Psalm 119

Psalm 119^a

¹Blessed are those whose lives have integrity, 

those who follow the teachings of the Lord. 

²Blessed are those who obey his written instructions. 

They wholeheartedly search for him. 

³They do nothing wrong. 

They follow his directions. 

⁴You have commanded 

that your guiding principles be carefully followed. 

⁵I pray that my ways may become firmly established 

so that I can obey your laws. 

⁶Then I will never feel ashamed 

when I study all your commandments. 

⁷I will give thanks to you 

as I learn your regulations, which are based on your righteousness. 

⁸I will obey your laws. 

Never abandon me. 

⁹How can a young person keep his life pure? 

⸤He can do it⸥ by holding on to your word. 

¹⁰I wholeheartedly searched for you. 

Do not let me wander away from your commandments. 

¹¹I have treasured your promise in my heart 

so that I may not sin against you. 

¹²Thanks be to you, O Lord. 

Teach me your laws. 

¹³With my lips I have repeated 

every regulation that ⸤comes⸥ from your mouth. 

¹⁴I find joy in the way ⸤shown by⸥ your written instructions 

more than I find joy in all kinds of riches. 

¹⁵I want to reflect on your guiding principles 

and study your ways. 

¹⁶Your laws make me happy. 

I never forget your word. 

¹⁷Be kind to me so that I may live 

and hold on to your word. 

¹⁸Uncover my eyes 

so that I may see the miraculous things in your teachings. 

¹⁹I am a foreigner in this world. 

Do not hide your commandments from me. 

²⁰My soul is overwhelmed with endless longing for your regulations. 

²¹You threaten arrogant people, who are condemned 

and wander away from your commandments. 

²²Remove the insults and contempt that have fallen on me 

because I have obeyed your written instructions. 

²³Even though influential people plot against me, 

I reflect on your laws. 

²⁴Indeed, your written instructions make me happy. 

They are my best friends. 

²⁵I am close to death. 

Give me a new life as you promised. 

²⁶I told you what I have done, and you answered me. 

Teach me your laws. 

²⁷Help me understand your guiding principles 

so that I may reflect on your miracles. 

²⁸I am drowning in tears. 

Strengthen me as you promised. 

²⁹Turn me away from a life of lies. 

Graciously provide me with your teachings. 

³⁰I have chosen a life of faithfulness. 

I have set your regulations in front of me. 

³¹I have clung tightly to your written instructions. 

O Lord, do not let me be put to shame. 

³²I will eagerly pursue your commandments 

because you continue to increase my understanding. 

³³Teach me, O Lord, how to live by your laws, 

and I will obey them to the end. 

³⁴Help me understand so that I can follow your teachings. 

I will guard them with all my heart. 

³⁵Lead me on the path of your commandments, 

because I am happy with them. 

³⁶Direct my heart toward your written instructions 

rather than getting rich in underhanded ways. 

³⁷Turn my eyes away from worthless things. 

Give me a new life in your ways. 

³⁸Keep your promise to me 

so that I can fear you. 

³⁹Take away insults, which I dread, 

because your regulations are good. 

⁴⁰I long for your guiding principles. 

Give me a new life in your righteousness. 

⁴¹Let your blessings reach me, O Lord. 

Save me as you promised. 

⁴²Then I will have an answer for the one who insults me 

since I trust your word. 

⁴³Do not take so much as a single word of truth from my mouth. 

My hope is based on your regulations. 

⁴⁴I will follow your teachings forever and ever. 

⁴⁵I will walk around freely 

because I sought out your guiding principles. 

⁴⁶I will speak about your written instructions in the presence of kings 

and not feel ashamed. 

⁴⁷Your commandments, which I love, make me happy. 

⁴⁸I lift my hands ⸤in prayer⸥ because of your commandments, 

which I love. 

I will reflect on your laws. 

⁴⁹Remember the word ⸤you gave⸥ me. 

Through it you gave me hope. 

⁵⁰This is my comfort in my misery: 

Your promise gave me a new life. 

⁵¹Arrogant people have mocked me with cruelty, 

yet I have not turned away from your teachings. 

⁵²I remembered your regulations from long ago, O Lord, 

and I found comfort ⸤in them⸥. 

⁵³I am burning with anger because of wicked people, 

who abandon your teachings. 

⁵⁴Your laws have become like psalms to me 

in this place where I am only a foreigner. 

⁵⁵At night I remember your name, O Lord, 

and I follow your teachings. 

⁵⁶This has happened to me 

because I have obeyed your guiding principles. 

⁵⁷You are my inheritance, O Lord. 

I promised to hold on to your words. 

⁵⁸With all my heart I want to win your favor. 

Be kind to me as you promised. 

⁵⁹I have thought about my life, 

and I have directed my feet back to your written instructions. 

⁶⁰Without any hesitation I hurry to obey your commandments. 

⁶¹⸤Though⸥ the ropes of wicked people are tied around me, 

I never forget your teachings. 

⁶²At midnight I wake up to give thanks to you 

for the regulations, which are based on your righteousness. 

⁶³I am a friend to everyone who fears you 

and to everyone who follows your guiding principles. 

⁶⁴Your mercy, O Lord, fills the earth. 

Teach me your laws. 

