Public-Domain Funeral Readings, Psalms, and Hymn Texts

Every reading on this page is verified public domain in the US, so you can print it in full with no rights question. That means Psalm 23 in the King James Version (published 1611), the words to “Amazing Grace” (John Newton, 1779), Tennyson’s “Crossing the Bar” (1889), and other readings whose author, date, and copyright status are shown right next to each one.

Verified public-domain readings and hymn texts, checked September 2026

Title	Author	First published	Status	Note
Psalm 23 ("The Lord is my shepherd")	—	1611 (King James Version)	Public domain	The KJV text itself has never held a US copyright.
Psalm 121 ("I will lift up mine eyes")	—	1611 (King James Version)	Public domain	Same KJV basis as Psalm 23.
Ecclesiastes 3 ("To every thing there is a season")	—	1611 (King James Version)	Public domain	Same KJV basis. Pete Seeger's song "Turn! Turn! Turn!" (written in 1959, a 1965 hit for the Byrds) adapts these verses with added lines and new music, and the song is copyrighted. The KJV verses themselves are public domain; the song's lyrics and music are not.
"Amazing Grace" — words	John Newton	1779, in Olney Hymns	Public domain	Words alone; see the tune note below.
"Amazing Grace" — tune "New Britain"	Anonymous American folk melody; paired with Newton's words by William Walker	Tune first printed 1829 (Columbian Harmony); paired with the words in 1835 (The Southern Harmony)	Public domain	The familiar tune. Modern arrangements of it can be copyrighted, so print the words, not someone's newer arrangement.
"Abide with Me" — words	Henry Francis Lyte	Written 1847	Public domain	The usual tune, "Eventide" by William Henry Monk, dates from 1861 and is also public domain.
"Crossing the Bar"	Alfred, Lord Tennyson	1889, in Demeter and Other Poems	Public domain	Written when Tennyson was 80, three years before his death. He asked that it be printed last in every collection of his verse.

Psalm 23 (King James Version), to print in full

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Checked word for word against the King James Version text distributed by Project Gutenberg (eBook #10).

What makes a reading public domain?

In the US, most works enter the public domain when their copyright term expires. For works published before 1978, the longest possible term is 95 years, running to the end of the 95th calendar year after first publication, so the cutoff moves forward by one year every January 1 — on January 1, 2026, works first published in 1930 entered the public domain. So as of today, anything first published in 1930 or earlier is free to print in full, no permission needed. (Some older writing about this topic still cites a “1929 or earlier” cutoff; that was accurate through the end of 2025, and the line moves forward every New Year’s Day.)

A small number of works are public domain for a different reason entirely: they predate the very idea of copyright, or were never registered under it. The King James Bible is the clearest example — see below.

Which Bible translation is safe to print in full?

The King James Version (KJV), first published in 1611. It was written nearly a century before copyright law existed (the first copyright statute, the Statute of Anne, dates to 1710), and it has never been under US copyright — publishers print it freely (in the United Kingdom the Crown still holds perpetual rights to it, which do not apply in the US), which is why it’s Candlefold’s default translation for any scripture reading.

Most modern translations are different. The NIV, NRSV, ESV, and other contemporary translations are copyrighted by their publishers, who typically allow short quotations (a verse or two) under a stated fair-use policy but require written permission for longer excerpts. If your family prefers a modern translation, check that translation’s own copyright page (usually printed at the front of the Bible or on the publisher’s website) before printing more than a line or two, or use the KJV wording instead.

Which hymns are public domain?

A hymn is public domain in the US only if its words, its tune, and its arrangement were all first published in 1930 or earlier. All three parts matter — a public-domain text set to a newer, copyrighted arrangement is not automatically safe to print or perform.

“Amazing Grace” is the clean example: John Newton’s words were published in 1779, and the tune everyone now associates with it, “New Britain,” first printed in 1829, was paired with those words in 1835 in William Walker’s tunebook The Southern Harmony. Both halves clear the cutoff by a wide margin, so the combination is safe to print.

As a rule of thumb, most traditional hymns first published in 1930 or earlier are public domain in the US; anything from 1931 onward needs a case-by-case check, since the 95-year term hasn’t yet run out for later works. If you’re not sure about a specific hymn’s tune or arrangement date, treat it as copyrighted until you can verify otherwise.

