Funeral reading
Deuteronomy 31:6–8
King James Bible
“Deuteronomy 31:6–8” by King James Bible is a scripture reading read at a funeral or memorial service. It takes about 40 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
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Public domain, so these words can be printed in a ceremony script or an order of service.
What it is about
One generation handing the work to the next.
Read at a funeral or memorial service. Themes: courage · handing on · not being forsaken · those left behind · a parent.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “Deuteronomy 31:6–8” take to read aloud?
“Deuteronomy 31:6–8” takes about 40 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 “Deuteronomy 31:6–8”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “Deuteronomy 31:6–8” runs about 40 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 “Deuteronomy 31:6–8” 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.