1 John 4:8 · 1 Juan 4:8
Dios es amor.God is love.
Word by word
- Dios
- God
- es
- is
- amor
- love
25 Easy Spanish Bible Verses for Beginners
The fastest way into Spanish Scripture is not a chapter. It is a verse short enough to say from memory by the end of your first cup of coffee.
Here are twenty-five of them, from the Reina-Valera, each with the English underneath, a real voice reading it at full speed and slow, and a word-by-word meaning guide. They are shown in the short, memorizable form our lessons teach, so a longer verse appears here as its best-loved line.
Start at the top. "Dios es amor" (God is love) is three words, and it is also the first lesson of our course, free to try.
John 11:35 · Juan 11:35
Y lloró Jesús.Jesus wept.
Word by word
- Y
- and (RVR1909 word order: literally "And wept Jesus")
- lloró
- wept (past tense of "llorar," to weep)
- Jesús
- Jesus
Genesis 1:3 · Génesis 1:3
Y dijo Dios: Sea la luz; y fue la luz.And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Word by word
- Y dijo Dios
- and God said
- Sea la luz
- let there be light
- y fue la luz
- and there was light
Exodus 3:14 · Éxodo 3:14
Yo soy el que soy.I AM WHO I AM.
Word by word
- Yo soy
- I AM
- el que soy
- WHO I AM
Psalm 23:1 · Salmo 23:1
Jehová es mi pastor; nada me faltará.The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Word by word
- Jehová
- the LORD
- es
- is
- mi
- my
- pastor
- shepherd
- nada me faltará
- I shall not want (literally: nothing will lack to me)
Psalm 46:1 · Salmo 46:1
Dios es nuestro amparo y fortaleza.God is our refuge and strength.
Word by word
- Dios es
- God is
- nuestro
- our
- amparo
- refuge
- y
- and
- fortaleza
- strength
Psalm 27:1 · Salmo 27:1
Jehová es mi luz y mi salvación; ¿de quién temeré? Jehová es la fortaleza de mi vida; ¿de quién he de atemorizarme?The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread?
Word by word
- Jehová es mi luz
- the LORD is my light
- y mi salvación
- and my salvation
- ¿de quién temeré?
- whom shall I fear?
- la fortaleza de mi vida
- the strength of my life
- ¿de quién he de atemorizarme?
- of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 119:105 · Salmo 119:105
Lámpara es a mis pies tu palabra.Your word is a lamp to my feet.
Word by word
- Lámpara es
- A lamp is (RVR1909 word order: "A lamp is to my feet, your word")
- a mis pies
- to my feet
- tu palabra
- your word
John 8:12 · Juan 8:12
Yo soy la luz del mundo.I am the light of the world.
Word by word
- Yo soy
- I am
- la luz
- the light
- del mundo
- of the world
John 11:25 · Juan 11:25
Yo soy la resurrección y la vida.I am the resurrection and the life.
Word by word
- Yo soy
- I am
- la resurrección
- the resurrection
- y la vida
- and the life
John 14:27 · Juan 14:27
La paz les dejo, mi paz les doy.Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.
Word by word
- La paz
- peace
- les dejo
- I leave you ("os" is the older plural "you," common throughout the RVR1909)
- mi paz
- my peace
- les doy
- I give you
John 15:5 · Juan 15:5
Yo soy la vid, ustedes los pámpanos: el que está en mí, y yo en él, éste lleva mucho fruto; porque sin mí nada pueden hacer.I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.
Word by word
- Yo soy la vid
- I am the vine
- ustedes los pámpanos
- you are the branches
- el que está en mí, y yo en él
- he who abides in me, and I in him
- éste lleva mucho fruto
- bears much fruit
- porque sin mí nada pueden hacer
- for without me you can do nothing
Matthew 5:14 · Mateo 5:14
Ustedes son la luz del mundo.You are the light of the world.
Word by word
- Ustedes son
- You are (plural "you all are")
- la luz
- the light
- del mundo
- of the world
Matthew 5:9 · Mateo 5:9
Bienaventurados los pacificadores.Blessed are the peacemakers.
