So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away. Many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. Then when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary stayed in the house. Therefore Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, God’s Son, he who comes into the world.”
John 11:17-27, World English Bible Updated edition, which is in the public domain.
Which funeral services use it
- Catholic, US (Lectionary for Masses for the Dead): John 11:17-27 (short form 11:21-27), as a Gospel.
- Catholic, England and Wales (Order of Christian Funerals): John 11:17-27 (shorter form 11:21-27).
- Church of England (Common Worship funeral readings): John 11.17-27.
Where it comes in the service
At a Catholic funeral Mass the Gospel is the last reading, proclaimed by the deacon or priest after the Gospel acclamation. In a Church of England funeral the Bible readings come in the readings and sermon part of the service; when the funeral is held within Holy Communion there should be a Gospel reading, preceded by one or two other Bible readings.
At a Catholic Mass the reader uses the parish Lectionary, which is a different translation from the one printed here, and in the US its text may not be reproduced without permission. You may prefer to print only the reference and the reader in the running order, for example "Gospel: John 11:17-27, read by Anne Hughes".
Add John 11:17-27 to your booklet, typeset in full, with the order of service around it. You can see the whole booklet before paying anything.
Put John 11:17-27 in my bookletAbout this translation
The words here are the World English Bible, a modern English translation whose translators dedicated it to the public domain, so it can be printed in a booklet in the US and the UK without permission or a fee. The King James Version is public domain in the US but is covered by Crown letters patent in the UK, which is why it is not used here. If your church prefers another translation, add it in step 5 with "Use your own words".
Funeral lists checked on September 28, 2026 against the USCCB, the Liturgy Office of England and Wales and the Church of England's Common Worship pages.