Psalm 30 Catholic: I Will Praise You, Lord, You Rescued Me

Psalm 30, “I will extol thee, O Lord, for thou hast upheld me,” is the thanksgiving of someone God has healed and brought back from the edge of death. It contains the hopeful words “In the evening weeping shall have place, and in the morning gladness” and “Thou hast turned for me my mourning into joy.” The Church sings it at the Easter Vigil. In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 29. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.

Psalm 30 in the Douay-Rheims Bible

A psalm of a canticle, at the dedication of David’s house.
I will extol thee, O Lord, for thou hast upheld me: and hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I have cried to thee, and thou hast healed me.
Thou hast brought forth, O Lord, my soul from hell: thou hast saved me from them that go down into the pit.
Sing to the Lord, O ye his saints: and give praise to the memory of his holiness.
For wrath is in his indignation; and life in his good will. In the evening weeping shall have place, and in the morning gladness.
And in my abundance I said: I shall never be moved.
O Lord, in thy favour, thou gavest strength to my beauty. Thou turnedst away thy face from me, and I became troubled.
To thee, O Lord, will I cry: and I will make supplication to my God.
What profit is there in my blood, whilst I go down to corruption? Shall dust confess to thee, or declare thy truth?
The Lord hath heard, and hath had mercy on me: the Lord became my helper.
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into joy: thou hast cut my sackcloth, and hast compassed me with gladness:
To the end that my glory may sing to thee, and I may not regret: O Lord my God, I will give praise to thee for ever.

Psalm 30 or Psalm 29?

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 29 is Psalm 30 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Exaltabo te, Domine, quoniam suscepisti me. See how many psalms are there?

What the psalm means

Healing: “O Lord my God, I have cried to thee, and thou hast healed me.”
From death to life: “Thou hast brought forth, O Lord, my soul from hell.” Christians hear the Resurrection.
Weeping and joy: “In the evening weeping shall have place, and in the morning gladness.”
A warning against pride: “in my abundance I said: I shall never be moved,” until God hid his face.
Mourning turned to dancing: “Thou hast turned for me my mourning into joy: thou hast cut my sackcloth, and hast compassed me with gladness.”

How the Church uses Psalm 30

At the Easter Vigil, after the fourth reading (Isaias 54): “I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.” See the Easter Vigil.
On the Third Sunday of Easter (Year C) and on the Thirteenth and Tenth Sundays in Ordinary Time (Years B and C).
After a recovery, as a prayer of thanksgiving for healing.

A prayer with Psalm 30

Written for this page:

I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
I cried to you and you healed me; you brought me back from the pit.
When I weep in the evening, give me joy in the morning.
You have turned my mourning into dancing: I will thank you for ever. Amen.

Frequently asked questions

Where is “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning”?

Psalm 30:6 (29:6 in the Douay-Rheims: “In the evening weeping shall have place, and in the morning gladness”).

Where is “You have turned my mourning into dancing”?

Psalm 30:12 (29:12 in the Douay-Rheims: “Thou hast turned for me my mourning into joy”).

More psalms and prayers

Texts and sources

Scripture: Psalm 29 (30), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
The prayer was written for this page.