Bible Verses About Worry (KJV)
20 King James Version scriptures on worry and fear, each with a short devotional note. Every verse links to its full chapter. Looking for a specific word or phrase? Search all three translations, or browse every subject on the Topics index.
The word worry never appears in the King James Version. Where modern translations read “do not worry,” the KJV says “take no thought” (Matthew 6:25) and “be careful for nothing” (Philippians 4:6) — careful here meaning full of care, not cautious.
“Take No Thought”: Jesus on Worry (Matthew 6:25-34)
The longest teaching on worry in the Bible sits in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus argues rather than scolds: he points at birds that do not farm, lilies that do not weave, and a Father who already knows what you need. Three times he repeats the command — “take no thought” — and each time he gives a reason to stop.
Jesus begins with a question, not a rebuke: if God gave you the greater gift of life, will He withhold the lesser gift of food and clothing?
Matthew 6:25The birds neither sow, reap, nor store — and are still fed. The argument runs from lesser to greater: “Are ye not much better than they?”
Matthew 6:26Worry is not merely wrong; it is useless. No amount of anxious thought adds a single cubit to your stature or an hour to your life.
Matthew 6:27Wildflowers outdress Solomon without spinning a thread. If God clothes grass that is burned tomorrow, He will clothe you — the problem is “little faith,” not scarce supply.
Matthew 6:28-30The anxious questions — what shall we eat, drink, wear — are answered before they are asked: “your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”
Matthew 6:31-32Worry is cured by reordering, not by emptying the mind. Put God’s kingdom first and the things you were grasping at are “added.”
Matthew 6:33Tomorrow will carry its own trouble. Jesus limits worry to a single day’s portion — “sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
Matthew 6:34Cast Your Care Upon the Lord
Scripture rarely tells the worried simply to stop. It tells them where to put the weight. Paul turns anxiety into prayer, Peter calls the handing-over an act of trust in God’s care, and the Psalms picture a burden rolled onto the LORD by someone who cannot carry it any further.
“Be careful for nothing” is the KJV’s “do not be anxious.” Worry is swapped for prayer and thanksgiving, and what comes back is a peace that stands guard over heart and mind.
Philippians 4:6-7The casting is yours; the caring is His. You can let go of every care precisely because “he careth for you.”
1 Peter 5:7David writes this while fleeing betrayal. The burden is real and heavy — and it is transferable to a God who promises to sustain the one who hands it over.
Psalms 55:22A verse for a racing mind. “In the multitude of my thoughts within me” — the crowd of anxious thoughts — God’s comforts do not merely quiet the soul but delight it.
Psalms 94:19Peace Instead of Fear
Worry and fear share a root, and Scripture answers both the same way: not by promising easy circumstances, but by promising God’s presence. A mind “stayed” on Him is kept in perfect peace — held steady, not left untroubled by accident.
Four promises answer one command. Fear not — because I am with thee, I am thy God, I will strengthen thee, I will uphold thee.
Isaiah 41:10Peace here has a condition and a cause: a mind “stayed” — leaning, propped — on God, because it trusts Him.
Isaiah 26:3Jesus distinguishes His peace from the world’s. The world’s peace depends on conditions; His is a gift given before the storm, on the night He was betrayed.
John 14:27The shortest answer to worry in Scripture. David does not claim he never feels afraid — he names what he does when he is: “I will trust in thee.”
Psalms 56:3Fear is not the spirit God gave. In its place He supplies power, love, and “a sound mind” — a steadied, self-possessed way of thinking.
2 Timothy 1:7Recommended reading
Study Bibles & devotionals
Go deeper than a single verse. These study Bibles and daily devotionals pair well with the topics here — adding context, commentary, and a rhythm for daily reading.
ESV Study Bible
Crossway
Over 20,000 study notes, maps, and articles — the go-to one-volume study Bible for understanding scripture in context.
Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
Tyndale / Zondervan
Notes that connect each passage to everyday life — ideal alongside the topical verses on this page.
Jesus Calling
Sarah Young
A year of short daily devotions written as if Jesus is speaking — a gentle companion to daily scripture reading.
My Utmost for His Highest
Oswald Chambers
The classic daily devotional — 365 readings that have shaped Christian devotion for over a century.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Bible say about worry?
The Bible commands against worry and then gives reasons to stop. In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus says “Take no thought for your life,” pointing to birds God feeds and lilies God clothes, and observes that worry is powerless: “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” Philippians 4:6 replaces anxiety with prayer — “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” And 1 Peter 5:7 gives the reason it is safe to let go: “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” Scripture treats worry as both a failure of trust and a burden God invites you to hand over.
What are the KJV verses about not worrying?
The most-cited King James Version verses about not worrying are Matthew 6:25-34 (Jesus’s teaching on taking no thought for tomorrow), Philippians 4:6-7 (“Be careful for nothing... and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds”), 1 Peter 5:7 (“Casting all your care upon him”), Psalm 55:22 (“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee”), Psalm 94:19 (“In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul”), Isaiah 41:10 (“Fear thou not; for I am with thee”), and Psalm 56:3 (“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee”).
Where does the Bible say “do not worry”?
The phrase “do not worry” comes from modern translations. The King James Version, written in 1611, uses older English for the same commands: Jesus says “Take no thought” in Matthew 6:25, 6:31, and 6:34, and Paul writes “Be careful for nothing” in Philippians 4:6 — where “careful” means full of care, or anxious, rather than cautious. If you are searching the KJV for “do not worry” and finding nothing, these are the verses you are looking for.
Is worrying a sin according to the Bible?
Scripture treats worry as a command broken rather than a mood to be ashamed of. Jesus links it to “little faith” (Matthew 6:30), and Paul instructs believers to “be careful for nothing” (Philippians 4:6). Yet the Bible never condemns the worried. It answers them — with a Father who knows their needs (Matthew 6:32), an invitation to cast every care on Him (1 Peter 5:7), and comforts that meet the mind in “the multitude of my thoughts” (Psalm 94:19). Persistent, overwhelming anxiety can also be a medical matter, and these verses are offered for reflection rather than as a substitute for professional care.