Funeral reading
Lamentations 3:22–26
King James Bible
“Lamentations 3:22–26” (King James Bible) is a scripture reading read at a funeral or memorial service. It takes about 35 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
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
Public domain, so these words can be printed in a ceremony script or an order of service.
Where it comes from
The hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”, written by Thomas Chisholm, takes its title from this passage. Lamentations opens by mourning Jerusalem, “How doth the city sit solitary”, and this hopeful passage sits in the middle of its darkest chapter.
What it says
It is because of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed; his compassions do not fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says the soul, so I will hope in him. The Lord is good to those who wait for him, and it is good that a person should both hope and quietly wait.
"New every morning" — from the middle of a book of grief. Read at a funeral or memorial service. Themes: new every morning · mercy · hope · quiet waiting · grief.
Who it suits
A funeral after a long period of grief, illness or caring, where the family has been living one day at a time. It suits people who were early risers or who said they took life one morning at a time. It is short and comforting without promising too much.
Where it goes in the ceremony
As an early reading, or as the reading before prayers. A family member or the officiant reads it. If the hymn is being sung, put this reading just before it.
Reading it aloud
The text on this page is 73 words. At a ceremony pace of about 130 words a minute, which is slower than conversation, that comes to about 35 seconds of reading.
- “They are new every morning” is the line people know. Give it a pause on either side.
- This is hope found in the middle of grief; read it with warmth but not brightness.
- End on “quietly wait” and let quiet follow.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “Lamentations 3:22–26” take to read aloud?
“Lamentations 3:22–26” takes about 35 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 “Lamentations 3:22–26”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “Lamentations 3:22–26” runs about 35 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 “Lamentations 3:22–26” 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
- Psalm 13055 secondsWaiting for the morning, from the depths
- Psalm 103:8–17a minute and a halfMercy that lasts from everlasting
- Job 19:23–2740 secondsHope spoken in the middle of loss
- Isaiah 25:6–9a minute and a halfKing James Bible
- Matthew 5:1–12 — the Beatitudesa minute and a halfKing James Bible
- Ruth 1:16–17a30 secondsKing James Bible