Jesus spoke about hell more plainly than anyone else in Scripture: "fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). He called it "everlasting punishment" (Matthew 25:46), yet "God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:17).
People search for Bible verses about hell for many reasons: a sermon raised questions, a friend asked what Christians believe, a loved one died, or fear of hell keeps them awake at night. The Bible treats the subject seriously, but never as a scare tactic, and the same Jesus who warned about hell came to rescue people from it. These twelve King James verses show what Jesus taught, explain the Hebrew and Greek words the KJV translates hell, and point to God's justice and the way of rescue. Christians who take the Bible seriously hold different views on some details, and the FAQs set out the main ones fairly. For the final judgment, see judgment; for the good news, see salvation.
What Jesus taught about hell
1. Matthew 10:28
"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
Jesus said this while sending out His disciples into a hostile world (Matthew 10:16-22). The word for hell here is Gehenna, named after the Valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem. His point is comfort as well as warning: people can only harm the body, but God holds the whole person, and in the next breath Jesus says the Father watches over every sparrow (Matthew 10:29-31). See fear.
2. Mark 9:43
"And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:"
Jesus uses deliberate, vivid exaggeration; He is not telling anyone to injure themselves (to offend in the KJV means to cause to stumble). Sin is serious enough to deal with ruthlessly, and entering into life is worth any cost. A few verses later He adds "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:48), words taken from the last verse of Isaiah (Isaiah 66:24).
3. Matthew 25:46
"And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."
This closes the parable of the sheep and the goats, where the dividing line is how people treated "the least of these my brethren" (Matthew 25:40). The same Greek word (aionios) stands behind everlasting and eternal in this verse. Many Christians read that as punishment that lasts forever; others read it as a punishment whose result is forever. See the FAQ on the main views below.
4. Luke 16:23
"And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom."
From Jesus' story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man had ignored a starving beggar at his gate (Luke 16:19-21); the KJV word hell here translates Hades. Christians debate how literally to take the details of a story, but its warning is plain: choices in this life matter, and God has already spoken, for "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them" (Luke 16:29).
Sheol, Hades and Tartarus: the words behind hell
5. Psalms 16:10
"For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."
In the Old Testament, the KJV word hell always translates Sheol, the shadowy place of the dead or simply the grave. Peter quoted this verse at Pentecost as a prophecy of Jesus' resurrection (Acts 2:27-31): Jesus truly died, but His body did not decay. So not every hell in the KJV means a place of punishment. See resurrection of Jesus.
6. Jonah 2:2
"And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice."
Jonah prayed from inside the great fish, and he calls it the belly of hell, meaning the brink of death and the grave (Sheol). Even there God heard him. It is a hopeful reminder that no place is too deep for prayer. See prayer.
7. 2 Peter 2:4
"For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;"
This is the only place in the Bible that uses the Greek verb tartaroo, translated "cast them down to hell" here. Peter's point is that God's judgment is real and certain, and the next verses show Him rescuing Noah and Lot, because "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly" (2 Peter 2:9).
8. Revelation 20:14
"And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."
In John's vision, death and hell (Hades, the realm of the dead) are themselves thrown into the lake of fire, called the second death. Whatever else this picture means, it promises that death will not have the last word. In the next chapter God makes all things new (Revelation 21:4-5).
God's justice and the way of rescue
9. 2 Thessalonians 1:9
"Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;"
Paul wrote to believers who were suffering persecution, assuring them that God would set things right (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7). At the heart of judgment is separation from the presence of the Lord. Christians who hold the traditional view read everlasting destruction as unending ruin; those who hold conditional immortality read it as a final destruction. Both agree it is the loss of every good thing that comes from God.
10. John 3:17
"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
This verse follows John 3:16. God's purpose in sending Jesus was rescue, not condemnation. The next verses explain that condemnation comes from refusing the light, not from God's eagerness to punish (John 3:18-19). If you are afraid of hell, start here: the Son came to save.
11. 1 Thessalonians 1:10
"And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."
