord with gladness and delight; Come before His presence with joyful singing.
A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. [Prov 12:25; 15:13, 15]
The hope of the righteous [those of honorable character and integrity] is joy, But the expectation of the wicked [those who oppose God and ignore His wisdom] comes to nothing.
The precepts of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
“The Lord your God is in your midst, A Warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with joy; He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins], He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.
These things I [vividly] remember as I pour out my soul; How I used to go along before the great crowd of people and lead them in procession to the house of God [like a choirmaster before his singers, timing the steps to the music and the chant of the song], With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a great crowd keeping a festival.
Go your way, eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a cheerful heart [if you are righteous, wise, and in the hands of God]; for God has already approved and accepted your works.
The Lord is my strength and my [impenetrable] shield; My heart trusts [with unwavering confidence] in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I shall thank Him and praise Him.
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good as long as they live;and also that every man should eat and drink and see and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.
for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking [what one likes], but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Though the fig tree does not blossom And there is no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive fails And the fields produce no food, Though the flock is cut off from the fold And there are no cattle in the stalls,Yet I will [choose to] rejoice in the Lord; I will [choose to] shout in exultation in the [victorious] God of my salvation! [Rom 8:37]
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not even see Him now, you believe and trust in Him and you greatly rejoice and delight with inexpressible and glorious joy,
For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may endure for a night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning. [2 Cor 4:17]
You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones; Praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright [in heart—those with moral integrity and godly character].
But let the righteous be glad; let them be in good spirits before God, Yes, let them rejoice with delight.
For You, O Lord, have made me glad by Your works; At the works of Your hands I joyfully sing.
Light is sown [like seed] for the righteous and illuminates their path, And [irrepressible] joy [is spread] for the upright in heart [who delight in His favor and protection].Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones [those whose moral and spiritual integrity places them in right standing with God], And praise and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”The Lord has done great things for us; We are glad!
How blessed and favored are the people in such circumstance; How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored] are the people whose God is the Lord!
Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; Let Zion’s children rejoice in their King. [Zech 9:9; Matt 21:5]
A heart full of joy and goodness makes a cheerful face, But when a heart is full of sadness the spirit is crushed. [Prov 17:22]
All the days of the afflicted are bad, But a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of the circumstances].
The light of the eyes rejoices the hearts of others, And good news puts fat on the bones.
When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous (the upright, the one in right standing with God), But to the evildoers it is disaster.
For to the person who pleases Him God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who pleases God. This too is vanity and chasing after the wind.
Also, every man to whom God has given riches and possessions, He has also given the power and ability to enjoy them and to receive [this as] his [allotted] portion and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God [to him].
“Behold, God, my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid, For the Lord God is my strength and song; Yes, He has become my salvation.”Therefore with joy you will draw water From the springs of salvation.
And the ransomed of the Lord will return And come to Zion with shouts of jubilation, And everlasting joy will be upon their heads; They will find joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.
So the redeemed of the Lord will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion; Everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away. [Rev 7:17; 21:1, 4]
“For you will go out [from exile] with joy And be led forth [by the Lord Himself] with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
To grant to those who mourn in Zion the following: To give them a turban instead of dust [on their heads, a sign of mourning], The oil of joy instead of mourning, The garment [expressive] of praise instead of a disheartened spirit. So they will be called the trees of righteousness [strong and magnificent, distinguished for integrity, justice, and right standing with God], The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became a joy to me and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.
“Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance, And the young men and old, together, For I will turn their mourning into joy And will comfort them and make them rejoice after their sorrow.
Be glad and exceedingly joyful, for your reward in heaven is great [absolutely inexhaustible]; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. [2 Chr 36:16]
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.’
So the women left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell [the good news to] the disciples.
Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are you who hunger now [for righteousness, actively seeking right standing with God], for you will be [completely] satisfied. Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are you who weep now [over your sins and repent], for you will laugh [when the burden of sin is lifted].
Nevertheless do not rejoice at this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” [Ex 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1; Rev 3:5]
I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.
In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents [that is, changes his inner self—his old way of thinking, regrets past sins, lives his life in a way that proves repentance; and seeks God’s purpose for his life].”
I have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing.
I assure you and most solemnly say to you, that you will weep and grieve [in great mourning], but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.
But now I am coming to You; and I say these things [while I am still] in the world so that they may experience My joy made full and complete and perfect within them [filling their hearts with My delight].
