Psalm 128

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

In the King James Psalms, Psalm 128 carries the heading “A Song of degrees”, one of fifteen psalms in a row that carry that title.

The psalm describes a good life in concrete terms: eating what your own hands have earned, a spouse like a fruitful vine at the heart of the house, children around the table like young olive plants. It ends with a blessing on the family and a wish that they will live to see their children’s children. It is a picture of an ordinary, well-run household, offered as a blessing rather than an instruction.

The household psalm — the responsorial at most Catholic weddings. Read at a wedding ceremony. Themes: household · children · long life together · blessing on a home.

Couples who want children and a home to be part of the day, and families who want a blessing from the older generation. It is a traditional reading at Jewish and Christian weddings. It is a sensitive choice for a couple who cannot or do not plan to have children, so check before suggesting it.

Often read by a parent or grandparent as a blessing, near the end of the ceremony before the final blessing or pronouncement. It also works as the Old Testament reading early in the service.

The text on this page is 101 words. At a ceremony pace of about 130 words a minute, which is slower than conversation, that comes to about 45 seconds of reading.

• The images are domestic and warm. Read with a smile in your voice rather than a solemn one.
• The closing wish to see your children’s children is the emotional line, especially from a grandparent. Look at the couple when you say it.
• The word “Selah” does not appear in this psalm, so there is nothing to skip; read it straight through.

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