Psalm 65 begins “A hymn, O God, becometh thee in Sion,” words the Church sings in the entrance chant of every traditional Requiem Mass, and ends with a glorious harvest: “Thou hast visited the earth, and hast plentifully watered it… Thou shalt bless the crown of the year of thy goodness.” It is a perfect psalm for harvest time and Thanksgiving. In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 64. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.
Psalm 65 in the Douay-Rheims Bible
To the end, a psalm of David. The canticle of Jeremias and Ezechiel to the people of the captivity, when they began to go out.
A Hymn, O God, becometh thee in Sion: and a vow shall be paid to thee in Jerusalem.
O hear my prayer: all flesh shall come to thee.
The words of the wicked have prevailed over us: and thou wilt pardon our transgressions.
Blessed is he whom thou hast chosen and taken to thee: he shall dwell in thy courts. We shall be filled with the good things of thy house; holy is thy temple,
Wonderful in justice. Hear us, O God our saviour, who art the hope of all the ends of the earth, and in the sea afar off.
Thou who preparest the mountains by thy strength, being girded with power:
Who troublest the depth of the sea, the noise of its waves. The Gentiles shall be troubled,
And they that dwell in the uttermost borders shall be afraid at thy signs: thou shalt make the outgoings of the morning and of the evening to be joyful.
Thou hast visited the earth, and hast plentifully watered it; thou hast many ways enriched it. The river of God is filled with water, thou hast prepared their food: for so is its preparation.
Fill up plentifully the streams thereof, multiply its fruits; it shall spring up and rejoice in its showers.
Thou shalt bless the crown of the year of thy goodness: and thy fields shall be filled with plenty.
The beautiful places of the wilderness shall grow fat: and the hills shall be girded about with joy,
The rams of the flock are clothed, and the vales shall abound with corn: they shall shout, yea they shall sing a hymn.
Psalm 65 or Psalm 64?
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 64 is Psalm 65 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion. See how many psalms are there?
What the psalm means
- Praise and prayer: “O hear my prayer: all flesh shall come to thee.”
- Forgiveness: “The words of the wicked have prevailed over us: and thou wilt pardon our transgressions.”
- Blessed are those God chooses: “Blessed is he whom thou hast chosen… he shall dwell in thy courts.”
- Lord of all the earth: he calms the roaring of the seas and the tumult of nations.
- The harvest: God waters the furrows, blesses the crops and crowns the year with his goodness.
How the Church uses Psalm 65
- In the traditional Requiem Mass, its first verse, Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion, follows “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord” in the entrance chant. See Catholic funeral prayers.
- At Mass on the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A), with the parable of the sower: “The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.”
- At harvest and Thanksgiving. See Thanksgiving prayers.
A prayer with Psalm 65
Written for this page:
To you, O God, our praise is due in Sion; you hear our prayers.
You forgive our sins when they overwhelm us.
You visit the earth and water it, and crown the year with your goodness.
Bless our harvest, our work and our homes, and let all flesh come to you. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Psalm 65 in the Requiem Mass?
Its first verse, “A hymn, O God, becometh thee in Sion,” is sung after “Requiem aeternam” in the traditional entrance chant of Masses for the dead.
Is Psalm 65 a harvest psalm?
Yes. Its last verses celebrate God’s gift of rain and a rich harvest, which makes it ideal for Thanksgiving.
More psalms and prayers
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalm 64 (65), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayer was written for this page.