Listening is a vital part of our faith, helping us understand God’s will and build stronger relationships. In a noisy world, the Bible offers timeless wisdom on listening with an open heart. These 120 Bible verses about listening will deepen your connection with God and enrich your spiritual journey.

Listening for Wisdom

• Proverbs 1:5 – “Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.”
• Proverbs 12:15 – “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.”
• Proverbs 19:20 – “Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.”
• James 1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
• Proverbs 2:2 – “Turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding.”
• Proverbs 18:15 – “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.”
• Proverbs 8:33 – “Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it.”
• Proverbs 15:31 – “Whoever heeds life-giving correction will be at home among the wise.”
• Ecclesiastes 7:5 – “It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools.”
• Job 34:16 – “If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say.”

Listening to God

• John 10:27 – “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
• Isaiah 55:3 – “Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.”
• Jeremiah 7:23 – “But I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you.”
• Hebrews 3:15 – “As has just been said: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.'”
• Psalms 85:8 – “I will listen to what God the LORD says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants— but let them not turn to folly.”
• Exodus 15:26 – “He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.'”
• Deuteronomy 13:4 – “It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.”
• 1 Samuel 3:9 – “So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.”
• Isaiah 50:4 – “The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.”
• Psalms 29:7 – “The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning.”

Listening in Relationships

• James 1:19 – “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
• Proverbs 20:19 – “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.”
• Proverbs 25:12 – “Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.”
• Proverbs 21:28 – “A false witness will perish, but a careful listener will testify successfully.”
• Luke 8:18 – “Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”
• Acts 16:14 – “One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.”
• Proverbs 5:1 – “My son, pay attention to my wisdom, turn your ear to my words of insight.”
• Proverbs 13:1 – “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not respond to rebukes.”
• Matthew 11:15 – “Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
• 1 Peter 3:7 – “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”

Listening for Guidance

• Isaiah 30:21 – “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.'”
• Proverbs 1:33 – “But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”
• Psalms 81:13 – “If my people would only listen to me, if Israel would only follow my ways,”
• Proverbs 8:34 – “Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.”
• Deuteronomy 28:1 – “If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.”
• Luke 6:47 – “As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.”
• Proverbs 4:1 – “Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.”
• Psalms 143:8 – “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”
• Proverbs 22:17 – “Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach,”
• Proverbs 15:22 – “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”

Listening and Understanding

• Matthew 13:23 – “But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
• Luke 24:45 – “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”
• Proverbs 2:6 – “For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
• Mark 4:24 – “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.”
• Acts 8:30 – “Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked.”
• Nehemiah 8:3 – “He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.”
• Matthew 15:10 – “Jesus called the crowd to him and said, ‘Listen and understand.'”
• Proverbs 2:2-3 – “Making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,”
• Luke 8:10 – “He said, ‘The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘seeing they may not see; hearing they may not understand.'”
• Proverbs 14:29 – “Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.”

The Reward of Listening

• Proverbs 28:9 – “If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.”
• Proverbs 13:18 – “Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.”
• Luke 11:28 – “He replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.'”
• Revelation 3:20 – “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
• Proverbs 15:32 – “Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.”
• John 8:47 – “Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
• Isaiah 48:18 – “If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea.”
• Psalms 34:11 – “Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”
• Proverbs 10:17 – “Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.”
• Jeremiah 35:13 – “This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘Will you not learn a lesson and obey my words?’ declares the LORD.”

Listening to Lead

• James 3:3 – “When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.”
• Deuteronomy 1:13 – “Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you.”
• Proverbs 29:19 – “Servants cannot be corrected by mere words; though they understand, they will not respond.”
• Luke 9:35 – “A voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.'”
• Proverbs 11:14 – “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.”
• 2 Kings 22:19 – “Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the LORD.”
• 1 Kings 12:6 – “Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. ‘How would you advise me to answer these people?’ he asked.”
• Exodus 18:19-20 – “Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave.”
• Luke 14:31 – “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?”
• 1 Samuel 15:22 – “But Samuel replied: ‘Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.'”

Listening Over Speaking

• Ecclesiastes 5:1 – “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.”
• Proverbs 10:19 – “Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.”
• Proverbs 17:28 – “Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.”
• James 1:26 – “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”
• Proverbs 18:13 – “To answer before listening—that is folly and shame.”
• Job 6:24 – “Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong.”
• Proverbs 29:20 – “Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them.”
• Proverbs 21:23 – “Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.”
• Job 13:5 – “If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.”

Listening During Conflict

• Proverbs 18:2 – “Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.”
• Proverbs 19:11 – “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.”
• Matthew 5:9 – “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
• James 1:19-20 – “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”
• Proverbs 15:1 – “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
• Proverbs 25:15 – “Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.”
• James 3:17 – “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”
• Philippians 2:3-4 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
• Proverbs 17:27 – “The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.”

Listening to Learn

• Proverbs 1:8 – “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.”
• Proverbs 23:19 – “Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path.”
• Luke 2:46 – “After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.”
• Proverbs 22:17 – “Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge.”
• Acts 17:11 – “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
• 2 Timothy 2:2 – “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
• Psalms 119:99 – “I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.”
• Proverbs 16:21 – “The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction.”

Listening for Healing

• James 5:16 – “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
• 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
• Mark 5:36 – “Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.'”
• Proverbs 12:18 – “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
• Psalms 30:2 – “LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.”
• Isaiah 57:19 – “Creating praise on their lips. Peace, peace, to those far and near,” says the LORD. “And I will heal them.”
• Luke 8:50 – “Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.'”
• Psalms 107:20 – “He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.”
• Proverbs 16:24 – “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
• Matthew 13:15 – “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”

Listening to Encourage

• Acts 14:22 – “Strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said.”
• Romans 15:4 – “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
• 1 Thessalonians 5:11 – “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
• Hebrews 3:13 – “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
• 2 Timothy 4:2 – “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”
• 1 Thessalonians 4:18 – “Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
• Romans 1:12 – “That is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.”
• Proverbs 10:21 – “The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense.”
• Psalms 10:17 – “LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.”
• Acts 20:1 – “When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia.”

Listening for Correction

• Proverbs 15:10 – “Stern discipline awaits anyone who leaves the path; the one who hates correction will die.”
• Hebrews 12:5 – “And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you.'”
• Proverbs 12:1 – “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.”
• 2 Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”

Conclusion

These 120 Bible verses about listening show the profound impact of truly hearing God’s Word and others. Embracing this wisdom deepens our faith and enriches our relationships. Let these Scriptures inspire you to listen with an open heart, fostering understanding and connection. May your journey be blessed with the power of attentive listening!