The LORD is my shepherd;I shall lack nothing.He makes me lie down in green pastures.He leads me beside still waters.He restores my soul.He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil, for you are with me.Your rod and your staff,they comfort me.You prepare a table before mein the presence of my enemies.You anoint my head with oil.My cup runs over.Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life,and I will dwell in the LORD’s house forever.
Psalm 23, World English Bible Updated edition, which is in the public domain.
Which funeral services use it
- Catholic, US (Lectionary for Masses for the Dead): Psalm 23:1-3, 4, 5, 6, as a responsorial psalm.
- Catholic, England and Wales (Order of Christian Funerals): Psalm 22 (23), the whole psalm.
- Church of England (Common Worship funeral readings): Psalm 23.
- Shown among popular choices on the Church of England's own funeral planning page.
A Church of England funeral should normally include a psalm, and it may be a metrical or hymn version, so some families sing “The Lord’s My Shepherd” instead of reading the psalm.
Where it comes in the service
At a Catholic funeral Mass a psalm is sung or said as the responsorial psalm, after the first reading. 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.
At a Catholic Mass the reader uses the parish Lectionary, which is a different translation from the one printed here, and in the US its text may not be reproduced without permission. You may prefer to print only the reference and the reader in the running order, for example "Responsorial psalm: Psalm 23, read by Anne Hughes".
Hymn versions: The Lord's My Shepherd (Psalm 23) and The King of Love My Shepherd Is.
Add Psalm 23 to your booklet, typeset in full, with the order of service around it. You can see the whole booklet before paying anything.
Put Psalm 23 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.