Farewell Service

Hymns, readings and a printed program for a Christian funeral

Romans 8:31b–35, 37–39

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

Reads in about 1 minute8 versesCatholic: New Testament

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King James Version

  1. 31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
  2. 32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
  3. 33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
  4. 34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
  5. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
  6. 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
  7. 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
  8. 39Nor 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.

Douay-Rheims

  1. 31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who is against us?
  2. 32He that spared not even his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how hath he not also, with him, given us all things?
  3. 33Who shall accuse against the elect of God? God is he that justifieth:
  4. 34Who is he that shall condemn? Christ Jesus that died: yea that is risen also again, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
  5. 35Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? Or distress? Or famine? Or nakedness? Or danger? Or persecution? Or the sword?
  6. 37But in all these things we overcome, because of him that hath loved us.
  7. 38For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor might,
  8. 39Nor 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.

Most Catholic parishes in the US read the New American Bible. Read Romans 8 in the NABRE at usccb.org.

Where this reading is used

  • Catholic: New Testament (Lectionary for Mass, no. 1014)
  • Protestant: a common funeral reading

Hymns based on it

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.