25 Comforting Passages from the Old Testament

Selecting comforting scriptures from the Old Testament can provide solace and hope to those mourning the loss of a loved one. Here are 25 passages from the World English Bible (WEB) version that funeral officiants can use to support the bereaved:

1. Psalm 23:1-4 "Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
2. Isaiah 41:10 "Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness."
3. Psalm 34:18 "Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit."
4. Psalm 147:3 "He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds."
5. Isaiah 40:31 "But those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint."
6. Psalm 46:1-2 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we won’t be afraid, though the earth changes, though the mountains are shaken into the heart of the seas."
7. Lamentations 3:22-23 "It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness."
8. Psalm 30:5 "For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning."
9. Psalm 116:15 "Precious in the sight of Yahweh is the death of his saints."
10. Isaiah 25:8 "He has swallowed up death forever! The Lord Yahweh will wipe away tears from off all faces. He will take away the reproach of his people from off all the earth, for Yahweh has spoken it."
11. Psalm 18:28 "For you will light my lamp, Yahweh. My God will light up my darkness."
12. Psalm 31:24 "Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Yahweh."
13. Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 "For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance."
14. Psalm 73:26 "My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
15. Psalm 55:22 "Cast your burden on Yahweh, and he will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be moved."
16. Psalm 119:50 "This is my comfort in my affliction, for your word has revived me."
17. Psalm 77:11-12 "I will remember Yah’s deeds; for I will remember your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all your work, and consider your doings."
18. Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and flame will not scorch you."
19. Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
20. Job 19:25-26 "But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives. In the end, he will stand upon the earth. After my skin is destroyed, then in my flesh shall I see God."
21. Psalm 56:8 "You count my wanderings. Put my tears into your bottle. Aren’t they in your book?"
22. Psalm 62:1-2 "My soul rests in God alone. My salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress—I will never be greatly shaken."
23. Psalm 27:1 "Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?"
24. Psalm 91:1-2 "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of Yahweh, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.'"
25. Psalm 32:7 "You are my hiding place. You will preserve me from trouble. You will surround me with songs of deliverance."

These verses can be woven into funeral services, shared in counseling sessions, or provided in written form to comfort the grieving. They remind us of God's presence, hope, and the promise of eternal life beyond the pain of the present moment.