⁶⁵You have treated me well, O Lord, 

as you promised. 

⁶⁶Teach me ⸤to use⸥ good judgment and knowledge, 

because I believe in your commandments. 

⁶⁷Before you made me suffer, I used to wander off, 

but now I hold on to your word. 

⁶⁸You are good, and you do good things. 

Teach me your laws. 

⁶⁹Arrogant people have smeared me with lies, 

⸤yet⸥ I obey your guiding principles with all my heart. 

⁷⁰Their hearts are cold and insensitive, 

⸤yet⸥ I am happy with your teachings. 

⁷¹It was good that I had to suffer 

in order to learn your laws. 

⁷²The teachings ⸤that come⸥ from your mouth are worth more to me 

than thousands in gold or silver. 

⁷³Your hands created me and made me what I am. 

Help me understand so that I may learn your commandments. 

⁷⁴Those who fear you will see me and rejoice, 

because my hope is based on your word. 

⁷⁵I know that your regulations are fair, O Lord, 

and that you were right to make me suffer. 

⁷⁶Let your mercy comfort me 

as you promised. 

⁷⁷Let your compassion reach me so that I may live, 

because your teachings make me happy. 

⁷⁸Let arrogant people be put to shame 

because they lied about me, 

⸤yet⸥ I reflect on your guiding principles. 

⁷⁹Let those who fear you turn to me 

so that they can come to know your written instructions. 

⁸⁰Let my heart be filled with integrity in regard to your laws 

so that I will not be put to shame. 

⁸¹My soul is weak from waiting for you to save me. 

My hope is based on your word. 

⁸²My eyes have become strained from looking for your promise. 

I ask, “When will you comfort me?” 

⁸³Although I have become like a shriveled and dried out wineskin, 

I have not forgotten your laws. 

⁸⁴What is left of my life? 

When will you bring those who persecute me to justice? 

⁸⁵Arrogant people have dug pits to trap me 

in defiance of your teachings. 

⁸⁶(All your commandments are reliable.) 

Those people persecute me with lies. Help me! 

⁸⁷They almost wiped me off ⸤the face of⸥ the earth. 

But I did not abandon your guiding principles. 

⁸⁸Give me a new life through your mercy 

so that I may obey the written instructions, 

⸤which came⸥ from your mouth. 

⁸⁹O Lord, your word is established in heaven forever. 

⁹⁰Your faithfulness endures throughout every generation. 

You set the earth in place, and it continues to stand. 

⁹¹All things continue to stand today because of your regulations, 

since they are all your servants. 

⁹²If your teachings had not made me happy, 

then I would have died in my misery. 

⁹³I will never forget your guiding principles, 

because you gave me a new life through them. 

⁹⁴I am yours. 

Save me, because I have searched for your guiding principles. 

⁹⁵The wicked people have waited for me in order to destroy me, 

⸤yet⸥ I want to understand your written instructions. 

⁹⁶I have seen a limit to everything else, 

⸤but⸥ your commandments have no limit. 

⁹⁷Oh, how I love your teachings! 

They are in my thoughts all day long. 

⁹⁸Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, 

because your commandments are always with me. 

⁹⁹I have more insight than all my teachers, 

because your written instructions are in my thoughts. 

¹⁰⁰I have more wisdom than those with many years of experience, 

because I have obeyed your guiding principles. 

¹⁰¹I have kept my feet ⸤from walking⸥ on any evil path 

in order to obey your word. 

¹⁰²I have not neglected your regulations, 

because you have taught me. 

¹⁰³How sweet the taste of your promise is! 

It tastes sweeter than honey. 

¹⁰⁴From your guiding principles I gain understanding. 

That is why I hate every path that leads to lying. 

¹⁰⁵Your word is a lamp for my feet 

and a light for my path. 

¹⁰⁶I took an oath, and I will keep it. 

I took an oath to follow your regulations, 

which are based on your righteousness. 

¹⁰⁷I have suffered so much. 

Give me a new life, O Lord, as you promised. 

¹⁰⁸Please accept the praise I gladly give you, O Lord, 

and teach me your regulations. 

¹⁰⁹I always take my life into my own hands, 

but I never forget your teachings. 

¹¹⁰Wicked people have set a trap for me, 

but I have never wandered away from your guiding principles. 

¹¹¹Your written instructions are mine forever. 

They are the joy of my heart. 

¹¹²I have decided to obey your laws. 

They offer a reward that never ends. 

¹¹³I hate two-faced people, 

but I love your teachings. 

¹¹⁴You are my hiding place and my shield. 

My hope is based on your word. 

¹¹⁵Get away from me, you evildoers, 

so that I can obey the commandments of my God. 

¹¹⁶Help me God, as you promised, so that I may live. 

Do not turn my hope into disappointment. 

¹¹⁷Hold me, and I will be safe, 

and I will always respect your laws. 

¹¹⁸You reject all who wander away from your laws, 

because their lies mislead them. 

¹¹⁹You get rid of all wicked people on earth as if they were rubbish. 

That is why I love your written instructions. 

¹²⁰My body shudders in fear of you, 

and I am afraid of your regulations. 

¹²¹I have done what is fair and right. 

Do not leave me at the mercy of those who oppress me. 

^122 …