How many times is righteousness mentioned in the Bible?
The word righteousness appears 306 times in the King James Version, in 289 verses. It is found in 40 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses righteousness 313 times.
Righteousness in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of righteousness counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| righteousness | 306 | 313 |
| Total | 306 | 313 |
Which books mention righteousness most
Righteousness appears in 40 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (71), then Isaiah (52) and Romans (39).
Also in: 2 Peter (4), Hosea (3), Amos (3), Ephesians (3), 2 Timothy (3), James (3), 1 John (3), Genesis (2), 2 Samuel (2), 1 Kings (2), Ecclesiastes (2), Micah (2), Malachi (2), John (2), 1 Corinthians (2), 1 Peter (2), Revelation (2), Leviticus (1), 1 Samuel (1), 2 Chronicles (1), Zephaniah (1), Zechariah (1), Luke (1), 1 Timothy (1), Titus (1).
First and last mention of righteousness
And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
The verse that uses it most is Romans 9:30, 3 times (tied with Romans 10:3):
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
Where the two translations differ
17 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 28 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Job 6:29: counted in the KJV only
Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is in it.
Please return. Let there be no injustice. Yes, return again. My cause is righteous.
Psalm 15:2: counted in the KJV only
He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
He who walks blamelessly does what is right, and speaks truth in his heart;
Genesis 7:1: counted in the World English Bible only
And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
Yahweh said to Noah, “Come with all of your household into the ship, for I have seen your righteousness before me in this generation.
Genesis 18:19: counted in the World English Bible only
For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.”
Verses with righteousness on our topic pages
54 verses that use righteousness in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.
On: Provision, Thanksgiving, Money, Dreams
He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
On: Anxiety, Comfort, Grief, Mental Health
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
On: Blessings, Contentment, Holy Spirit
for God’s Kingdom is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
On: Peace, Joy, Contentment
Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;
On: Provision, Giving, Generosity
not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.
On: Anger, Self Control, Revenge
Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues with injustice.
On: Contentment, Honesty
Common questions
How many times is righteousness in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 207 of the 306 uses are in the Old Testament and 99 in the New Testament. Righteousness appears in 40 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (71), then Isaiah (52) and Romans (39).
Where is righteousness first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 15:6: "And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." The last is Revelation 19:11.
More word counts: salvation, repent, kingdom of God, kingdom of heaven, eternal life, Son of Man, rest, patience, or all 107 words.
Counted by Bible Says About from the full public-domain text of the King James Version (1769 edition) and the World English Bible. Verse text only: headings and psalm titles are left out. A word is a run of letters: a hyphenated name like Beer-sheba counts as two, and an apostrophe stays inside its word (LORD'S is one). Matching ignores capital letters. Data compiled 2026-10-02.