Word by word
- Bienaventurados
- Blessed (blessed / happy are)
- los pacificadores
- the peacemakers
Matthew 7:7 · Mateo 7:7
Pidan, y se les dará.Ask, and it will be given to you.
Word by word
- Pidan
- Ask (plural command of "pedir")
- y
- and
- se les dará
- it will be given to you
Luke 1:37 · Lucas 1:37
Ninguna cosa es imposible para Dios.For no word from God will ever fail.
Word by word
- Ninguna cosa
- nothing (the Berean follows the reading "no word from God")
- es
- is
- imposible
- will ever fail
- para Dios
- for God
Mark 5:36 · Marcos 5:36
No temas, cree solamente.Do not be afraid; just believe.
Word by word
- No temas
- be not afraid (literally "do not fear")
- cree
- believe
- solamente
- just
Mark 12:31 · Marcos 12:31
Amarás a tu prójimo como a ti mismo.Love your neighbor as yourself.
Word by word
- Amarás
- you shall love (future used as a command, as in the commandments)
- a tu prójimo
- your neighbor ("prójimo": neighbor)
- como a ti mismo
- as yourself
1 Thessalonians 5:16 · 1 Tesalonicenses 5:16
Estén siempre gozosos.Rejoice at all times.
Word by word
- Estén siempre
- at all times be (literally "be always")
- gozosos
- rejoicing (the Berean reads "Rejoice at all times")
1 Thessalonians 5:17 · 1 Tesalonicenses 5:17
Oren sin cesar.Pray without ceasing.
Word by word
- Oren
- pray (plural command form of "orar")
- sin
- without
- cesar
- ceasing ("sin cesar" means without ceasing)
1 Thessalonians 5:18 · 1 Tesalonicenses 5:18
Den gracias en todo.Give thanks in every circumstance.
Word by word
- Den gracias
- give thanks (plural imperative of "dar gracias," to give thanks)
- en todo
- in every circumstance
Philippians 4:4 · Filipenses 4:4
Gócense en el Señor siempre.Rejoice in the Lord always.
Word by word
- Gócense
- Rejoice (plural command of "gozarse," to rejoice)
- en el Señor
- in the Lord
- siempre
- always
Philippians 4:13 · Filipenses 4:13
Todo lo puedo en Cristo que me fortalece.I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
Word by word
- Todo lo puedo
- I can do all things (literally: I can do everything)
- en Cristo
- in Christ
- que me fortalece
- who gives me strength ("fortalece": literally "strengthens me")
Isaiah 41:10 · Isaías 41:10
No temas, que yo soy contigo.Do not fear, for I am with you.
Word by word
- No temas
- Do not fear ("temas," from temer, to fear)
- que
- for
- yo soy contigo
- I am with you (RVR1909 "soy contigo"; modern Spanish would say "estoy contigo")
Jeremiah 33:3 · Jeremías 33:3
Clama a mí, y te responderé.Call to Me, and I will answer.
Word by word
- Clama
- call out (singular imperative)
- a mí
- to Me
- y
- and
- te responderé
- I will answer you
How to pronounce it
- Jehová / Jesús: heh-oh-VAH, heh-SOOS. The Spanish J sounds like an English H, every time.
- lloró: yoh-ROH. The double L sounds like an English Y. "Y lloró Jesús" (Jesus wept) is the shortest verse on this page.
- hizo: EE-soh. The Spanish H is always silent. So is the one in "hermano" (brother).
Learn verses like this one, a few minutes a day
Christian Languages teaches Spanish through real Scripture: every verse read aloud by a real voice, explained word by word, one calm lesson a day. The first lesson is free.
Try a Free LessonCommon questions
What is the shortest Bible verse in Spanish?+
"Y lloró Jesús" (Jesus wept), John 11:35. Three words, and one of them is a name. It is the classic first memory verse for a reason.
Which Spanish Bible verses should a beginner memorize first?+
Start with the shortest complete thoughts: Dios es amor (God is love), Sea la luz (Let there be light), Oren sin cesar (Pray without ceasing). Each is a full sentence you can use the same day you learn it.
How do I learn the pronunciation?+
Listen before you read. Every verse on this page has audio recorded by a real voice, with a slow version. Play it, say it out loud, then play it again. Spanish spelling is consistent, so your ear trains your eye quickly.