Farewell Service

Hymns, readings and a printed program for a Christian funeral

Luke 12:35–40

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

Reads in about 1 minute6 versesCatholic: Gospel

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King James Version

  1. 35Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
  2. 36And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
  3. 37Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
  4. 38And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
  5. 39And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
  6. 40Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

Douay-Rheims

  1. 35Let your loins be girt and lamps burning in your hands.
  2. 36And you yourselves like to men who wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately.
  3. 37Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Amen I say to you that he will gird himself and make them sit down to meat and passing will minister unto them.
  4. 38And if he shall come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so, blessed are those servants.
  5. 39But this know ye, that if the householder did know at what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch and would not suffer his house to be broken open.
  6. 40Be you then also ready: for at what hour you think not the Son of man will come.

Most Catholic parishes in the US read the New American Bible. Read Luke 12 in the NABRE at usccb.org.

Where this reading is used

  • Catholic: Gospel (Lectionary for Mass, no. 1016)

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.