Bible Verses for Funeral Programs, Grouped by Theme

For many families, a verse of scripture is the natural centerpiece of a funeral program. It may appear beneath the name on the cover, at the top of the life story, or on the back page as the last word. It may be the person's favourite verse, underlined in a well-worn Bible, or a passage that speaks to what the family is feeling now.

This guide groups comforting Bible verses by theme so you can find the right one quickly. Verses are quoted from the King James Version (KJV), which is in the public domain in the United States and widely recognised. (In the United Kingdom, the KJV is technically subject to Crown rights, but reproducing short passages in a funeral program is a long-standing, accepted practice.) At the end you will find advice on choosing a translation, laying out scripture on the page, and matching verses to different parts of the program.

Where scripture appears in a funeral program

• Cover: a short verse beneath the name and dates – one or two lines
• Inside cover or top of the life story: a verse that frames the life
• Order of service: the readings, usually listed by citation, with the reader's name
• Back page: a longer passage, such as Psalm 23, or a single verse with the family's acknowledgement
• Prayer cards and memorial cards: a short verse or prayer on the reverse

Verses of hope and resurrection

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. – John 11:25–26

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. – John 14:1–2

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. – John 3:16

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38–39

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? – 1 Corinthians 15:55

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. – 2 Corinthians 5:1

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. – 1 Thessalonians 4:16

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. – Revelation 21:4

Verses of comfort for those who mourn

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. – Matthew 5:4

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. – Matthew 11:28

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. – Psalm 34:18

He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. – Psalm 147:3

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. – Psalm 30:5

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. – John 14:27

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation. – 2 Corinthians 1:3–4

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee. – Isaiah 41:10

Verses about rest and peace

Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. – Revelation 14:13

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. – Psalm 4:8

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. – Isaiah 26:3

But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. – Wisdom of Solomon 3:1 (included in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles and in the KJV Apocrypha)

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. – Psalm 116:15

Verses about a life of faith well lived

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. – 2 Timothy 4:7

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant... enter thou into the joy of thy lord. – Matthew 25:21

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. – Philippians 1:21

The memory of the just is blessed. – Proverbs 10:7

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. – 1 Corinthians 13:13

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. – Proverbs 3:5–6

Verses about time and seasons

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted... A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. – Ecclesiastes 3:1–2, 4

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. – Psalm 90:12

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. – Isaiah 40:8

For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. – James 4:14 (a more sobering choice, often used in sermons rather than on covers)

Psalms often printed in full

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Psalm 23 is the single most widely used passage at Christian funerals and fits comfortably on the back page of a four-page program.

Psalm 121

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

A favourite for travellers, hill-walkers, and anyone who loved the mountains.

Psalm 46 (opening)

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. – Psalm 46:1–2

Verses for particular people

For a mother

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness... Her children arise up, and call her blessed. – Proverbs 31:25–26, 28

As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you. – Isaiah 66:13

For a father

The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him. – Proverbs 20:7

Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. – Psalm 103:13

For a grandparent

Children's children are the crown of old men. – Proverbs 17:6

Even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you. – Isaiah 46:4

For a spouse

Set me as a seal upon thine heart... for love is strong as death. – Song of Solomon 8:6

Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it. – Song of Solomon 8:7

For a child

Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 19:14

He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom. – Isaiah 40:11

For someone who served others

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:13 (often chosen for military and first-responder funerals)

Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. – Matthew 25:40

For a gardener or lover of nature

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. – Matthew 6:28

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. – Genesis 8:22

When faith was quiet, or the family is mixed

Not every family that wants a verse is uniformly devout. Sometimes the person who died had a private, quiet faith; sometimes their children do not share it; sometimes the verse is chosen to honour a grandparent's tradition at a service that is otherwise secular. In these situations, a few verses tend to sit comfortably with everyone, because their language is about love, time and comfort rather than doctrine:

• Ecclesiastes 3:1–4 ("To every thing there is a season")
• 1 Corinthians 13:4–8 and 13:13 ("Charity suffereth long, and is kind... the greatest of these is charity")
• Psalm 121 ("I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills")
• Matthew 5:4 ("Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted")

Printing one of these alongside a secular poem – a verse on the inside cover and a poem on the back, for example – is a graceful way to reflect a family in which belief varies. The aim is for every person in the room to find something on the page that speaks to them.

