LORD, you have searched me,and you know me.You know my sitting down and my rising up.You perceive my thoughts from afar.You search out my path and my lying down,and are acquainted with all my ways.For there is not a word on my tongue,but behold, LORD, you know it altogether.You hem me in behind and before.You laid your hand on me.This knowledge is beyond me.It’s lofty.I can’t attain it.Where could I go from your Spirit?Or where could I flee from your presence?If I ascend up into heaven, you are there.If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there!If I take the wings of the dawn,and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea,even there your hand will lead me,and your right hand will hold me.If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me.The light around me will be night,”even the darkness doesn’t hide from you,but the night shines as the day.The darkness is like light to you.
Psalm 139:1-12, World English Bible Updated edition, which is in the public domain.
Which funeral services use it
- Catholic, US (Lectionary for Masses for the Dead): not on the list.
- Catholic, England and Wales (Order of Christian Funerals): not on the list.
- Church of England (Common Worship funeral readings): Psalm 139 (this page prints verses 1-12).
- Shown among popular choices on the Church of England's own funeral planning page.
Where it comes in the service
It is not one of the Catholic funeral readings. In a Church of England funeral a psalm should normally be used, and it may be said, sung, or replaced by a metrical or hymn version.
Add Psalm 139:1-12 to your booklet, typeset in full, with the order of service around it. You can see the whole booklet before paying anything.
Put Psalm 139:1-12 in my bookletAbout this translation
The words here are the World English Bible, a modern English translation whose translators dedicated it to the public domain, so it can be printed in a booklet in the US and the UK without permission or a fee. The King James Version is public domain in the US but is covered by Crown letters patent in the UK, which is why it is not used here. If your church prefers another translation, add it in step 5 with "Use your own words".
Funeral lists checked on September 28, 2026 against the USCCB, the Liturgy Office of England and Wales and the Church of England's Common Worship pages.