Psalm 119:1–176

Delight in God’s Word

א Alef

¹How ^fhappy are those whose way is blameless, ^g

who live according to the Lord’s instruction! ^h

²Happy are those who keep His decrees ⁱ

and seek Him with all their heart. ^j

³They do nothing wrong; ^k

they follow His ways.

⁴You have commanded that Your precepts ^l

be diligently kept.

⁵If only my ways were committed

to keeping Your statutes! ^m

⁶Then I would not be ashamed ⁿ

when I think about all Your commands.

⁷I will praise You with a sincere heart ^o

when I learn Your righteous judgments.

⁸I will keep Your statutes;

never abandon me. ^p

ב Bet

⁹How can a young man keep his way pure?

By keeping Your ^qword. ^r

¹⁰I have sought You with all my heart; ^s

don’t let me wander from Your commands. ^t

¹¹I have treasured Your word in my heart ^u

so that I may not sin against You.

¹²Lord, may You be praised;

teach me Your statutes. ^v

¹³With my lips I proclaim

all the judgments from Your mouth. ^w

¹⁴I rejoice in the way revealed by Your decrees ^x

as much as in all riches.

¹⁵I will meditate on Your precepts ^y

and think about Your ways. ^z

¹⁶I will delight in Your statutes; ^a

I will not forget Your word.

ג Gimel

¹⁷Deal generously with Your servant ^b

so that I might live;

then I will keep Your word.

¹⁸Open my eyes so that I may contemplate

wonderful things from Your instruction.

¹⁹I am a stranger on earth; ^c

do not hide Your commands from me.

²⁰I am continually overcome

with longing for Your judgments. ^d

²¹You rebuke the proud,

the ones under a curse, ^e

who wander from Your commands. ^f

²²Take insult and contempt away from me, ^g

for I have kept Your decrees.

²³Though princes sit together speaking against me, ^h

Your servant will think about Your statutes; ⁱ

²⁴Your decrees are my delight

and my counselors. ^j

ד Dalet

²⁵My life is down in the dust; ^k

give me life ^lthrough Your word.

²⁶I told You about my life,

and You listened to me;

teach me Your statutes. ^m

²⁷Help me understand

the meaning of Your precepts

so that I can meditate on Your wonders. ⁿ

²⁸I am weary ^ofrom grief;

strengthen me through Your word. ^p

²⁹Keep me from the way of deceit

and graciously give me Your instruction.

³⁰I have chosen the way of truth;

I have set Your ordinances before me. ^q

³¹I cling to Your decrees;

Lord, do not put me to shame. ^r

³²I pursue the way of Your commands,

for You broaden my understanding. ^st

ה He

³³Teach me, Lord, the meaning ^uof Your statutes,

and I will always keep them. ^vw

³⁴Help me understand Your instruction, ^x

and I will obey it

and follow it with all my heart. ^y

³⁵Help me stay on the path of Your commands, ^z

for I take pleasure in it. ^a

³⁶Turn my heart to Your decrees ^b

and not to material gain. ^c

³⁷Turn my eyes

from looking at what is worthless; ^d

give me life in Your ways. ^ef

³⁸Confirm what You said to Your servant, ^g

for it produces reverence for You.

³⁹Turn away the disgrace I dread; ^h

indeed, Your judgments are good.

⁴⁰How I long for Your precepts! ⁱ

Give me life through Your righteousness.

ו Vav

⁴¹Let Your faithful love come to me, Lord, ^j

Your salvation, as You promised. ^k

⁴²Then I can answer the one who taunts me, ^l

for I trust in Your word.

⁴³Never take the word of truth from my mouth,

for I hope in Your judgments. ^m

⁴⁴I will always obey Your instruction,

forever and ever. ⁿ

⁴⁵I will walk freely in an open place ^o

because I seek Your precepts. ^p

⁴⁶I will speak of Your decrees before kings

and not be ashamed. ^q

⁴⁷I delight in Your commands,

which I love. ^r

⁴⁸I will lift up my hands ^sto Your commands,

which I love,

and will meditate on Your statutes. ^t

ז Zayin

⁴⁹Remember Your word to Your servant;

You have given me hope through it.

