Funeral reading
Lamentations 3:22–26
King James Bible
“Lamentations 3:22–26” by 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.
What it is about
"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.
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.