Funeral reading
Psalm 46:1–7, 10–11
King James Bible
“Psalm 46:1–7, 10–11” (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
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
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 46 in the King James Psalms dedicates it “To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah”, a family of temple singers named on several psalms.
What it says
God is a refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble, so the speaker will not be afraid even if the earth gives way and the mountains are carried into the sea. In the middle of the chaos there is a river that makes the city of God glad, and that city will not be moved. Near the end comes the instruction many people know without knowing where it is from: be still, and know that I am God.
For a death that shook the ground. "Be still, and know." Read at a funeral or memorial service. Themes: refuge · strength · be still · a sudden death · shaken ground.
Who it suits
A death that felt like an upheaval: sudden, early, or after a long fight. It suits families who need a reading that admits the world has been shaken. The line about being still suits someone known for calm, and the river image suits a funeral near water.
Where it goes in the ceremony
Early in the service, after the welcome, when the room is still taking in the loss. It also works just before a time of silence, ending on “be still”. A family member or friend reads it.
Reading it aloud
The text on this page is 161 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.
- The opening verses describe a storm. Read them with strength but not volume; a steady voice over violent images is what makes the psalm work.
- “Selah” appears three times. It is a musical marking: most readers leave it out, and a short pause in its place keeps the shape.
- Take a full breath before “Be still, and know that I am God”. If silence follows in the service, let it start there.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “Psalm 46:1–7, 10–11” take to read aloud?
“Psalm 46:1–7, 10–11” 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 46:1–7, 10–11”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “Psalm 46:1–7, 10–11” 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 46:1–7, 10–11” 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 12155 secondsHelp from the hills, for the same kind of service
- Romans 8:31–35, 37–39a minute and a halfNothing can separate us, in Paul’s words
- Isaiah 43:1–3a40 secondsWhen you pass through the waters
- Psalm 27:1, 4, 13–1450 secondsKing James Bible
- Eshet Chayil — A Woman of Valour (Proverbs 31, JPS 1917)a minute and a halfJPS 1917 translation
- Ruth 1:16–17a30 secondsKing James Bible