30 short Bible verses to memorize (every one under 15 words in the KJV)

The easiest Bible verses to memorize are short, complete thoughts like "Jesus wept" (John 11:35), "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17), "For with God nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37) and "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee" (Psalm 56:3). Below are 30 short KJV verses, each 14 words or fewer, grouped by theme with exact word counts.

Short doesn't mean shallow. Some of the most important sentences in the Bible are under a dozen words: "God is love" sits inside an 11-word verse (1 John 4:8).

Every word count below was computed from the KJV text in Bible Academy, counting each word once (so "Lot's" is one word) and leaving out psalm titles such as "A Psalm of David."

The 30 verses at a glance

Use this as a checklist. Write the date in the last column when you can say the verse and its reference without looking.

If you want to keep the list on your phone instead of paper, the app's memory verses store each verse with its reference and give you a review mode.

The shortest verses in the Bible

These five take seconds to learn. They're perfect for your first week, or for kids learning alongside you.

1. John 11:35 (2 words): "Jesus wept." Jesus weeps at the tomb of his friend Lazarus, minutes before raising him. Read the scene in the raising of Lazarus. It's usually called the shortest verse in the English Bible; our article on the shortest verse in the Bible explains why.

2. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 (2 words): "Rejoice evermore." Also two words, but longer in letters than John 11:35.

3. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (3 words): "Pray without ceasing." Verses 16 to 18 make a natural set; learn all three together once these two are solid. Our 1 Thessalonians summary shows the letter's setting.

4. Luke 17:32 (3 words): "Remember Lot's wife." Jesus' shortest warning, pointing back to Genesis 19:26. The full story is in Sodom and Gomorrah.

5. Hebrews 13:1 (4 words): "Let brotherly love continue." A one-line rule for any church, small group or family.

Short verses about who God is

6. Luke 1:37 (7 words). The angel Gabriel's answer to Mary.

For with God nothing shall be impossible.

7. Psalm 23:1 (9 words): "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." The opening line of the most memorized psalm. Once it's solid, the other five verses of Psalm 23 follow naturally.

8. Lamentations 3:23 (9 words). Written in a book that mourns the fall of Jerusalem, which makes it even more striking.

They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

9. 1 John 4:8 (11 words). Three words of it, "God is love," are among the best-known in Scripture.

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

10. Hebrews 13:8 (11 words). Note the KJV spelling "to day," two words.

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

Lamentations 3:23 and Hebrews 13:8 are also two of the best short verses for New Year's cards; our New Year Bible verses guide has more, grouped by theme.

Short verses for fear and anxiety

These are the verses to have ready before you need them.

11. Psalm 56:3 (10 words). David wrote this psalm, by its title, when the Philistines took him in Gath.

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

12. 1 Peter 5:7 (11 words). Notice the wordplay: your "care" goes to the one who "careth."

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

13. Psalm 121:2 (11 words): "My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth." The answer to the question in verse 1, "from whence cometh my help?"

14. Exodus 14:14 (12 words). Moses to Israel, trapped at the Red Sea. See crossing the Red Sea.

The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

15. John 14:1 (14 words). Jesus to his disciples on the night before the cross.

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

Short verses about joy and contentment

16. 1 Timothy 6:6 (7 words). A seven-word correction to the idea that faith is a way to get rich (1 Timothy 6:5).

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

17. Philippians 4:4 (10 words). Written from prison, which is why it carries weight.

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

18. Philippians 1:21 (12 words): "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Paul's whole outlook in one sentence.

Quick quiz: 1 Thessalonians

Which names does Paul join to his own in the greeting of 1 Thessalonians?

Barnabas and MarkSosthenes and TitusLuke and EpaphrasSilvanus and Timothy

Whom did Paul send from Athens to strengthen the Thessalonians?

TitusSilasTimothyEpaphras

How will the day of the Lord come, according to 5:2?

As a thief in the nightLike dawn over the mountainsLike a storm in broad daylightLike a fire in the forest

Continue the quiz

There are many more questions like these in Bible Academy, each with its explanation and verse. Start free, no card needed.

