Funeral reading
Psalm 139:1–12
King James Bible
“Psalm 139:1–12” (King James Bible) is a scripture reading read at a funeral or memorial service. It takes about a minute and a half 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
O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
Public domain, so these words can be printed in a ceremony script or an order of service.
Where it comes from
The King James Psalms head Psalm 139 “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David”.
What it says
You have searched me and known me, the speaker says to God: when I sit and when I stand, my thoughts, my words before I say them. There is nowhere to go from that presence. If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in the grave, you are there; if I take the wings of the morning and live at the far end of the sea, your hand still leads me. Even darkness is not dark to you. At a funeral it says that the person is still fully known, wherever they are.
Nowhere is out of reach — including the dark. Read at a funeral or memorial service. Themes: being fully known · nowhere beyond reach · darkness and light · wings of the morning.
Who it suits
Funerals for someone who traveled, emigrated or lived far from family, because of the wings of the morning. It suits a baby or young person’s funeral too, since the full psalm speaks of being known before birth. It is one of the most personal psalms and suits a family who wants intimacy rather than grandeur.
Where it goes in the ceremony
After the eulogy or tributes, when the room has heard who the person was. A close family member reads it.
Reading it aloud
The text on this page is 189 words. At a ceremony pace of about 130 words a minute, which is slower than conversation, that comes to about a minute and a half of reading.
- It is spoken directly to God, as “thou”. Keep it personal and quiet.
- The “if I ascend… if I make my bed… if I take the wings” sequence is a three-part build. Let the third one lift.
- The darkness and light verse is the close. Read “the darkness and the light are both alike to thee” slowly.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “Psalm 139:1–12” take to read aloud?
“Psalm 139:1–12” takes about a minute and a half 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 139:1–12”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “Psalm 139:1–12” runs about a minute and a half, 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 139:1–12” 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 23a minute and a halfNot fearing the valley, because God is there
- Romans 8:31–35, 37–39a minute and a halfNeither height nor depth can separate us
- Isaiah 43:1–3a40 secondsCalled by name and not abandoned
- Ruth 1:16–17a30 secondsKing James Bible
- 1 John 4:7–12a minute and a halfKing James Bible
- Psalm 10040 secondsKing James Bible