The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
David’s trust in one line: with the Lord as his shepherd, he lacks nothing he needs.
Short Bible Verses
Short Bible verses people memorize most include Psalm 23:1, John 11:35 and 1 Peter 5:7. Some of the Bible’s strongest lines are also its shortest: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” is nine words. These short verses, most under fifteen words, stand on their own for a card, a caption or memorizing.
A verse for you
Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
David’s trust in one line: with the Lord as his shepherd, he lacks nothing he needs.
KJV17 Short Bible verses
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Paul learned that in plenty or in need, Christ gives the strength for whatever comes.
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
You are allowed to hand your worries over. God cares about you personally.
What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
An honest prayer for frightening moments: when I am afraid, I will trust in You.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
God is a refuge and a very present help, right now, in this trouble.
We love him, because he first loved us.
Every love we give starts with this: He loved us first.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
God’s word is a lamp for the next step and a light for the road ahead.
This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Today is a gift: a day the Lord has made, and a reason to rejoice in it.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Trust God with your whole heart, not only with the part you can figure out.
(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
A whole way of life in a few words: we walk by faith, not by what we can see.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Everything else changes; Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and for ever.
Let all your things be done with charity.
A whole way of life in one line: let everything you do be done in love.
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
A real friend loves at all times and is there in the hard ones.
The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
At the edge of the sea, with an army behind them, God told a frightened people that He would fight for them.
Jesus wept.
On the way to His friend’s grave, knowing He would raise him, Jesus still wept. Your tears are not a lack of faith.
Rejoice evermore.
The shortest verse in the Greek New Testament, written to a young church under pressure: rejoice always.
Pray without ceasing.
Prayer is not only for set times: keep talking with God through the day.
What the Bible says
A short verse is easy to carry, but it still belongs to a longer passage. Before you choose one, read a few verses around it (every verse here opens its passage). “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” was written by Paul about learning to be content in plenty and in hunger, not about winning. “Jesus wept” comes on the way to the tomb of His friend Lazarus, shortly before He raises him. Knowing the setting makes a short line say more, not less.
For a card, match the verse to the person and the moment: Numbers 6:24 for a blessing, Psalm 118:24 for a birthday, Proverbs 17:17 for a friend, 1 Peter 5:7 for someone carrying worry. For someone who is grieving, choose presence over explanation: Psalm 34:18 or Psalm 46:1 says more than a verse that tries to tell them why.
For a caption, a bracelet or a tattoo, people return to the shortest lines: “Pray without ceasing,” “we walk by faith, not by sight,” “Be still, and know that I am God.” For anything permanent, check the exact wording in the translation you love, since translations differ, and make sure a half-verse still means what the whole verse means. Christians differ on tattoos (Leviticus 19:28 is sometimes raised), so that is a question for your own conscience and church.
To memorize, take one verse a week. Say it aloud when you wake and before you sleep, write it where you will see it, and pray it in your own words. Psalm 119:11 gives the reason: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart.”
A prayer
Lord, thank You for words short enough to carry with me. Be my shepherd today, so that I lack nothing I need. When I am afraid, I will trust in You, and I cast my cares on You, because You care for me. Let Your word be a lamp to my feet, and let everything I do be done in love. Amen.
Questions people ask
What is the shortest verse in the Bible?
In the KJV and most English Bibles it is John 11:35, “Jesus wept,” two words. In the original Greek, 1 Thessalonians 5:16, “Rejoice evermore,” is slightly shorter, and 5:17, “Pray without ceasing,” is almost as short.
What is a good short Bible verse for a tattoo?
People often choose Psalm 46:10 (“Be still, and know that I am God”), 2 Corinthians 5:7, Psalm 23:1, 1 John 4:19 or Philippians 4:13. Check the reference and the wording in the Bible you read, think about whether it will still speak to you in twenty years, and remember that Christians differ on tattoos themselves.
What short verse works for an Instagram caption or bio?
Short, positive lines that stand alone work best: Psalm 118:24 for a good day, Proverbs 3:5 for trust, Hebrews 13:8 (“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever”), 1 Corinthians 16:14 (“Let all your things be done with charity”). Add the reference so others can look it up.
Which short verses can I put in a card?
For a birthday, Psalm 118:24; for a friend, Proverbs 17:17; for a wedding, 1 Corinthians 16:14; for someone sick or worried, 1 Peter 5:7 or Psalm 46:1; for sympathy, Psalm 34:18; as a blessing for anyone, Numbers 6:24, “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee.”
What are easy short verses for kids to memorize?
1 John 4:19, “We love him, because he first loved us”; Psalm 56:3, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee”; Psalm 23:1; Ephesians 4:32, “be ye kind one to another”; and 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.”
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