Funeral reading
Matthew 11:28–30
King James Bible
“Matthew 11:28–30” (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
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Public domain, so these words can be printed in a ceremony script or an order of service.
Where it comes from
These three verses close Matthew 11, a chapter that begins with John the Baptist sending his disciples to Jesus from prison.
What it says
Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy and my burden is light. It is an invitation to tired people, which makes it suit both the person who has died and the people grieving them.
Twenty-five seconds, and it is about rest. Often the committal reading. Read at a funeral or memorial service. Themes: rest · the heavy laden · a long illness · very short · comfort.
Who it suits
Funerals for people who worked hard all their lives, farmers, laborers, carers, and anyone who carried a heavy load. It is short and very comforting, and suits a family that is exhausted by a long illness.
Where it goes in the ceremony
As a short reading, often paired with a psalm, or read by the officiant just before the committal. At twenty-five seconds it can be given to someone who could not manage more.
Reading it aloud
The text on this page is 52 words. At a ceremony pace of about 130 words a minute, which is slower than conversation, that comes to about 25 seconds of reading.
- Read it as an invitation, warmly, as if speaking to someone tired.
- “I will give you rest” is the line. Pause after it.
- End softly on “my burden is light”.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “Matthew 11:28–30” take to read aloud?
“Matthew 11:28–30” 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 “Matthew 11:28–30”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “Matthew 11:28–30” 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 “Matthew 11:28–30” 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
- Matthew 5:1–12 — the Beatitudesa minute and a halfBlessed are they that mourn
- Revelation 14:1320 secondsThey rest from their labours
- Requiem30 secondsHome from the hill, home from sea
- Psalm 23a minute and a halfKing James Bible
- Isaiah 40:28–3145 secondsKing James Bible
- 2 Timothy 4:6–835 secondsKing James Bible