The Thessalonians had turned from idols to serve the living God (1 Thessalonians 1:9), and they waited for Jesus, the one who delivered us from the wrath to come. Christians do not escape judgment by being good enough; Jesus delivers them. See rapture.
12. John 6:37
"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
A gentle verse for anxious hearts. Jesus says that whoever comes to Him He will in no wise (in no way) cast out. Worrying that you are too far gone is not a sign that you are. The invitation is still open: come to Him.
A short prayer
Holy God, You are just, and You are merciful. Thank You that You did not send Your Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. I come to Jesus now, trusting Your promise that You will in no wise cast out anyone who comes. Where I am afraid, let Your perfect love cast out fear. Give me compassion for people who do not yet know You, and courage to share the hope I have. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Study a hard passage slowly with our free SOAP study page · Work through difficult Scriptures day by day with the SOAP Bible Study Journal · Bring your questions and fears to God in writing with the 30-Day Prayer Journal
Frequently asked questions
How many times is hell mentioned in the Bible?
In the King James Version the word hell appears 54 times: 31 times in the Old Testament and 23 in the New. In the Old Testament it always translates Sheol, the place of the dead; the KJV renders the same word as grave and pit elsewhere. In the New Testament it translates three words: Gehenna (12 times, 11 of them from Jesus), Hades (10 times) and tartaroo (once, 2 Peter 2:4). Modern translations often keep Sheol and Hades as names, which is why hell appears less often in them.
What are the main Christian views of hell?
Christians who hold the Bible as God's Word agree that judgment is real, that Jesus warned about hell, and that salvation is through Christ. They differ on what final punishment is like. Eternal conscious punishment, the historic majority view across Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant churches, reads "everlasting punishment" (Matthew 25:46) and "tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Revelation 20:10) as unending, conscious separation from God. Annihilationism, also called conditional immortality and held by a smaller number of evangelical scholars, reads "destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28) and "everlasting destruction" (2 Thessalonians 1:9) as a final end of existence, with eternal life a gift that only the saved receive (Romans 6:23). Both views take sin and Scripture seriously. Many Christians on both sides also read the fire and darkness as pictures of something real rather than as literal descriptions. A pastor you trust can walk you through the passages.
Did Jesus go to hell after He died?
The Apostles' Creed, in its traditional English wording, says Jesus descended into hell, and Peter writes that He "preached unto the spirits in prison" (1 Peter 3:19). Christians read this in different ways: some say Christ proclaimed His victory over evil powers; some say He went to the realm of the dead (Sheol or Hades), as Psalm 16:10 says, "thou wilt not leave my soul in hell"; and some say the phrase simply means He truly died and was buried. All agree that He rose on the third day and now holds "the keys of hell and of death" (Revelation 1:18).
I am afraid I am going to hell. What does the Bible say to me?
First, the fact that you care is not a sign that God has rejected you. Scripture speaks gently to the anxious: "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear" (1 John 4:18), and Jesus promised, "him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). Salvation is not earned by feeling certain enough or being good enough; "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). If the fear is constant, or comes as intrusive thoughts and endless checking whether you are really saved, that can be anxiety or scrupulosity, which a doctor or counselor can help with. Talk with a pastor you trust too.
How can a loving God judge anyone?
The Bible presents judgment as part of God's goodness: a world where evil is never answered would not be just to its victims. Abraham asked, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25). God also says, "I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked" (Ezekiel 33:11), and He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Judgment is real, and so is the open door of mercy. See repent.
If thoughts about hell or judgment are causing constant fear, panic or sleepless nights, you do not have to carry that alone. Talk with a pastor you trust, and consider a licensed counselor, especially if the fear feels compulsive or keeps coming back no matter how often you pray. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, in the US call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 in an emergency.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about judgment · Bible verses about salvation · Bible verses about fear · Bible verses about death · Bible verses about repentance · Bible verses about the rapture · Bible verses about the resurrection of Jesus · Bible verses about the love of Jesus
Explore more: All Bible verses by topic · KJV Bible verses · Verse of the day · Prayers · Bible study · Bible reading plans