⁵⁰This is my comfort in my affliction: ^u

Your promise has given me life.

⁵¹The arrogant constantly ridicule me,

but I do not turn away from Your instruction. ^v

⁵²Lord, I remember Your judgments from long ago

and find comfort.

⁵³Rage seizes me ^wbecause of the wicked

who reject Your instruction. ^x

⁵⁴Your statutes are the theme of my song

during my earthly life. ^y

⁵⁵Yahweh, I remember Your name ^zin the night, ^a

and I obey Your instruction.

⁵⁶This is my practice:

I obey Your precepts. ^b

ח Khet

⁵⁷The Lord is my portion; ^cd

I have promised to keep Your words.

⁵⁸I have sought Your favor ^ewith all my heart;

be gracious to me ^faccording to Your promise.

⁵⁹I thought about my ways ^g

and turned my steps back to Your decrees.

⁶⁰I hurried, not hesitating

to keep Your commands.

⁶¹Though the ropes of the wicked ^h

were wrapped around me,

I did not forget Your instruction. ⁱ

⁶²I rise at midnight to thank You ^j

for Your righteous judgments. ^k

⁶³I am a friend to all who fear You, ^l

to those who keep Your precepts.

⁶⁴Lord, the earth is filled with Your faithful love; ^m

teach me Your statutes. ⁿ

ט Tet

⁶⁵Lord, You have treated Your servant well,

just as You promised.

⁶⁶Teach me good judgment and discernment, ^o

for I rely on Your commands.

⁶⁷Before I was afflicted I went astray, ^p

but now I keep Your word.

⁶⁸You are good, ^qand You do what is good; ^r

teach me Your statutes.

⁶⁹The arrogant have smeared me with lies, ^s

but I obey Your precepts with all my heart. ^t

⁷⁰Their hearts are hard and insensitive, ^u

but I delight in Your instruction. ^v

⁷¹It was good for me to be afflicted ^w

so that I could learn Your statutes.

⁷²Instruction from Your lips ^xis better for me

than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

י Yod

⁷³Your hands made me and formed me; ^y

give me understanding

so that I can learn Your commands. ^z

⁷⁴Those who fear You will see me and rejoice, ^a

for I put my hope in Your word. ^b

⁷⁵I know, Lord, that Your judgments are just

and that You have afflicted me fairly. ^c

⁷⁶May Your faithful love comfort me

as You promised Your servant.

⁷⁷May Your compassion come to me ^d

so that I may live,

for Your instruction is my delight. ^e

⁷⁸Let the arrogant be put to shame ^f

for slandering me with lies;

I will meditate on Your precepts.

⁷⁹Let those who fear You,

those who know Your decrees, turn to me.

⁸⁰May my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes ^g

so that I will not be put to shame.

כ Kaf

⁸¹I long for Your salvation; ^h

I put my hope in Your word. ⁱ

⁸²My eyes grow weary

looking for what You have promised; ^j

I ask, “When will You comfort me?”

⁸³Though I have become like a wineskin dried by smoke,

I do not forget Your statutes.

⁸⁴How many days must Your servant wait?

When will You execute judgment on my persecutors? ^k

⁸⁵The arrogant have dug pits for me; ^l

they violate Your instruction.

⁸⁶All Your commands are true;

people persecute me with lies—help me! ^m

⁸⁷They almost ended my life on earth,

but I did not abandon Your precepts.

⁸⁸Give me life in accordance with Your faithful love,

and I will obey the decree You have spoken.

ל Lamed

⁸⁹Lord, Your word is forever; ⁿ

it is firmly fixed in heaven.

