11 Passages to Read with Someone Facing Death or Great Difficulty

Memorize to Gospelize

Thanks to the faithful brothers and sisters I came across their blog post on 10 passages to read to someone near death. Since I memorize, preach, and disciple with the CSB I wanted to post them in that translation. I would encourage not only pastors but all church members to know these passages and be able to read or quote and press them on fellow believers and neighbors when facing death or other difficult situations. I added an 11th passage at the end.

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1 The LORD is my shepherd;

I have what I need.

2 He lets me lie down in green pastures;

he leads me beside quiet waters.

3 He renews my life;

he leads me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

4 Even when I go through the darkest valley,

I fear no danger,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff—they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6 Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD

as long as I live.

Revelation 21:1–7

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. 5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.” 6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life. 7 The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son.

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

1 I lift my eyes toward the mountains.

Where will my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to slip; y

our Protector will not slumber.

4 Indeed, the Protector of Israel

does not slumber or sleep.

5 The LORD protects you;

the LORD is a shelter right by your side.

6 The sun will not strike you by day

or the moon by night.

7 The LORD will protect you from all harm;

he will protect your life.

8 The LORD will protect your coming and going

both now and forever.

Isaiah 12

1 On that day you will say:

“I will give thanks to you, LORD,

although you were angry with me.

Your anger has turned away,

and you have comforted me.

2 Indeed, God is my salvation;

I will trust him and not be afraid,

for the LORD, the LORD himself,

is my strength and my song.

He has become my salvation.”

3 You will joyfully draw water from the springs of salvation,

4 and on that day you will say,

“Give thanks to the LORD; proclaim his name!

Make his works known among the peoples.

Declare that his name is exalted.

5 Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things.

Let this be known throughout the earth.

6 Cry out and sing, citizen of Zion,

for the Holy One of Israel is among you

in his greatness.”

Psalm 84

For the choir director: on the Gittith. A psalm of the sons of Korah.

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,

Lord of Armies.

2 I long and yearn

for the courts of the Lord;

my heart and flesh cry out for the living God.

3 Even a sparrow finds a home,

and a swallow, a nest for herself

where she places her young—

near your altars, Lord of Armies,

my King and my God.

4 How happy are those who reside in your house,

who praise you continually. Selah

5 Happy are the people whose strength is in you,

whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.

6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,

they make it a source of spring water;

even the autumn rain will cover it with blessings.

7 They go from strength to strength;

each appears before God in Zion.

8 Lord God of Armies, hear my prayer;

listen, God of Jacob. Selah

9 Consider our shield, God;

look on the face of your anointed one.

10 Better a day in your courts

than a thousand anywhere else.

I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God

than live in the tents of wicked people.

11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield.

The Lord grants favor and honor;

he does not withhold the good

from those who live with integrity.

12 Happy is the person who trusts in you,

Lord of Armies!

2 Corinthians 4:13–18

13 And since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, we also believe, and therefore speak. 14 For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you. 15 Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Psalm 16

A Miktam of David.

1 Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you.

2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

I have nothing good besides you.”

3 As for the holy people who are in the land,

they are the noble ones.

All my delight is in them.

4 The sorrows of those who take another god

for themselves will multiply;

I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,

and I will not speak their names with my lips.

5 Lord, you are my portion

and my cup of blessing;

you hold my future.

6 The boundary lines have fallen for me

in pleasant places;

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7 I will bless the Lord who counsels me—

even at night when my thoughts trouble me.

8 I always let the Lord guide me.

Because he is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad

and my whole being rejoices;

my body also rests securely.

10 For you will not abandon me to Sheol;

you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.

11 You reveal the path of life to me;

in your presence is abundant joy;

at your right hand are eternal pleasures.

John 14:1–14

1 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4 You know the way to where I am going.”

Psalm 46:1–7

For the choir director. A song of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.

1 God is our refuge and strength,

a helper who is always found

in times of trouble.

2 Therefore we will not be afraid,

though the earth trembles

and the mountains topple

into the depths of the seas,

3 though its water roars and foams

and the mountains quake with its turmoil.       Selah

4 There is a river—

its streams delight the city of God,

the holy dwelling place of the Most High.

5 God is within her; she will not be toppled.

God will help her when the morning dawns.

6 Nations rage, kingdoms topple;

the earth melts when he lifts his voice.

7 The Lord of Armies is with us;

the God of Jacob is our stronghold.      Selah

8 Come, see the works of the Lord,

who brings devastation on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease throughout the earth.

He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces;

he sets wagons ablaze.

10 “Stop fighting, and know that I am God,

exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”

11 The Lord of Armies is with us;

the God of Jacob is our stronghold.     Selah

Isaiah 43:1–7

1 Now this is what the Lord says—

the one who created you, Jacob,

and the one who formed you, Israel—

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by your name; you are mine.

2 When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you

and the rivers will not overwhelm you,

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be scorched

and the flame will not burn you.

3 For I am the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior.

I have given Egypt as a ransom for you,

Cush and Seba in your place.

4 Because you are precious in my sight

and honored, and I love you,

I will give people in exchange for you

and nations instead of your life.

5 Do not fear, for I am with you;

I will bring your descendants from the east,

and gather you from the west.

6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’

and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back!’

Bring my sons from far away,

and my daughters from the ends of the earth—

7 everyone who bears my name

and is created for my glory.

I have formed them; indeed, I have made them.”

Romans 8:18–39

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. 23 Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience. 26 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? 33 Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. 34 Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. 35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.