Short verses about love

19. 1 John 4:19 (8 words). Our love is always a response.

We love him, because he first loved us.

20. 1 Corinthians 16:14 (8 words): "Let all your things be done with charity." "Charity" is the KJV's word for love here.

21. John 15:12 (14 words): "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." The measure is "as I have loved you."

22. Matthew 22:39 (14 words): "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Jesus' second great commandment, quoting Leviticus 19:18. If you only want the command itself, it's seven words.

Short verses about following Jesus

23. John 3:30 (7 words). John the Baptist on his relationship to Jesus, and a good daily prayer.

He must increase, but I must decrease.

24. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (8 words): "For we walk by faith, not by sight." In the KJV the whole verse sits in parentheses.

25. Philippians 4:13 (10 words): "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." In context (Philippians 4:11-12), it's about being content whether "full" or "hungry," so learn it as a verse about faithfulness in every circumstance.

26. John 8:32 (13 words). It follows a condition in verse 31: "If ye continue in my word."

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Short verses for everyday wisdom

27. Romans 12:21 (10 words). The last line of Paul's teaching on revenge.

Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

28. Proverbs 15:1 (12 words): "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." Worth memorizing before your next tense meeting.

Short verses about the gospel

29. Romans 3:23 (12 words): "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." The KJV verse ends with a semicolon because the sentence continues into verse 24.

30. Romans 10:13 (13 words). Paul quoting the prophet Joel (Joel 2:32).

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

How to memorize a short verse in five minutes

Short verses are quick to learn, but they slip away just as quickly without review. Here's a five-minute routine:

1. Read it in context (one minute). Read the verses around it.
2. Say it aloud three times with the reference before and after: "Psalm 56:3. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. Psalm 56:3."
3. Write the first letters: "W t I a a, I w t i t."
4. Look away and recall it from the first letters, then with nothing.
5. Walk away. Come back later in the day and try again without looking.

That last step matters more than it seems. In a study by Roediger and Karpicke (2006), practicing recall produced much better retention after a week than rereading. Our full guide on how to memorize Scripture explains the research and the methods in more detail.

A 10-week plan for all 30 verses

Three short verses a week, roughly five minutes a day:

After week 10, review the whole set once a month. Thirty short verses at ten seconds each is a five-minute monthly review. For why widening gaps work, see our guide to spaced repetition for Bible memory.

Once these feel easy, move to longer verses. Our list of 52 Bible verses to memorize by theme is the natural next step, and the finish the verse game is a fun way to test yourself with friends.

The app keeps your memory verses together with review built in, so your 30-verse list goes wherever your phone goes.

Frequently asked questions

What is the shortest verse in the Bible to memorize?

In the KJV, John 11:35, "Jesus wept," is two words and nine letters, the shortest verse by letter count. 1 Thessalonians 5:16, "Rejoice evermore," is also two words. They are the only two-word verses in the KJV. Both make a good first memory verse, especially with the verses around them.

What are easy Bible verses to memorize for adults?

Good easy verses for adults include Luke 1:37, Psalm 56:3, 1 Peter 5:7, Philippians 4:4, 1 John 4:19, John 3:30 and Romans 12:21. Each is 11 words or fewer in the KJV, forms a complete thought, and speaks to everyday life: fear, worry, joy, love, humility and how to respond to evil.

How many words is a short Bible verse?

There is no official definition. On this page, short means 14 words or fewer in the KJV. For comparison, John 3:16 is 25 words in the KJV and Isaiah 41:10 is 37. The shortest verses, John 11:35 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16, have just two words each.

How long does it take to memorize a short Bible verse?

A verse of under 15 words usually takes about five minutes to learn on the first day. Keeping it takes a few short reviews: the next day, a few days later, a week later, two weeks later and a month later. Each review takes only seconds for a short verse.

Are short verses taken out of context?

They can be, which is why it helps to read a few verses around each one before memorizing it. For example, Philippians 4:13 is about contentment in hard circumstances (Philippians 4:11-12), and John 8:32 follows the condition "If ye continue in my word" in John 8:31. Context makes a short verse more meaningful, not less.