Funeral reading
Psalm 91:1–6, 11
King James Bible
“Psalm 91:1–6, 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
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Public domain, so these words can be printed in a ceremony script or an order of service.
Where it comes from
Psalm 91 is the psalm the tempter quotes to Jesus in Matthew 4, citing its promise that angels will bear him up.
What it says
Whoever lives in the shelter of the Most High rests in God’s shadow. God covers them with feathers like a bird covering its young, and they need not fear the terror of the night, the arrow by day, or the plague that walks in darkness. The selection ends with angels given charge to keep the person in all their ways. It is a psalm of protection from beginning to end.
Shelter and wings. Often chosen for someone who was afraid at the end. Read at a funeral or memorial service. Themes: shelter · under his wings · angels · not being afraid · protection.
Who it suits
Military funerals and the funerals of police officers, firefighters and others who faced danger for a living. It also suits a death from illness, because it speaks directly about pestilence. It is warmly protective, which suits a family who wants to hear that the person was kept, even at the end.
Where it goes in the ceremony
An opening or middle reading. At a military funeral, read by a fellow service member or a family member before the eulogy.
Reading it aloud
The text on this page is 127 words. At a ceremony pace of about 130 words a minute, which is slower than conversation, that comes to about 60 seconds of reading.
- The feather and wing image is tender. Soften the voice there, before the list of dangers.
- The list of terrors by night and arrows by day builds. Keep it steady so the reassurance carries over it.
- The angels verse is where the family will be listening hardest. Slow down.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “Psalm 91:1–6, 11” take to read aloud?
“Psalm 91:1–6, 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 91:1–6, 11”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “Psalm 91:1–6, 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 91:1–6, 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
- Eternal Father, Strong to Save (the Navy Hymn)4 minutesThe Navy Hymn, for a sailor or veteran
- Psalm 12155 secondsAnother psalm about being kept safe
- Deuteronomy 31:6–855 secondsBe strong and of good courage
- Psalm 23a minute and a halfKing James Bible
- Psalm 27:1, 4, 13–1450 secondsKing James Bible
- Ruth 1:16–17a30 secondsKing James Bible