Funeral reading
2 Timothy 4:6–8
King James Bible
“2 Timothy 4:6–8” by King James Bible is a scripture reading read at a funeral or memorial service. It takes about 25 seconds 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
For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Public domain, so these words can be printed in a ceremony script or an order of service.
What it is about
"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course."
Read at a funeral or memorial service. Themes: a good fight · finishing the course · a long life · a life of faith · very short.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “2 Timothy 4:6–8” take to read aloud?
“2 Timothy 4:6–8” takes about 25 seconds 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 “2 Timothy 4:6–8”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “2 Timothy 4:6–8” runs about 25 seconds, 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 “2 Timothy 4:6–8” 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.