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Bible verses for when you've been betrayed

Jesus knows betrayal from the inside. God sees what was done to you, and He is faithful when people aren't.

Betrayal hurts more because it comes from someone close. These verses come from people who were betrayed too, Jesus among them, and show where they found their footing.

What it sounds like

  • “I trusted them, and they betrayed me.”
  • “I can't trust anyone now.”
  • “My closest friend turned on me.”
  • “I'll never trust anyone again.”
  • “I can only count on myself.”

Four verses for today

  1. 1Psalm 55:12-14

    Read in context
    For it is not an enemy who insults me; that I could endure. It is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion and close friend. We shared sweet fellowship together; we walked with the crowd into the house of God.

    David says an enemy's insult he could have handled. What crushed him was a close friend he had worshiped beside. God put that kind of pain in the Bible.

  2. 2Psalm 41:9

    Read in context
    Even my close friend whom I trusted, the one who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.

    David was betrayed by a friend who ate at his table, and Jesus quoted this verse about Judas (John 13:18). He knows exactly how this feels.

  3. 32 Timothy 4:16-17

    Read in context
    At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.

    When Paul was on trial, everyone deserted him. He asked that it not be held against them, and he says the Lord stood by him.

  4. 4Psalm 118:8

    Read in context
    It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.

    This doesn't say never trust people again. It says only God can hold all your weight, so put your trust in Him first.

Verses from the Berean Standard Bible.

Say it out loud

Jesus knows what betrayal feels like. The Lord stood by Paul when everyone left, and He sees me too. My trust rests on Him first.

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A prayer

Jesus, someone I trusted turned on me, and it hurts more than I can say. You know this pain. Keep bitterness from taking root in me, and help me trust You first. In time, show me who is safe to trust again. Amen.

Questions people ask

What does the Bible say about betrayal?

It's full of it. David was betrayed by a close friend (Psalm 55:12-14), and Jesus by Judas, one of the Twelve. God sees it, and Romans 12:19 says He will judge it rightly, so you don't have to get even.

How do I trust people again after being betrayed?

Slowly, and with people who've shown over time that they're safe. Forgiving someone isn't the same as trusting them again; trust has to be rebuilt. Start by trusting God with the hurt (Psalm 118:8), and talk it through with a pastor, a counselor or a friend who has earned your trust.

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