Psalm 16, “Preserve me, O Lord, for I have put my trust in thee,” is a psalm of joyful trust in God as the only true good: “The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup.” On the first Pentecost St. Peter preached it as a prophecy of the Resurrection: “thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; nor wilt thou give thy holy one to see corruption.” In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 15. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.
Psalm 16 in the Douay-Rheims Bible
The inscription of a title to David himself. Preserve me, O Lord, for I have put my trust in thee.
I have said to the Lord, thou art my God, for thou hast no need of my goods.
To the saints, who are in his land, he hath made wonderful all my desires in them.
Their infirmities were multiplied: afterwards they made haste. I will not gather together their meetings for blood offerings: nor will I be mindful of their names by my lips.
The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup: it is thou that wilt restore my inheritance to me.
The lines are fallen unto me in goodly places: for my inheritance is goodly to me.
I will bless the Lord, who hath given me understanding: moreover my reins also have corrected me even till night.
I set the Lord always in my sight: for he is at my right hand, that I be not moved.
Therefore my heart hath been glad, and my tongue hath rejoiced: moreover my flesh also shall rest in hope.
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; nor wilt thou give thy holy one to see corruption.
Thou hast made known to me the ways of life, thou shalt fill me with joy with thy countenance: at thy right hand are delights even to the end.
Psalm 16 or Psalm 15?
The Douay-Rheims Bible follows the numbering of the Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint, while most modern Bibles follow the Hebrew. So the Douay’s Psalm 15 is Psalm 16 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Conserva me, Domine, quoniam speravi in te. See how many psalms are there?
The Resurrection psalm
St. Peter quoted it on the day of Pentecost:
For David saith concerning him: I foresaw the Lord before my face: because he is at my right hand, that I may not be moved.
For this my heart hath been glad, and my tongue hath rejoiced: moreover my flesh also shall rest in hope.
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, nor suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.
Thou hast made known to me the ways of life: thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
David died and was buried, Peter explained, so these words were fulfilled in Christ, whom God raised from the dead (Acts 2:29–32). St. Paul preached the same verse at Antioch (Acts 13:35).
What the psalm means
- God alone is my good: “I have said to the Lord, thou art my God.”
- My inheritance and my cup: the priests and Levites of Israel received no land; God himself was their portion. Every believer can say the same.
- “I set the Lord always in my sight”: living in God’s presence gives stability, “that I be not moved.”
- Hope beyond death: “my flesh also shall rest in hope,” because God will not abandon his holy one to corruption.
- The path of life: “Thou hast made known to me the ways of life… at thy right hand are delights even to the end.”
How the Church uses Psalm 16
- At the Easter Vigil, after the reading of Abraham’s sacrifice: “You are my inheritance, O Lord.” See the Easter Vigil.
- At Night Prayer (Compline) on Thursdays, entrusting the night to God. See Compline.
- On several Sundays, including the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B), and the Third Sunday of Easter (Year A).
- For priests and religious: in the old rite of first tonsure, the young cleric said in Latin, “The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup.” See the prayer for vocations.
A prayer with Psalm 16
Written for this page:
Preserve me, O Lord, for I take refuge in you.
You are my inheritance and my cup; you are my only good.
Keep me always in your presence, that I may not be shaken,
and show me the path of life that leads to the joy of your face. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
What does “The Lord is my portion” mean?
That God himself is our inheritance and our true wealth, more than any land or possession.
Why is Psalm 16 a Resurrection psalm?
St. Peter and St. Paul preached that its words, “thou wilt not give thy holy one to see corruption,” were fulfilled when God raised Jesus from the dead (Acts 2:25–32; 13:35).
More psalms and prayers
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalm 15 (16); Acts 2:25–28, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayer was written for this page.