"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
— Matthew 11:28 (NIV)
Matthew 11:28 is Jesus' invitation to the tired. This page gives the verse, the two verses that finish it, and a plain reading. For more verses on the theme, see Bible verses about rest, Bible verses about comfort, and Bible verses about Jesus.
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The verse
Matthew 11:28 (NIV) reads: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
The King James says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." "Weary" (KJV "labour") is kopiaō (G2872), to work hard to the point of exhaustion. "I will give you rest" is anapauō (G373), to refresh or give relief.
The verses that finish it
The invitation continues: "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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:29-30).
A yoke was the wooden frame that joined working animals to a load. Jesus does not offer a life with no yoke. He offers his own, which he calls easy and light. "You will find rest for your souls" echoes Jeremiah 6:16.
Just before, Jesus thanks the Father for revealing these things "to little children" rather than "the wise and learned," and says, "All things have been committed to me by my Father" (Matthew 11:25, 27).
What the verse is saying
The invitation is open to "all" who are worn out and weighed down. The rest is found in a person: "Come to me." Jesus describes himself as "gentle and humble in heart," so the one offering rest is safe to come to.
The rest is not only a break from work. It is "rest for your souls," which comes from learning from Jesus and walking with him. For more on that, see Bible verses about peace and Bible verses about God's love.
Questions people ask
What does Matthew 11:28 say?
In the NIV it says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." The KJV says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
What does my yoke is easy and my burden is light mean?
A yoke joined animals to a load. Jesus says his yoke is easy and his burden light (Matthew 11:30). Following him still has a shape, but it is shaped by a teacher who is "gentle and humble in heart."
Who is Jesus talking to in Matthew 11:28?
He invites "all you who are weary and burdened." The invitation is open to anyone who is worn out and weighed down.
What kind of rest does Jesus promise?
Verse 29 calls it "rest for your souls," found by coming to him and learning from him. It is deeper than physical rest.
What verse goes well with Matthew 11:28?
1 Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God."
