Farewell Service

Hymns, readings and a printed program for a Christian funeral

Lamentations 3:17–26

A Catholic funeral reading (first reading), with the full text in the King James Version and the Douay-Rheims.

Reads in about 1 minute10 versesCatholic: Old Testament

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King James Version

  1. 17And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.
  2. 18And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:
  3. 19Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
  4. 20My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
  5. 21This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
  6. 22It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
  7. 23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
  8. 24The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
  9. 25The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
  10. 26It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

Douay-Rheims

  1. 17Vau. And my soul is removed far off from peace, I have forgotten good things.
  2. 18Vau. And I said: My end and my hope is perished from the Lord.
  3. 19Zain. Remember my poverty, and transgression, the wormwood and the gall.
  4. 20Zain. I will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me.
  5. 21Zain. These things I shall think over in my heart, therefore will I hope.
  6. 22Heth. The mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed: because his commiserations have not failed.
  7. 23Heth. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.
  8. 24Heth. The Lord is my portion, said my soul: therefore will I wait for him.
  9. 25Teth. The Lord is good to them that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.
  10. 26Teth. It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God.

Most Catholic parishes in the US read the New American Bible. Read Lamentations 3 in the NABRE at usccb.org.

Where this reading is used

  • Catholic: Old Testament (Lectionary for Mass, no. 1011)
  • Protestant: a common funeral reading

Hymns based on it

Lamentations 3:22–23 explained on VerseFlip

Scripture: King James Version (1769 text) and Douay-Rheims Bible, Challoner revision (Project Gutenberg #1581); both public domain. Citation as listed in the Lectionary for Mass.