‘You have made known to me the ways of life; You will fill me [infusing my soul] with joy with Your presence.’ [Ps 16:8-11]
And the disciples were continually filled [throughout their hearts and souls] with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Through Him we also have access by faith into this [remarkable state of] grace in which we [firmly and safely and securely] stand. Let us rejoice in our hope and the confident assurance of [experiencing and enjoying] the glory of [our great] God [the manifestation of His excellence and power].And not only this, but [with joy] let us exult in our sufferings and rejoice in our hardships, knowing that hardship (distress, pressure, trouble) produces patient endurance;
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you will abound in hope and overflow with confidence in His promises.
Great is my confidence in you; great is my pride and boasting on your behalf. I am filled [to the brim] with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in spite of all our trouble.
But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
always offering every prayer of mine with joy [and with specific requests] for all of you,
Finally, my fellow believers, continue to rejoice and delight in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble for me, and it is a safeguard for you.
And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours]. [John 14:27]
[we pray that you may be] strengthened and invigorated with all power, according to His glorious might, to attain every kind of endurance and patience with joy;
Let the [spoken] word of Christ have its home within you [dwelling in your heart and mind—permeating every aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and train one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
You became imitators of us and [through us] of the Lord, after you welcomed our message in [a time of] great trouble with the joy supplied by the Holy Spirit;
[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work]. [Ps 110:1]
Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials.Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace].
But insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, keep on rejoicing, so that when His glory [filled with His radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may rejoice with great joy.
We are writing these things to you so that our joy [in seeing you included] may be made complete [by having you share in the joy of salvation].
¶But let all who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice, Let them ever sing for joy; Because You cover and shelter them, Let those who love Your name be joyful and exult in You.
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous [who actively seek right standing with Him]; Shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
O clap your hands, all you people; Shout to God with the voice of triumph and songs of joy.
Blessed and happy are the people who know the joyful sound [of the trumpet’s blast]! They walk, O Lord, in the light and favor of Your countenance!In Your name they rejoice all the day, And in Your righteousness they are exalted.
O come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord; Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.Let us come before His presence with a song of thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with songs.
They who sow in tears shall reap with joyful singing.He who goes back and forth weeping, carrying his bag of seed [for planting], Will indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
You [O God] will increase the nation, You will multiply their joy; They will rejoice before You Like the joy and jubilation of the harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil [of victory].
The afflicted also will increase their joy in the Lord, And the needy of mankind will rejoice and celebrate in the Holy One of Israel.
Shout for joy, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth, And break forth into singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people And will have compassion on His afflicted.
¶I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has covered me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom puts on a turban, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
When you see this, your heart will rejoice; Your bones will flourish like new grass. And the [powerful] hand of the Lord will be revealed to His servants, But His indignation will be toward His enemies.
“Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel! You will again be adorned with your tambourines and timbrels And go out to the dances of those who celebrate. [Is 37:22; Jer 18:13]
the [sound of the] voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the [song-filled] voice of those who say, “Give praise and thanks to the Lord of hosts, For the Lord is good; For His [steadfast] lovingkindness (mercy) endures forever”; and of those who bring a thank offering into the house of the Lord. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were at first,’ says the Lord.
Yet I will [choose to] rejoice in the Lord; I will [choose to] shout in exultation in the [victorious] God of my salvation! [Rom 8:37]
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.
He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens to him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this pleasure and joy of mine is now complete. [Song 5:1]
So, after being supplied and sent on their way by the church, they went through both Phoenicia and Samaria telling in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they brought great joy to all the believers.
Finally, believers, rejoice! Be made complete [be what you should be], be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace [enjoy the spiritual well-being experienced by believers who walk closely with God]; and the God of love and peace [the source of lovingkindness] will be with you.
Therefore, my fellow believers, whom I love and long for, my delight and crown [my wreath of victory], in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.
Now I rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf. And with my own body I supplement whatever is lacking [on our part] of Christ’s afflictions, on behalf of His body, which is the church.
For who is [the object of] our hope or joy or our victor’s wreath of triumphant celebration [when we stand] in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you?For you are [indeed] our glory and our joy!
For what [adequate] thanks can we offer to God for you in return for all the joy and delight we have before our God on your account?
I was greatly delighted to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father.
For I was greatly pleased when [some of the] brothers came [from time to time] and testified to your [faithfulness to the] truth [of the gospel message], that is, how you are walking in truth.I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my [spiritual] children are living [their lives] in the truth.
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling or falling into sin, and to present you unblemished [blameless and faultless] in the presence of His glory with triumphant joy and unspeakable delight,