Psalm 116:1–119:48

I Love the Lord

116 I ylove the Lord, because he has zheard

my voice and my pleas for mercy.

2  Because he ainclined his ear to me,

therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

3  bThe snares of death encompassed me;

the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;

I suffered distress and anguish.

4  Then cI called on the name of the Lord:

“O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

5  dGracious is the Lord, and erighteous;

our God is fmerciful.

6  The Lord preserves gthe simple;

when hI was brought low, he saved me.

7  Return, O my soul, to your irest;

for the Lord has jdealt bountifully with you.

8  For kyou have delivered my soul from death,

my eyes from tears,

my feet from stumbling;

9  I will walk before the Lord

lin the land of the living.

10  mI believed, neven when1 I spoke:

“I am greatly afflicted”;

11  oI said in my alarm,

p“All mankind are liars.”

12  What shall I qrender to the Lord

for all his benefits to me?

13  I will lift up rthe cup of salvation

and scall on the name of the Lord,

14  I will tpay my vows to the Lord

in the presence of all his people.

15  uPrecious in the sight of the Lord

is the death of his vsaints.

16  O Lord, I am your wservant;

I am your servant, xthe son of your maidservant.

You have yloosed my bonds.

17  I will zoffer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving

and scall on the name of the Lord.

18  I will tpay my vows to the Lord

in the presence of all his people,

19  in athe courts of the house of the Lord,

in your midst, O Jerusalem.

bPraise the Lord!

The Lord’s Faithfulness Endures Forever

117 cPraise the Lord, all nations!

Extol him, all peoples!

2  For dgreat is his steadfast love toward us,

and ethe faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

bPraise the Lord!

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

118 fOh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

2  gLet Israel say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

3  gLet the house of Aaron say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

4  gLet those who fear the Lord say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

5  hOut of my distress I icalled on the Lord;

the Lord answered me and set me jfree.

6  kThe Lord is on my side; lI will not fear.

What can man do to me?

7  mThe Lord is on my side as my helper;

I shall nlook in triumph on those who hate me.

8  oIt is better to take refuge in the Lord

pthan to trust in man.

9  It is better to take refuge in the Lord

pthan to trust in princes.

10  qAll nations surrounded me;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

11  They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

12  rThey surrounded me like bees;

they went out like sa fire among thorns;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

13  I was tpushed hard,1 so that I was falling,

but the Lord helped me.

14  The Lord is my strength and my song;

uhe has become my salvation.

15  Glad songs of salvation

are in the tents of the righteous:

v“The right hand of the Lord wdoes valiantly,

16  the right hand of the Lord exalts,

the right hand of the Lord wdoes valiantly!”

17  xI shall not die, but I shall live,

and yrecount the deeds of the Lord.

18  The Lord has zdisciplined me severely,

but he has not given me over to death.

19  aOpen to me the gates of righteousness,

that I may enter through them

and give thanks to the Lord.

20  This is the gate of the Lord;

bthe righteous shall enter through it.

21  I thank you that cyou have answered me

uand have become my salvation.

22  dThe stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone.2

23  This is the Lord’s doing;

it is marvelous in our eyes.

24  This is the day that the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

25  Save us, we pray, O Lord!

O Lord, we pray, give us success!

26  eBlessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

We fbless you from the house of the Lord.

27  The Lord is God,

and he has made ghis light to shine upon us.

Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,

up to hthe horns of the altar!

28  You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;

you are my God; I will iextol you.

29  jOh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet

Aleph

119 1 Blessed are those whose kway is blameless,

who lwalk in the law of the Lord!

2  Blessed are those who mkeep his ntestimonies,

who oseek him with their whole heart,

3  who also pdo no wrong,

but walk in his ways!

4  You have commanded your qprecepts

to be kept diligently.

5  Oh that my ways may rbe steadfast

in keeping your statutes!

6  sThen I shall not be put to shame,

having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

7  I will praise you with an upright heart,

when I learn tyour righteous rules.2

8  I will keep your statutes;

udo not utterly forsake me!

Beth

9  How can va young man keep his way pure?

By guarding it according to your word.

10  wWith my whole heart I seek you;

let me not xwander from your commandments!

11  I have ystored up your word in my heart,

that I might not sin against you.

12  Blessed are you, O Lord;

zteach me your statutes!

13  With my lips I adeclare

all the rules3 of your mouth.

14  In the way of your testimonies I bdelight

as much as in all criches.

15  I will dmeditate on your precepts

and fix my eyes on your eways.

16  I will fdelight in your statutes;

I will not forget your word.

Gimel

17  gDeal bountifully with your servant,

hthat I may live and keep your word.

18  Open my eyes, that I may behold

wondrous things out of your law.

19  I am ia sojourner on the earth;

jhide not your commandments from me!

20  My soul is consumed with klonging

for your rules4 at all times.

21  You rebuke lthe insolent, maccursed ones,

who nwander from your commandments.

22  Take away from me oscorn and contempt,

pfor I have kept your testimonies.

23  Even though qprinces sit plotting against me,

your servant will rmeditate on your statutes.

24  Your testimonies are my sdelight;

they are my tcounselors.

Daleth

25  uMy soul clings to the dust;

vgive me life waccording to your word!

26  When xI told of my ways, you answered me;

yteach me your statutes!

27  zMake me understand the way of your precepts,

and I will ameditate on your wondrous works.

28  bMy soul melts away for sorrow;

strengthen me according to your word!

29  Put false ways far from me

and graciously cteach me your law!

30  I have chosen the way of faithfulness;

I dset your rules before me.

31  I cling to your testimonies, O Lord;

elet me not be put to shame!

32  I will run in the way of your commandments

when you fenlarge my heart!5

He

33  gTeach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes;

and I will keep it hto the end.6

34  iGive me understanding, that I may keep your law

and observe it with my whole heart.

35  jLead me in the path of your commandments,

for I kdelight in it.

36  lIncline my heart to your testimonies,

and not to mselfish gain!

37  nTurn my eyes from looking at worthless things;

and ogive me life in your ways.

38  pConfirm to your servant your promise,

qthat you may be feared.

39  Turn away the rreproach that I dread,

for your rules are good.

40  Behold, I slong for your precepts;

tin your righteousness give me life!

Waw

41  Let your usteadfast love come to me, O Lord,

your salvation vaccording to your promise;

42  then wshall I have an answer for him rwho taunts me,

for I trust in your word.

43  And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,

for my xhope is in your rules.

44  I will keep your law continually,

forever and ever,

45  and I shall walk yin a wide place,

for I have zsought your precepts.

46  I will also speak of your testimonies abefore kings

and shall not be put to shame,

47  for I bfind my delight in your commandments,

which I love.

48  I will clift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,

and I will dmeditate on your statutes.