⁹⁰Your faithfulness is for all generations; ^o

You established the earth, and it stands firm. ^p

⁹¹They stand today in accordance with Your judgments, ^q

for all things are Your servants. ^r

⁹²If Your instruction had not been my delight,

I would have died in my affliction. ^s

⁹³I will never forget Your precepts,

for You have given me life through them. ^t

⁹⁴I am Yours; save me, ^u

for I have sought Your precepts. ^v

⁹⁵The wicked hope to destroy me, ^w

but I contemplate Your decrees.

⁹⁶I have seen a limit to all perfection,

but Your command is without limit.

מ Mem

⁹⁷How I love Your instruction! ^x

It is my meditation all day long. ^y

⁹⁸Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, ^z

for they are always with me.

⁹⁹I have more insight than all my teachers

because Your decrees are my meditation. ^a

¹⁰⁰I understand more than the elders ^b

because I obey Your precepts. ^c

¹⁰¹I have kept my feet from every evil path ^d

to follow Your word.

¹⁰²I have not turned from Your judgments, ^e

for You Yourself have instructed me.

¹⁰³How sweet Your word is ^fto my taste—

sweeter than honey in my mouth.

¹⁰⁴I gain understanding from Your precepts; ^g

therefore I hate every false way. ^h

נ Nun

¹⁰⁵Your word is a lamp for my feet ⁱ

and a light on my path.

¹⁰⁶I have solemnly sworn ^j

to keep Your righteous judgments.

¹⁰⁷I am severely afflicted;

Lord, give me life through Your word. ^k

¹⁰⁸Lord, please accept my willing offerings of praise, ^l

and teach me Your judgments. ^m

¹⁰⁹My life is constantly in danger, ⁿ

yet I do not forget Your instruction. ^o

¹¹⁰The wicked have set a trap for me, ^p

but I have not wandered from Your precepts. ^q

¹¹¹I have Your decrees as a heritage forever;

indeed, they are the joy of my heart. ^r

¹¹²I am resolved to obey Your statutes

to the very end. ^st

ס Samek

¹¹³I hate those who are double-minded, ^u

but I love Your instruction. ^v

¹¹⁴You are my shelter and my shield; ^w

I put my hope in Your word. ^x

¹¹⁵Depart from me, ^yyou evil ones,

so that I may obey my God’s commands. ^z

¹¹⁶Sustain me as You promised, ^aand I will live;

do not let me be ashamed of my hope. ^b

¹¹⁷Sustain me so that I can be safe ^c

and always be concerned about Your statutes. ^d

¹¹⁸You reject all who stray from Your statutes, ^e

for their deceit is a lie.

¹¹⁹You remove all the wicked on earth

as if they were ^fdross; ^g

therefore, I love Your decrees. ^h

¹²⁰I tremble ⁱin awe of You; ^j

I fear Your judgments.

ע Ayin

¹²¹I have done what is just and right; ^k

do not leave me to my oppressors.

¹²²Guarantee Your servant’s well-being; ^l

do not let the arrogant oppress me.

¹²³My eyes grow weary ^mlooking for Your salvation

and for Your righteous promise.

¹²⁴Deal with Your servant based on Your faithful love; ⁿ

teach me Your statutes.

¹²⁵I am Your servant; ^ogive me understanding ^p

so that I may know Your decrees.

¹²⁶It is time for the Lord to act, ^q

for they have violated Your instruction.

¹²⁷Since I love Your commands ^r

more than gold, even the purest gold,

¹²⁸I carefully follow ^sall Your precepts ^t

and hate every false way. ^u

פ Pe

¹²⁹Your decrees are wonderful; ^v

therefore I obey them. ^w

¹³⁰The revelation of Your words ^xbrings light

and gives understanding to the inexperienced. ^y

¹³¹I open my mouth and pant ^z

because I long for Your commands.

¹³²Turn to me and be gracious to me, ^a

as is Your practice toward those who love Your…