Farewell Service

Hymns, readings and a printed program for a Christian funeral

Psalm 63:2–6, 8–9

A Catholic funeral reading (responsorial psalm), with the full text in the King James Version and the Douay-Rheims.

Reads in about 1 minute7 versesCatholic: Responsorial Psalm

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King James Version

  1. 1O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
  2. 2To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
  3. 3Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
  4. 4Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
  5. 5My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
  6. 7Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
  7. 8My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

Douay-Rheims

Psalm 62 in the Douay-Rheims numbering.

  1. 2O God, my God, to thee do I watch at break of day. For thee my soul hath thirsted; for thee my flesh, O how many ways!
  2. 3In a desert land, and where there is no way, and no water: so in the sanctuary have I come before thee, to see thy power and thy glory.
  3. 4For thy mercy is better than lives: thee my lips will praise.
  4. 5Thus will I bless thee all my life long: and in thy name I will lift up my hands.
  5. 6Let my soul be filled as with marrow and fatness: and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.
  6. 8Because thou hast been my helper. And I will rejoice under the covert of thy wings:
  7. 9My soul hath stuck close to thee: thy right hand hath received me.

Most Catholic parishes in the US read the New American Bible. Read Psalm 63 in the NABRE at usccb.org.

Where this reading is used

  • Catholic: Responsorial Psalm (Lectionary for Mass, no. 1013)

Hymns based on it

Scripture: King James Version (1769 text) and Douay-Rheims Bible, Challoner revision (Project Gutenberg #1581); both public domain. Citation as listed in the Lectionary for Mass.