Scripture beyond the program

The verse chosen for the program often travels further. Families commonly reuse it:

• On the prayer card or memorial card, so the keepsake matches the program
• On thank-you cards, often a gentler verse such as Philippians 1:3 ("I thank my God upon every remembrance of you")
• On the headstone or memorial plaque, usually chosen later, when there is time to think – a short reference such as "John 14:2" can be carved where space is tight
• On a social media announcement, beneath the photo and dates

If you plan to reuse the verse, choose the translation carefully at the start, so the wording is identical everywhere.

Choosing a translation

The KJV's language is familiar and beautiful, and many older people grew up with it. But many churches today read from modern translations, and it can feel odd to print "thou" and "thee" if the minister will read "you." Options:

• Match the church. Ask the pastor or parish which translation will be read aloud, and use it in the program. Catholic parishes in the US typically use the New American Bible Revised Edition for the lectionary; many Protestant churches use the NIV, ESV, NKJV or NRSV.
• Match the person. If they always read the KJV, it is the natural choice.
• Check permissions for modern translations. Most modern translations allow quoting a limited number of verses without written permission, provided the translation is credited. A short verse on a program is usually well within these limits; check the publisher's copyright page if you plan to print long passages.
• Credit the translation. A small "(KJV)" or "(NIV)" after the reference is good practice.

Laying out scripture on the program

• Keep cover verses short. One or two lines at most. Longer passages belong inside or on the back.
• Put the reference after the text, in a smaller size: "– John 14:2" or "John 14:2 (KJV)."
• Keep the line breaks for psalms if you like the poetic shape, or set them as a single paragraph – both are common.
• Use quotation marks or italics consistently. Many designs set scripture in italics without quotation marks.
• Avoid tiny type. Psalm 23 in full fits on a 5.5×8.5 back page at a readable size; if it does not fit with everything else, move other details or use an eight-page booklet.

Matching verses to sections

• Cover: John 11:25, John 14:2, 2 Timothy 4:7, Revelation 21:4, Psalm 116:15
• Above the life story: Proverbs 31:28 (mother), Proverbs 20:7 (father), Matthew 25:21, Ecclesiastes 3:1
• Back page: Psalm 23, Psalm 121, John 14:1–3, Romans 8:38–39, 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
• Prayer card: Psalm 23 (shortened), Matthew 5:4, Isaiah 41:10, Revelation 14:13
• Thank-you card: 2 Corinthians 1:3–4, Philippians 1:3 ("I thank my God upon every remembrance of you")

Common mistakes

• Wrong reference. Double-check chapter and verse numbers – a transposed digit points to a completely different verse.
• Mixing translations. Quoting the KJV on the cover and the NIV on the back can look inconsistent; choose one.
• Misquoting from memory. Copy the text from a reliable Bible rather than memory or a social media image.
• Verses that don't fit the moment. Some verses read harshly out of context. Read the surrounding passage before choosing.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common Bible verse for a funeral?

Psalm 23 is very likely the most widely used, along with John 14:1–3 and John 11:25–26.

Can I put a Bible verse on a non-religious program?

If the family is mixed, a short verse beside a secular poem can work well – but for a fully non-religious service, a poem is usually more fitting. See funeral poems for programs.

Where should the scripture reference go?

Directly after the verse, usually on its own line or right-aligned, in a smaller size.

Add a verse to your program

In our funeral program maker you can paste any verse into the back-page reading field or the prayer card text, or choose from a short library of commonly used readings including Psalm 23 and John 14. Matching prayer cards come with the memorial bundle ($9.99 – see pricing). For the structure of Christian services, see our Christian funeral program order of service.