Jesus invites the weary: "Come unto me... and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28-30). God promised Moses, "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest" (Exodus 33:14). Scripture also teaches Sabbath rest (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-10) and a remaining rest for the people of God (Hebrews 4:9-11)—ceasing from self-driven labour to trust Him.
Rest in the Bible is more than a nap. It is Sabbath, trust, and Jesus' invitation to the overloaded. These twelve King James passages focus on rest for the weary, entering God's rest, and the gift of stopping—distinct from the broader theme of peace. If your heart needs calm more than pause, see our peace page.
Come unto Me and rest
1. Matthew 11:28-30
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Jesus' open invitation: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. His yoke is easy; His burden is light. Rest is found in Him, not only in a schedule change.
2. Exodus 33:14
"And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest."
God's promise to Moses: My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. Rest is tied to God's presence going with you.
3. Psalms 23:1-2
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters."
The Lord is my shepherd; He maketh me to lie down in green pastures and leadeth me beside still waters. Sometimes rest is being made to lie down.
4. Jeremiah 6:16
"Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein."
Ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. Rest follows walking in God's ways.
Sabbath and stopping
5. Genesis 2:2-3
"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made."
God ended His work and rested on the seventh day and blessed it. Rest is built into creation, not added as an afterthought.
6. Exodus 20:8-10
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:"
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy... in it thou shalt not do any work. The command protects a rhythm of stopping for God and for people.
7. Mark 6:31
"And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat."
Jesus told the disciples, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while. Ministry without withdrawal drains; Jesus modeled paced rest.
8. Psalms 46:10
"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."
Be still, and know that I am God. Stillness is how we remember who rules—and stop pretending we do.
Enter into His rest
9. Hebrews 4:9-10
"There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his."
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God; he that is entered into His rest hath ceased from his own works. Faith-rest means stopping self-salvation labour.
10. Hebrews 4:11
"Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest. Paradoxically, entering rest takes diligent trust—labouring against unbelief.
11. Isaiah 40:31
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength... they shall run and not be weary. Waiting is a form of rest that restores strength.
12. Psalms 4:8
"I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety."
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. Night rest rests on God's watch.
A short prayer
Lord Jesus, I am weary and heavy laden. Give me the rest You promised. Teach me to be still, to keep a holy rhythm of stopping, and to cease from anxious works so I can trust Your presence. Let me lie down in peace tonight. In Your name, amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
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Frequently asked questions
What does the Bible say about rest?
Jesus offers rest to the weary (Matthew 11:28-30), God promised rest with His presence (Exodus 33:14), Sabbath rest is commanded (Exodus 20:8-10), and Hebrews 4 speaks of a remaining rest for God's people.
What is the difference between rest and peace?
Rest often means stopping labour, Sabbath, and ceasing from self-driven striving; peace is wholeness and calm with God. They overlap, but this page focuses on rest. See our peace page for shalom.
Where does Jesus say "I will give you rest"?
Matthew 11:28: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
What does Hebrews mean by entering God's rest?
Hebrews 4:9-11 teaches a rest that remains for God's people—ceasing from one's own works in faith, like God rested from His. It warns against hard-hearted unbelief that misses that rest.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about peace · Bible verses about worrying · Bible verses about stress · Bible verses about strength · Bible verses about waiting on God
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