What about a poem I found on Pinterest or Etsy?

Assume it’s copyrighted. Compilation sites and templates that circulate “funeral poems” online very rarely check who wrote a piece, when it was first published, or whether that date clears the public-domain cutoff — and a poem’s popularity says nothing about whether it’s actually free to use. If you want to use a specific poem, look up its author and first publication date yourself; if you can’t verify both, or the date is 1931 or later, treat it as copyrighted and either get permission or choose something else.

Can I use a modern song’s lyrics?

Generally, no — not without a license from the publisher. Most songs written from the 1930s onward, including nearly everything commonly requested for a modern service, are still under copyright. You can always name a song that will be played during the service (“a recording of ‘Ave Maria’ will be played”) without reprinting its lyrics, which requires no license at all.

Why isn’t “Do not stand at my grave and weep” on this list?

Frye’s poem is a popular choice, but its copyright status — especially later musical adaptations of it — is unclear, so we leave it out entirely rather than risk printing something that isn’t actually free to use. If you already have your own copy of the text, you’re welcome to paste it into your own program at your own discretion.

Questions families ask

What makes a reading public domain?

In the US, a published work is in the public domain once its copyright term has expired. For works published before 1978 (with their copyright properly kept up), the longest possible term is 95 years, running to the end of the 95th calendar year, so the cutoff advances by one year every January 1 — as of January 1, 2026, works first published in 1930 or earlier are in the public domain. A work can also be public domain because it was never copyrighted at all, which is the case for the King James Bible.

Which Bible translation is safe to print in full?

The King James Version (KJV), first published in 1611. It predates copyright law and has never been under US copyright. (In the United Kingdom it is still covered by the Crown's perpetual rights, which do not apply in the US.) Most modern translations — the NIV, NRSV, ESV, and others — are copyrighted by their publishers, who allow only limited quotation without written permission, so check the translation's own copyright page before printing more than a verse or two.

Which hymns are public domain?

A hymn is public domain in the US only if its words, its tune, and its arrangement were all first published in 1930 or earlier (that cutoff moves forward one year every January 1). "Amazing Grace" clears this: the words were published in 1779 and the now-familiar tune, "New Britain," was paired with them in 1835.

What about a poem I found on Pinterest or Etsy?

Assume it's copyrighted unless you can independently verify the author, the first publication date, and that date is 1930 or earlier (or that the author explicitly released it into the public domain). Compilation sites rarely check this themselves, and reprinting a copyrighted poem without permission is a real legal risk, however small the print run.

Can I use a modern song's lyrics?

Generally no, not without a license — most songs written after the 1930s are still under copyright. You're welcome to name a song as 'played during the service' without printing its lyrics, which doesn't require a license.

Why isn't "Do not stand at my grave and weep" on this list?

Frye's poem is a popular choice, but its copyright status — especially later musical adaptations of it — is unclear, so we leave it out entirely rather than risk printing something that isn't actually free to use. If you already have your own copy of the text, you're welcome to paste it into your own program at your own discretion.

Sources

• Duke Center for the Study of the Public Domain: Public Domain Day 2026 (checked 2026-09-26) — confirms works first published in 1930 entered the US public domain on January 1, 2026.
• Wikipedia: King James Version (checked 2026-09-26) — publication date (1611) and public-domain status in the US.
• Victorian Web: Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “Crossing the Bar” (1889) (checked 2026-09-26) — first publication in Demeter and Other Poems, 1889.
• Library of Congress: The Dissemination of Amazing Grace (checked 2026-09-26) — 1779 publication of Newton’s words in Olney Hymns.
• Project Gutenberg: King James Version (eBook #10) (checked 2026-09-27): Psalm 23 above compared word for word.
• Wikipedia: Amazing Grace and Abide with Me (checked 2026-09-27): the 1829 first printing of “New Britain”; Lyte’s text (1847) and Monk’s tune (1861).
• Wikipedia: New Britain (tune) (checked 2026-09-26) — first pairing of the “New Britain” tune with Newton’s words in the 1835 first edition of The Southern Harmony.

Sources were checked against the current pre-1931 US public-domain rule for pre-1978 published works (the cutoff year advances every January 1); Bible text throughout is the King James Version (1611), which has never been copyrighted.