25 Bible Verses for Funerals and Sympathy Cards

The Word of God offers comfort and hope in loss

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, NLT)

Learn Religions / Vin Ganapathy

Allow God's powerful Word to offer solace and strength to your loved ones in their time of grief. These sympathy Bible verses are specially chosen for use in your cards and letters of condolence, or to help you speak words of comfort at a funeral or memorial service.

Sympathy Bible Verses

The Psalms are a collection of beautiful poetry originally meant to be sung in Jewish worship services. Many of these verses speak of human grief and contain some of the most comforting verses in the Bible. If you know someone who is hurting, take them to the Psalms:

The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9, NLT)
LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. (Psalm 10:17, NLT)
You light a lamp for me. The LORD, my God, lights up my darkness. (Psalm 18:28, NLT)
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. ( Psalm 23:4, NLT)
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. (Psalm 46:1, NLT)
For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end. (Psalm 48:14, NLT)
From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety ... (Psalm 61:2, NLT)
Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles. (Psalm 119:50, NLT)

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 is a treasured passage often quoted at funerals and memorial services. The passage lists 14 "opposites," a common component in Hebrew poetry indicating completion. These well-known lines offer a comforting reminder of God's sovereignty. While the seasons of our lives may seem random, we can be sure there is a purpose for everything we experience, even times of loss.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot ...
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance ...
( Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, NIV)

Isaiah is another book of the Bible that speaks strong encouragement to those who are hurting and in need of comfort:

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. (Isaiah 43:2, NLT)
Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering. (Isaiah 49:13, NLT)
Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die. (Isaiah 57:1-2, NLT)

You may feel overwhelmed by grief that seemingly will never subside, but the Lord promises new mercies every morning. His faithfulness lasts forever:

For the Lord does not abandon anyone forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion according to the greatness of his unfailing love." (Lamentations 3:22-26; 31-32, NLT)

Believers experience a special closeness with the Lord in times of grief. Jesus is with us, carrying us in our sorrows:

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. (Psalm 34:18, NLT)
Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4 ​ NKJV)
Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28, NLT)

The death of a Christian is very different from the death of an unbeliever. The difference for a believer is hope. People who don't know Jesus Christ have no foundation for facing death with hope. Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we face death with the hope of eternal life. And when we lose a loved one whose salvation was secure, we grieve with hope, knowing we will see that person again in heaven:

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, NLT)
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, NLT)

Believers are also blessed with the help of other brothers and sisters in the church who will bring support and the comfort of the Lord:

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NLT)
Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2, NIV)
Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15, NLT)

Losing someone we love dearly is one of the most challenging journeys of faith. Thank God, his grace will supply what we lack and everything we need to survive:

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (Hebrews 4:16, NLT)
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV)

The unsettling nature of loss can stir up anxiety, but we can trust God with each new thing we worry about:

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (1 Peter 5:7, NLT)

Last, but not least, this description of heaven is possibly the single most consoling verse for believers who have put their hope in the promise of eternal life:

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. (Revelation 21:4, NLT)
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Fairchild, Mary. "25 Bible Verses for Funerals and Sympathy Cards." Learn Religions, Apr. 5, 2023, learnreligions.com/funeral-bible-verses-700376. Fairchild, Mary. (2023, April 5). 25 Bible Verses for Funerals and Sympathy Cards. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/funeral-bible-verses-700376 Fairchild, Mary. "25 Bible Verses for Funerals and Sympathy Cards." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/funeral-bible-verses-700376 (accessed March 19, 2024).