Funeral reading
Psalm 130
King James Bible
“Psalm 130” (King James Bible) is a scripture reading read at a funeral or memorial service. It takes about 55 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
Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
Public domain, so these words can be printed in a ceremony script or an order of service.
Where it comes from
Psalm 130 is another of the King James Psalms headed “A Song of degrees”, and it is eight verses long.
What it says
Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord. The speaker begs to be heard, admits that nobody could stand if every fault were counted, and then waits, the way a night watchman waits for morning, and says it twice. It ends with hope for all Israel: with the Lord there is mercy and plenty of redemption. It is short, and it starts at the lowest point of grief rather than pretending to be past it.
The De Profundis. For grief that is not ready to be comforted. Read at a funeral or memorial service. Themes: out of the depths · grief without comfort yet · waiting · the De Profundis · a hard death.
Who it suits
A funeral after a hard death, a death by suicide, or a loss that has left the family in the depths themselves. It is a traditional psalm at Catholic and Anglican funerals. It suits a service that needs to admit despair before offering hope.
Where it goes in the ceremony
Early in the service, before any reading about resurrection or comfort, so the movement from depths to morning is felt. Read by a family member or the officiant.
Reading it aloud
The text on this page is 116 words. At a ceremony pace of about 130 words a minute, which is slower than conversation, that comes to about 55 seconds of reading.
- Begin quietly. The first line is a cry, but it works best as a low, honest voice rather than a raised one.
- The repeated watchmen line is the heart of it. Read the repetition slightly slower than the first time.
- The ending turns to hope; let the voice lift a little.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “Psalm 130” take to read aloud?
“Psalm 130” takes about 55 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 130”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “Psalm 130” runs about 55 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 130” 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
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 life, the remembrances, the committal — and knowing what comes next. Answer some questions about them and get the whole service, written out, with this reading in its place.
Other readings that suit the same service
- Psalm 27:1, 4, 13–1450 secondsWaiting on the Lord, with courage
- Lamentations 3:22–2635 secondsHope found at the bottom of grief
- Psalm 103:8–17a minute and a halfMercy that does not count our faults
- Ruth 1:16–17a30 secondsKing James Bible
- 1 John 4:7–12a minute and a halfKing James Bible
- Psalm 10040 secondsKing James Bible