Bible Verses for Headstones

The best Bible verses for headstones are short. A full verse that reads beautifully at the service may run to forty words, and a headstone panel has room for one or two lines. This guide lists verses that fit, grouped by who the stone is for, with notes on how the reference is usually cut.

Two practical rules before you choose. First, count characters, not words: most epitaph lines on an upright monument run roughly 20 to 30 characters, and a flat marker has less. Second, decide whether the reference (for example, "Psalm 23:1") goes on the stone; it takes a line of its own, and many families leave it off because the words are already familiar.

Verses for a mother

• "Her children arise up, and call her blessed" (Proverbs 31:28)
• "She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness" (Proverbs 31:26)
• "Strength and honour are her clothing" (Proverbs 31:25)
• "God is love" (1 John 4:8)
• "Underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deuteronomy 33:27)

Verses for a father

• "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7)
• "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21)
• "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord" (Psalm 37:23)
• "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15)
• "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life" (Revelation 2:10)

Verses for a child

• "Suffer the little children to come unto me" (Mark 10:14)
• "He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom" (Isaiah 40:11)
• "Of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:14)
• "He giveth his beloved sleep" (Psalm 127:2)
• "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee" (Numbers 6:24)

Verses for a veteran or public servant

• "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13)
• "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God" (Matthew 5:9)
• "I have fought a good fight" (2 Timothy 4:7)
• "Be strong and of a good courage" (Joshua 1:9)

Veterans' markers issued by the government follow their own inscription rules; see our note on honoring veterans through memorials before you finalize the wording.

Verses of comfort and rest

• "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1)
• "I know that my redeemer liveth" (Job 19:25)
• "In my Father's house are many mansions" (John 14:2)
• "Absent from the body... present with the Lord" (from 2 Corinthians 5:8)
• "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord" (Revelation 14:13)
• "Until the day break, and the shadows flee away" (Song of Solomon 2:17)
• "Rest in the Lord" (Psalm 37:7)
• "To live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21)
• "Lo, I am with you alway" (Matthew 28:20)
• "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints" (Psalm 116:15)

For more Psalm lines sized for engraving, see Psalms for headstones. For the full text of the passages families read at the service, see Old Testament readings for funerals and New Testament readings for funerals.

How the verse is cut into the stone

• Placement: the epitaph usually sits below the name and dates, centered. On a companion (double) stone it often runs across the bottom, shared by both names.
• Lettering: most verses are cut in the same style as the name, one size smaller. Script fonts look elegant on the proof and are harder to read from the path; ask to see both.
• Quotation marks and the reference: optional. A common layout is the verse in quotes on one or two lines, the reference in smaller letters beneath.
• Length: if a verse will not fit, shorten it to its best-known phrase rather than a smaller font. "I have fought a good fight" reads better than the full verse in letters too small to read.
• Proof it: every reputable monument company sends a drawing before cutting. Read the verse on the proof letter by letter; a stone cannot be uncut.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need permission to engrave a Bible verse?

No. The King James text is public domain. Some modern translations are copyrighted, but short quotations on a memorial are universally allowed.

Can we put a verse on a flat grass-level marker?

Yes, but the space is tight. One line of 20 to 25 characters is typical. "The Lord is my shepherd" and "Rest in the Lord" are the most common choices.

Does adding a verse cost more?

Engraving is usually priced by the letter or by the line, so a long verse costs more than a short one. The difference is small next to the stone itself; see our guide to the average cost of a headstone for what drives the price.

Gaulden Monuments has been cutting scripture into granite for Carolina families since 1961. Browse upright monuments to see how verses sit on different shapes, or contact us and we will send a proof with your verse laid out before anything is cut.