25 Bible Verses About Funeral & Death (NIV & KJV)

A funeral is one of the hardest moments to find the right words. Scripture does not ask us to pretend the pain away. Instead, it meets grief honestly, and answers it with the hope that death is not the final word for those who trust in Christ.

These Bible verses about funerals draw from both the NIV and KJV, covering comfort for the grieving, the promise of eternal life, and the peace of knowing God is present in sorrow. They are fitting for a funeral service, a eulogy, a sympathy card, or a quiet moment alone with grief.

May these verses bring peace to your heart and steady you through this season of loss.

God Walks With Us Through Loss

Scripture pictures God as present in the darkest valley, not distant from it.

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”— Psalm 23:4 (NIV)“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”— Psalm 23:4 (KJV)

“Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”— Psalm 23:1 (NIV)“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”— Psalm 23:1 (KJV)

“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’”— Deuteronomy 33:27 (NIV)“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.”— Deuteronomy 33:27 (KJV)

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”— Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”— Isaiah 41:10 (KJV)

“Psalm 46 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”— Psalm 46:1 (NIV)“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”— Psalm 46:1 (KJV)

Comfort for the Brokenhearted

These verses speak directly to the ache of losing someone we love.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”— Psalm 34:18 (NIV)“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”— Psalm 34:18 (KJV)

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”— Matthew 5:4 (NIV)“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”— Matthew 5:4 (KJV)

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”— Psalm 147:3 (NIV)“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”— Psalm 147:3 (KJV)

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,”— 2 Corinthians 1:3 (NIV)“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;”— 2 Corinthians 1:3 (KJV)

“who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”— 2 Corinthians 1:4 (NIV)“Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”— 2 Corinthians 1:4 (KJV)

““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”— Matthew 11:28 (NIV)“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”— Matthew 11:28 (KJV)

Hope of Eternal Life

For those who trust in Christ, death is not the end of the story.

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;”— John 11:25 (NIV)“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:”— John 11:25 (KJV)

“and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?””— John 11:26 (NIV)“And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”— John 11:26 (KJV)

““Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.”— John 14:1 (NIV)“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”— John 14:1 (KJV)

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”— John 14:2 (NIV)“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”— John 14:2 (KJV)

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”— John 14:3 (NIV)“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”— John 14:3 (KJV)

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”— Romans 6:23 (NIV)“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”— Romans 6:23 (KJV)

Victory Over Death

Scripture speaks of death losing its grip and sting for the believer.

““Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?””— 1 Corinthians 15:55 (NIV)“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”— 1 Corinthians 15:55 (KJV)

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”— 1 Corinthians 15:57 (NIV)“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”— 1 Corinthians 15:57 (KJV)

“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.””— 1 Corinthians 15:54 (NIV)“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”— 1 Corinthians 15:54 (KJV)

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,”— Romans 8:38 (NIV)“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,”— Romans 8:38 (KJV)

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”— Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”— Romans 8:38-39 (KJV)

A Life Precious to God

These verses honor the weight of a life lived and lost.

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.”— Psalm 116:15 (NIV)“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”— Psalm 116:15 (KJV)

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”— Philippians 1:21 (NIV)“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”— Philippians 1:21 (KJV)

“We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”— 2 Corinthians 5:8 (NIV)“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”— 2 Corinthians 5:8 (KJV)

“If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”— Romans 14:8 (NIV)“For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.”— Romans 14:8 (KJV)

A Future Without Tears

Scripture closes with the promise of a day when sorrow itself will end.

“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.””— Revelation 21:4 (NIV)“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”— Revelation 21:4 (KJV)

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.”— 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (NIV)“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”— 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (KJV)

“For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”— 1 Thessalonians 4:14 (NIV)“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”— 1 Thessalonians 4:14 (KJV)

What Does the Bible Say About Funerals and Death?

The Bible does not shy away from grief. It names it honestly, in the Psalms, in the tears of Jesus at the grave of Lazarus, and in the mourning of entire nations. But Scripture never leaves grief without an answer. Matthew 5:4 promises that those who mourn will be comforted, and Psalm 34:18 assures us that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted, not far from them in their worst moments.

For those who trust in Christ, the Bible teaches that death has lost its final power. First Corinthians 15:55-57 declares that death's sting is gone, swallowed up in victory through Jesus. John 11:25-26 records Christ's own words that whoever believes in Him will live, even though they die. This hope does not erase the pain of a funeral, but it gives grieving hearts a reason to hope beyond the grave, resting in the promise that one day, as Revelation 21:4 says, God will wipe away every tear.

May these verses carry you through this season of loss. For more comfort, explore our Bible verses about grief, Bible verses about death, and Bible verses about hope.