What Does the Bible Say About Age Of Accountability?

Deuteronomy 1:39 ESV / 63 helpful votes

And as for your little ones, who you said would become a prey, and your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there. And to them I will give it, and they shall possess it.

James 4:17 ESV / 48 helpful votes

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Matthew 19:14 ESV / 25 helpful votes

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

Isaiah 7:16 ESV / 13 helpful votes

For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted.

2 Samuel 12:23 ESV / 11 helpful votes

But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”

Numbers 14:28-30 ESV / 11 helpful votes

Say to them, ‘As I live, declares the Lord, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

Ezekiel 18:20 ESV / 9 helpful votes

The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

Proverbs 20:11 ESV / 9 helpful votes

Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.

Matthew 18:3 ESV / 8 helpful votes

And said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Romans 3:23 ESV / 7 helpful votes

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Psalm 58:3 ESV / 7 helpful votes

The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.

1 Corinthians 7:14 ESV / 5 helpful votes

For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

Luke 2:42-46 ESV / 5 helpful votes

And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

Romans 14:12 ESV / 4 helpful votes

So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Romans 5:13 ESV / 4 helpful votes

For sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.

Psalm 51:5 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

1 John 2:1-29 ESV / 1 helpful vote

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: ...

Luke 23:34 ESV / 1 helpful vote

And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

Jonah 4:10-11 ESV / 1 helpful vote

And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

19 Bible Verses about Age Of Accountability