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Wedding reading

Psalm 100

King James Bible

“Psalm 100” (King James Bible) is a scripture reading read at weddings and funerals alike. It takes about 40 seconds read aloud, usually by a guest reader. It is in the public domain, so the full text is printed on this page and goes straight into a ceremony script.

The full text

about 40 secondsguest
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Public domain, so these words can be printed in a ceremony script or an order of service.

Where it comes from

The heading of Psalm 100 in the King James Psalms is simply “A Psalm of praise”, and it is one of the shortest psalms in the book.

What it says

The psalm is a call to the whole earth to make a joyful noise, to come before God singing, and to enter the gates with thanksgiving. Its reason is short: we did not make ourselves, we belong to God like sheep to a shepherd, and God’s goodness and faithfulness last through every generation. It is pure gladness with no petition in it.

Short, glad, and useful right at the top of a service. Read at weddings and funerals alike. Themes: thanksgiving · joy · praise · gladness · opening a service.

Who it suits

A wedding that wants a joyful, outward-facing reading, especially one with a choir or hymn. At a funeral it suits a celebration of a long, faithful life, where gratitude is the note the family wants. It is short and plainly religious.

Where it goes in the ceremony

At a wedding, early in the service, as a call to worship or opening reading. At a funeral, it can open the service or come before a hymn of thanksgiving. Any reader; it is often read by the officiant as a welcome.

Reading it aloud

The text on this page is 86 words. At a ceremony pace of about 130 words a minute, which is slower than conversation, that comes to about 40 seconds of reading.

Questions about reading it aloud

How long does “Psalm 100” take to read aloud?

“Psalm 100” takes about 40 seconds read aloud at a ceremony pace, which is slower than conversation — roughly 130 words a minute. That is the figure the run-sheet uses when it works out the timing for the whole service.

Who usually reads “Psalm 100”?

Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “Psalm 100” runs about 40 seconds, which is a manageable amount to hand to a friend or family member. Give them a printed copy of their own, in a size they can read without their glasses, and tell them where to stand and how you will introduce them.

Can “Psalm 100” be printed in a ceremony script?

Yes. It is in the public domain, so the full text is on this page and can be printed in a script or an order of service.

Where this text was checked

gutenberg.org

Checked word for word against a full-text edition that is itself the authority — a Project Gutenberg or Wikisource transcription, a publisher’s own edition, or the issuing body’s page.

Checked

A reading is two minutes of the hour.

The rest is the welcome, the vows, the ring exchange, the pronouncement — and the timing that holds them together. Answer some questions about the couple and get the whole ceremony, written out, with this reading in its place.

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