What is the shortest verse in the Bible?
The shortest verse in the Bible is John 11:35, "Jesus wept.", 2 words in both the King James Version and the World English Bible. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 ("Rejoice evermore.") also has 2 words in the KJV but more letters (15 against 9). In the World English Bible Job 3:2 ("Job answered:") ties it at two words.
Updated October 22, 2026
Every ranking below is counted from the full text of the King James Version and the World English Bible. Where they differ, each table says which.
The 10 shortest verses, King James Version
Ranked by words, ties broken by letters, then canon order.
| # | Verse | Words | Letters | Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John 11:35 | 2 | 9 | Jesus wept. |
| 2 | 1 Thessalonians 5:16 | 2 | 15 | Rejoice evermore. |
| 3 | 1 Chronicles 1:25 | 3 | 12 | Eber, Peleg, Reu, |
| 4 | 1 Chronicles 1:1 | 3 | 14 | Adam, Sheth, Enosh, |
| 5 | 1 Chronicles 1:26 | 3 | 15 | Serug, Nahor, Terah, |
| 6 | Nehemiah 10:15 | 3 | 15 | Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, |
| 7 | Luke 17:32 | 3 | 16 | Remember Lot’s wife. |
| 8 | Nehemiah 10:13 | 3 | 17 | Hodijah, Bani, Beninu. |
| 9 | Nehemiah 10:17 | 3 | 17 | Ater, Hizkijah, Azzur, |
| 10 | Nehemiah 11:33 | 3 | 17 | Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, |
The 10 shortest verses, World English Bible
The WEB words some verses differently, so the order moves.
| # | Verse | Words | Letters | Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John 11:35 | 2 | 9 | Jesus wept. |
| 2 | Job 3:2 | 2 | 11 | Job answered: |
| 3 | 1 Thessalonians 5:16 | 2 | 13 | Rejoice always. |
| 4 | 1 Chronicles 1:25 | 3 | 12 | Eber, Peleg, Reu, |
| 5 | Joshua 15:29 | 3 | 13 | Baalah, Iim, Ezem, |
| 6 | 1 Chronicles 1:1 | 3 | 13 | Adam, Seth, Enosh, |
| 7 | Joshua 15:52 | 3 | 14 | Arab, Dumah, Eshan, |
| 8 | Joshua 19:43 | 3 | 15 | Elon, Timnah, Ekron, |
| 9 | 1 Chronicles 1:26 | 3 | 15 | Serug, Nahor, Terah, |
| 10 | 1 Chronicles 8:22 | 3 | 15 | Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, |
Questions people ask
What is the shortest verse in the Bible?
John 11:35, "Jesus wept." It is 2 words and 9 letters.
Is 1 Thessalonians 5:16 shorter than John 11:35?
No. "Rejoice evermore." is also two words in the KJV, but it has 15 letters to John 11:35's 9.
Do the KJV and WEB give the same shortest verse?
John 11:35 in both the King James Version and the World English Bible. Ties at two words differ: the KJV has John 11:35 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16; the WEB has John 11:35, Job 3:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:16.
What is the longest verse in the Bible?
Esther 8:9, 90 words in the KJV.
More counts: the longest verse in the Bible, the shortest chapter in the Bible, the shortest book in the Bible. See also the Bible by the numbers, the books of the Bible in order and how long the Bible is.
Counted by Bible Says About from the full public-domain text of the King James Version (1769 edition) and the World English Bible. Verse text only: headings and psalm titles are left out. A word is a run of letters: a hyphenated name like Beer-sheba counts as two, and an apostrophe stays inside its word (LORD'S is one). Matching ignores capital letters. Data compiled 2026-10-22.