Funeral reading
Psalm 15 (JPS 1917)
JPS 1917 translation
“Psalm 15 (JPS 1917)” (JPS 1917 translation) is a scripture reading read at a funeral or memorial service. It takes about 50 seconds read aloud, usually by the officiant. 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
A Psalm of David. Lord, who shall sojourn in Thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell upon Thy holy mountain? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, And speaketh truth in his heart; That hath no slander upon his tongue, Nor doeth evil to his fellow, Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour; In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honoureth them that fear the Lord; He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not; He that putteth not out his money on interest, Nor taketh a bribe against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
Public domain, so these words can be printed in a ceremony script or an order of service.
Where it comes from
The words come from the Jewish Publication Society translation, which appeared in 1917.
What it says
The psalm asks a question and then answers it: who may live in God’s tent, who may stand on God’s holy mountain? The answer is a list of plain virtues. Someone who walks uprightly and speaks the truth in their heart. Someone who does not slander, does no harm to a friend, and does not heap scorn on a neighbor. Someone who keeps their word even when it costs them, who will not lend at interest to the poor, and who cannot be bribed against the innocent. The last line is a promise: a person who lives like this shall never be moved. At a funeral it becomes a description of the person who died.
A portrait of an honest person. Read at Jewish funerals for exactly that reason. Read at a funeral or memorial service. Themes: integrity · a decent life · speaking truth · keeping your word.
Who it suits
A Jewish funeral for someone known for their honesty: the person whose word was good, who paid what they owed and treated people fairly. It suits a family who would rather describe a character than talk about the afterlife. The language is about conduct, not belief, so it also sits well in a mixed room. It may suit less well a service where the family wants comfort first; Psalm 23 does that job better.
Where it goes in the ceremony
Before or just after the eulogy, where it can set up what the speakers are about to say about the person, or confirm it. The rabbi, the officiant or a family member can read it. It is short, so it also works at an unveiling of the headstone a year later.
Reading it aloud
The text on this page is 103 words. At a ceremony pace of about 130 words a minute, which is slower than conversation, that comes to about 50 seconds of reading.
- The question is in the first line. Read it as a real question, then pause before the answer.
- The middle is a list. Give each “He that” its own breath so the virtues do not run together.
- “He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not” means someone who keeps a promise that turns out badly for them. If that was the person, look up at the family on that line.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “Psalm 15 (JPS 1917)” take to read aloud?
“Psalm 15 (JPS 1917)” takes about 50 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 15 (JPS 1917)”?
Usually the officiant rather than a guest reader. “Psalm 15 (JPS 1917)” runs about 50 seconds, which sits inside the part of the service the officiant is already leading, and keeping it there means it is carried by the person who has rehearsed it.
Can “Psalm 15 (JPS 1917)” 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 23 (Jewish Publication Society, 1917)a minute and a halfThe comforting psalm in the same translation
- Micah 6:6–845 secondsDo justly, love mercy: the same idea in one verse
- Eshet Chayil — A Woman of Valour (Proverbs 31, JPS 1917)a minute and a halfAnother portrait of a life, often read for a woman
- Ruth 1:16–17a30 secondsKing James Bible
- 1 John 4:7–12a minute and a halfKing James Bible
- Psalm 10040 secondsKing James Bible