Rest has become rare – and all the more precious for it. The Bible does not see rest as a waste of time, but as a gift: God himself rests on the seventh day, and Jesus invites all who are weary to come to him. Here you will find 20 Bible verses about rest: Jesus' invitation to come to rest, and verses about being still before God.
Come to me
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Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 11:28-29Stress
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My soul is still before God, who helps me.
Psalm 62:2TrustConfirmation verses
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He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.
Psalm 23:2-3aGood ShepherdStress
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He said: My face shall go before you; I will guide you.
Exodus 33:14God's nearnessStress
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For thus says the LORD, the LORD, the Holy One of Israel: If you return and be still, then you will be helped; through stillness and hope you will be strong.
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Be now at peace again, my soul, for the LORD does good to you.
Psalm 116:7Soul
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Thus says the LORD: Go out into the ways and look, and ask for the old ways, which is the good way, and walk in them, and you will find rest for your soul! But they say: We will not do it!
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Yes, I have set my soul and stilled it; so my soul is within me like a weaned child with its mother.
Psalm 131:2SoulContentment
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Therefore there is still rest for the people of God. For he who has come to his rest also rests from his works, as God rests from his.
Hebrews 4:9-10Sabbath
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And he said to them: Let us go especially to a desolate place and rest a little.
Mark 6:31aExhaustionStress
Be still before God
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Be still and know that I am GOD.
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Be still before the LORD and wait for him.
Psalm 37:7aPatience
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It is a pleasant thing to be patient and hope for the help of the LORD.
Lamentations 3:26Patience
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And the fruit of righteousness will be peace, and the benefit of righteousness will be eternal stillness and security.
Isaiah 32:17PeaceRighteousness
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It is in vain that you rise up early and sit up late and eat your bread with sorrow; for he gives sleep to his friends.
Psalm 127:2Evening and nightTrials
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I lie down and sleep in peace entirely; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:9Evening and nightBaptism verses
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It is a dry morsel, with which one is made to be content, better than a house full of meat with strife.
Proverbs 17:1PeaceContentment
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Remain pious and keep right; for such will be well in the end.
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But the LORD is in his holy temple. Let all the world be still before him!
Habakkuk 2:20Awe
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Be still before the LORD, LORD, for the day of the LORD is near.
Zephaniah 1:7aAwe
Bible texts: Luther Bible 1912 (public domain), carefully adapted to modern spelling.
Related topics
This goes well with it
"And you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29): The Easy-Yoke collection is named exactly after this invitation.
Easy Yoke T-Shirt BlackT-shirt for Matthew 11:30: "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light."€38
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Easy Yoke - SocksEasy-Yoke socks – light burden, warm feet.€12
Easy Yoke - PosterThe poster for "Easy Yoke, Light Burden" as a reminder of Jesus' invitation to rest.€12
Rest as a gift from God
Already on the first page of the Bible, God rests on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2-3). From this comes the Sabbath, a day of rest for man and beast. Hebrews 4:9-10 takes up this idea and speaks of a rest that is still "available" – a rest that goes deeper than a free day. In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus invites exactly this: rest "for your souls". The yoke he speaks of is the image of a draft harness – with him it is gentle, the burden light.
Be still
Many psalms invite us to be still: "My soul is still before God" (Psalm 62:2), "Be still and know that I am GOD" (Psalm 46:11). Stillness is not emptiness, but space in which one perceives God again. A beautiful image is found in Psalm 131:2: a soul that is calm like a child with its mother. Anyone who wants to come to rest after a tiring day will find verses in Bible verses for evening and night; about the day of rest in Bible verses on the Sabbath.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Bible verse is about rest?
Matthew 11:28-29 ("Come to me, all you who are weary … and you will find rest for your souls") is the best known. Psalm 62:2, Psalm 46:11, and Psalm 23:2-3 are also popular.
What does "Be still and know that I am God" mean?
The verse from Psalm 46:11 calls us to pause in the midst of threat and unrest and trust God. It is an invitation not to have to control everything yourself.
