0words (John 11:35, KJV)
"Jesus wept."
The shortest verse in the English Bible — two words at the tomb of Lazarus.
KJV
The story
In the KJV, John 11:35 is just two words: 'Jesus wept.' It records Jesus weeping before raising his friend Lazarus from the dead. In the original Greek it is three words (ἐδάκρυσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς). Shortest-verse claims depend on language and translation.
How we count
Three words in the Greek. Some translations phrase it differently.
Sources
- John 11:35
See our full methodology on the How we count page.
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The most commonly cited verse count for the King James Version.
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