Sixteen verses for lying down, praying at night, and the hours when sleep does not come.
Night comes up often in the psalms, and not always peacefully. Psalm 4:8 and Psalm 3:5 describe lying down and sleeping in safety. Others describe lying awake: meditating through the night watches, rising at midnight to give thanks, or flooding the bed with tears. The psalms make room for both. Psalm 121:4 gives one reason a person can rest: the one who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The verses are grouped for going to sleep, for evening and night prayer, for the hours when you cannot sleep, and for Psalm 91 at night. Tick the ones you want and print them for a bedside table. If sleeplessness is affecting your health, please also speak to a doctor. This page is scripture, not treatment.
Verses about lying down and sleeping. Short enough to read in bed.
In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep,for you alone, LORD, make me live in safety.
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep. The same line gives the reason: you alone, LORD, make me live in safety.
I laid myself down and slept.I awakened, for the LORD sustains me.
I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.
I laid myself down and slept. I awakened. The heading sets the psalm when David fled from his son Absalom, so this sleep comes in danger, not comfort.
It is vain for you to rise up early,to stay up late,eating the bread of toil,for he gives sleep to his loved ones.
It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
It is vain to stay up late eating the bread of toil, for he gives sleep to his loved ones. Sleep is described as a gift, not a reward for working longer.
Behold, he who keeps Israelwill neither slumber nor sleep.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The one reading can sleep because someone else stays awake.
Stand in awe, and don’t sin.Search your own heart on your bed, and be still. Selah.
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Search your own heart on your bed, and be still. The moment before sleep is a time to think honestly, and then to be still.
Prayers that belong to the end of the day. Psalms 4, 91 and 134 are also the Sunday Night Prayer psalms in the Catholic Liturgy of the Hours, as the note below explains.
Let my prayer be set before you like incense;the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice.
Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Let my prayer be set before you like incense, the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice. The verse ties prayer to the evening by name.
Look! Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,who stand by night in the LORD’s house!
Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD.
A call to praise the LORD, addressed to the servants who stand by night in the LORD's house. Praise is not left for the daytime.
The LORD will command his loving kindness in the daytime.In the night his song shall be with me:a prayer to the God of my life.
Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
Loving kindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me. The night is given its own gift: a song, and a prayer to the God of my life.
when I remember you on my bed,and think about you in the night watches.
When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
I remember you on my bed and think about you in the night watches. The psalmist lies in bed and spends the watches of the night thinking about God.
to proclaim your loving kindness in the morning,and your faithfulness every night,
To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,
Loving kindness is proclaimed in the morning and faithfulness every night. Each end of the day is given its own thing to declare.
For the hours when sleep will not come. These psalmists are awake too.
At midnight I will rise to give thanks to you,because of your righteous ordinances.
At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.
At midnight I will rise to give thanks to you. The psalmist gets up in the middle of the night on purpose, to give thanks.
My eyes stay open through the night watches,that I might meditate on your word.
Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.
My eyes stay open through the night watches, that I might meditate on your word. Wakefulness is turned into time with scripture.
I remember my song in the night.I consider in my own heart;my spirit diligently inquires:
I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.
I remember my song in the night, and my spirit diligently inquires. Psalm 77 is a sleepless psalm: verse 4 says, you hold my eyelids open.
I am weary with my groaning.Every night I flood my bed.I drench my couch with my tears.
I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.
Every night I flood my bed and drench my couch with tears. The psalm does not hide that some nights are spent crying, and by verse 9 it says the LORD has heard.
Psalm 91 names the terror by night directly and describes God as a shelter.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night. The night is named along with its fear, and set beside the arrow that flies by day.
He will cover you with his feathers.Under his wings you will take refuge.His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will take refuge. The picture is of shelter under wings, close rather than distant.
In the Catholic Liturgy of the Hours, the General Instruction (no. 88) sets Psalm 4 and Psalm 134 for Night Prayer after Evening Prayer I of Sunday, and Psalm 91 after Evening Prayer II of Sunday. On other days it asks for psalms full of confidence in the Lord, and allows the Sunday psalms instead, for those who pray Night Prayer from memory.
Psalm 91 speaks directly of the night. Verse 5 names the terror by night, and verse 1 speaks of resting in the shadow of the Almighty. The psalm does not ask to be recited a set number of times or kept as a charm. It calls God a refuge and a fortress, and near its end God says he will answer the one who calls on him.
Psalm 4:8 is the most direct: in peace I will both lay myself down and sleep. Psalm 3:5 and Psalm 127:2 are two more short verses about sleep.
Psalm 4 is short and ends with lying down in peace. Psalm 134 has three verses and is addressed to those who serve by night. Psalm 91 speaks of the terror by night.
In the Catholic Liturgy of the Hours, Sunday Night Prayer uses Psalms 4 and 134 after Evening Prayer I and Psalm 91 after Evening Prayer II, according to the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours, no. 88.
Psalm 119:62 says, at midnight I will rise to give thanks to you. Psalm 119:148 speaks of eyes open through the night watches.
Psalm 4:8 joins peace and sleep in one line and gives safety as the reason. Psalm 3:5 says the writer lay down, slept and woke again, for the LORD sustains him.
Psalms for Anxiety, Worry and StressPsalms for Peace of Mind and ComfortPsalms for the MorningPsalm Verses for ProtectionPsalms for FearPsalms for Comfort and Strength