Funeral reading
1 Corinthians 15:51–57
King James Bible
“1 Corinthians 15:51–57” (King James Bible) is a scripture reading read at a funeral or memorial service. It takes about a minute and a half read aloud, usually by a guest reader. It is in the public domain, so the full text is printed on this page and goes straight into a ceremony script.
The full text
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Public domain, so these words can be printed in a ceremony script or an order of service.
Where it comes from
These verses end 1 Corinthians 15, and their question “O death, where is thy sting?” is the line most people know from the chapter. Handel set “The trumpet shall sound” from this passage as a bass air with solo trumpet in Messiah.
What it says
Paul tells a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. The dead will be raised, and the mortal will put on immortality. Then the taunt: O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory? Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory. It is triumphant, almost defiant.
The one that turns and speaks directly to death. Read at a funeral or memorial service. Themes: O death where is thy sting · the twinkling of an eye · resurrection · the last trump.
Who it suits
A funeral that the family wants to feel like a victory, and services with brass or a choir. It suits a person of confident faith, and a military funeral where the trumpet line resonates.
Where it goes in the ceremony
As the last reading before the address, or the reading before the closing hymn. A family member or friend reads it.
Reading it aloud
The text on this page is 136 words. At a ceremony pace of about 130 words a minute, which is slower than conversation, that comes to about a minute and a half of reading.
- “In the twinkling of an eye” is quick and light. Do not slow it down.
- The two questions to death are a taunt. Lift your voice and let the defiance show.
- End on thanks. Lower the volume, warm the tone.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “1 Corinthians 15:51–57” take to read aloud?
“1 Corinthians 15:51–57” takes about a minute and a half read aloud at a ceremony pace, which is slower than conversation — roughly 130 words a minute. That is the figure the run-sheet uses when it works out the timing for the whole service.
Who usually reads “1 Corinthians 15:51–57”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “1 Corinthians 15:51–57” runs about a minute and a half, which is a manageable amount to hand to a friend or family member. Give them a printed copy of their own, in a size they can read without their glasses, and tell them where to stand and how you will introduce them.
Can “1 Corinthians 15:51–57” be printed in a ceremony script?
Yes. It is in the public domain, so the full text is on this page and can be printed in a script or an order of service.
Where this text was checked
Checked word for word against a full-text edition that is itself the authority — a Project Gutenberg or Wikisource transcription, a publisher’s own edition, or the issuing body’s page.
Checked
A reading is two minutes of the hour.
The rest is the welcome, the life, the remembrances, the committal — and knowing what comes next. Answer some questions about them and get the whole service, written out, with this reading in its place.
Other readings that suit the same service
- 1 Corinthians 15:20–2655 secondsThe earlier part of the same chapter
- Isaiah 25:6–9a minute and a halfThe promise Paul is quoting
- Death Be Not Proud (Holy Sonnet X)a minute and a halfA poem that taunts death in the same way
- Job 19:23–2740 secondsKing James Bible
- Ruth 1:16–17a30 secondsKing James Bible
- 1 John 4:7–12a minute and a halfKing James Bible