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Bible Verses About Fasting (28 Verses)

This collection has 28 Bible verses about fasting: 17 from the Old Testament and 11 from the New Testament. Matthew appears most often (4 verses), across 18 books of Scripture.

What does the Bible say about fasting? Read 28 carefully selected Bible verses about fasting, with full scripture text you can save, share, and study.

28 verses17 OT · 11 NTTop book: Matthewfaith

Counts from this page's curated collection (18 books of Scripture).

28 Bible Verses About Fasting

Translation:
fasting
“Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face; so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:16-18WEB
"Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."
Matthew 6:16-18KJV
fasting
"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward."
Matthew 4:1-2WEB
"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred."
Matthew 4:1-2KJV
fasting
“Yet even now,” says Yahweh, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”
Joel 2:12WEB
"Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:"
Joel 2:12KJV
fasting
"As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.” Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away."
Acts 13:2-3WEB
"As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away."
Acts 13:2-3KJV
fasting
"When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed."
Acts 14:23WEB
"And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed."
Acts 14:23KJV
fasting
“Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”
Esther 4:16WEB
"Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish."
Esther 4:16KJV
fasting
"I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes."
Daniel 9:3WEB
"And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:"
Daniel 9:3KJV
fasting
"In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three whole weeks. I ate no pleasant bread. No meat or wine came into my mouth. I didn’t anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled."
Daniel 10:2-3WEB
"In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled."
Daniel 10:2-3KJV
fasting
“Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to release the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?
Isaiah 58:6WEB
"Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?"
Isaiah 58:6KJV
fasting
"So we fasted and begged our God for this: and he granted our request."
Ezra 8:23WEB
"So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us."
Ezra 8:23KJV
fasting
"When I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned several days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,"
Nehemiah 1:4WEB
"And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,"
Nehemiah 1:4KJV
fasting
"But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I afflicted my soul with fasting. My prayer returned into my own bosom."
Psalm 35:13WEB
"But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom."
Psalm 35:13KJV
fasting
"and she had been a widow for about eighty-four years), who didn’t depart from the temple, worshiping with fastings and petitions night and day."
Luke 2:37WEB
"And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day."
Luke 2:37KJV
fasting
"He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing, except by prayer and fasting.”"
Mark 9:29WEB
"And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting."
Mark 9:29KJV
fasting
"Then John’s disciples came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don’t fast?” Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast."
Matthew 9:14-15WEB
"Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast."
Matthew 9:14-15KJV
fasting
"Jehoshaphat was alarmed, and set himself to seek to Yahweh. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah."
2 Chronicles 20:3WEB
"And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah."
2 Chronicles 20:3KJV
fasting
"The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from their greatest even to their least."
Jonah 3:5WEB
"So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them."
Jonah 3:5KJV
fasting
"He was there with Yahweh forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread, nor drank water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments."
Exodus 34:28WEB
"And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments."
Exodus 34:28KJV
fasting
"Don’t deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and may be together again, that Satan doesn’t tempt you because of your lack of self-control."
1 Corinthians 7:5WEB
"Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency."
1 Corinthians 7:5KJV
fasting
"for forty days, being tempted by the devil. He ate nothing in those days. Afterward, when they were completed, he was hungry."
Luke 4:2WEB
"Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered."
Luke 4:2KJV
fasting
"I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’"
Luke 18:12WEB
"I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess."
Luke 18:12KJV
fasting
"But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”"
Matthew 4:4WEB
"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
Matthew 4:4KJV
fasting
"They mourned, wept, and fasted until evening, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Yahweh, and for the house of Israel; because they had fallen by the sword."
2 Samuel 1:12WEB
"And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword."
2 Samuel 1:12KJV
fasting
"Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a straight way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our possessions."
Ezra 8:21WEB
"Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance."
Ezra 8:21KJV
fasting
‘Why have we fasted,’ say they, ‘and you don’t see? Why have we afflicted our soul, and you don’t notice?’ “Behold, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and oppress all your laborers.
Isaiah 58:3WEB
"Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours."
Isaiah 58:3KJV
fasting
"They gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Yahweh, and fasted on that day, and said there, “We have sinned against Yahweh.” Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah."
1 Samuel 7:6WEB
"And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh."
1 Samuel 7:6KJV
fasting
"Nathan departed to his house. Yahweh struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it was very sick. David therefore begged God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the ground. The elders of his house arose beside him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, and he didn’t eat bread with them."
2 Samuel 12:15-17WEB
"And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them."
2 Samuel 12:15-17KJV
fasting
“Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month for these seventy years, did you at all fast to me, really to me?
Zechariah 7:5WEB
"Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?"
Zechariah 7:5KJV

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible and the King James Version (both public domain), checked word for word against the full text. Updated October 2, 2026.

The word fasting appears 17 times in the King James Version. See where fasting appears, book by book

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Frequently Asked Questions About Fasting

What does the Bible say about fasting?

This collection has 28 Bible verses about fasting: 17 from the Old Testament and 11 from the New Testament. Matthew appears most often (4 verses), across 18 books of Scripture. What does the Bible say about fasting? Read 28 carefully selected Bible verses about fasting, with full scripture text you can save, share, and study.

What are the best Bible verses about fasting?

Matthew 6:16-18: "“Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face; so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you." Matthew 4:1-2: "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward." Joel 2:12: "“Yet even now,” says Yahweh, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”" Full collection: 28 verses on this page (61% Old Testament, 39% New Testament).

How many Bible verses talk about fasting?

This page collects 28 verses about fasting from 18 books. Matthew is the most frequent source (4 verses). Scripture touches the theme in many places; these are the ones readers look up most often for study and encouragement.

How can I memorize Bible verses about fasting?

Start with one short verse from the list above. Save it with the heart icon, read it aloud once a day for a week, then add a second. Share a verse you are learning so it sticks.

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