Psalm 119:1–176

Meditations and Prayers Relating to the Law of God.

א

Aleph.

¹How blessed are those whose way is ^1ablameless,

Who ^bwalk in the law of the Lord.

²How blessed are those who ^aobserve His testimonies,

Who ^bseek Him ^cwith all their heart.

³They also ^ado no unrighteousness;

They walk in His ways.

⁴You have ^1aordained Your precepts,

²That we should keep them diligently.

⁵Oh that my ^aways may be established

To ^bkeep Your statutes!

⁶Then I ^ashall not be ashamed

When I look ¹upon all Your commandments.

⁷I shall ^agive thanks to You with uprightness of heart,

When I learn Your righteous judgments.

⁸I shall keep Your statutes;

Do not ^aforsake me utterly!

ב

Beth.

⁹How can a young man keep his way pure?

By ^akeeping it according to Your word.

¹⁰With ^aall my heart I have sought You;

Do not let me ^bwander from Your commandments.

¹¹Your word I have ^atreasured in my heart,

That I may not sin against You.

¹²Blessed are You, O Lord;

^aTeach me Your statutes.

¹³With my lips I have ^atold of

All the ^bordinances of Your mouth.

¹⁴I have ^arejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,

¹As much as in all riches.

¹⁵I will ^ameditate on Your precepts

And ¹regard ^bYour ways.

¹⁶I shall ^1adelight in Your statutes;

I shall ^bnot forget Your word.

ג

Gimel.

^17aDeal bountifully with Your servant,

That I may live and keep Your word.

¹⁸Open my eyes, that I may behold

Wonderful things from Your law.

¹⁹I am a ^astranger in the earth;

Do not hide Your commandments from me.

²⁰My soul is crushed ^1awith longing

After Your ordinances at all times.

²¹You ^arebuke the arrogant, ¹the ^bcursed,

Who ^cwander from Your commandments.

^22aTake away reproach and contempt from me,

For I ^bobserve Your testimonies.

²³Even though ^aprinces sit and talk against me,

Your servant ^bmeditates on Your statutes.

²⁴Your testimonies also are my ^adelight;

They are ¹my counselors.

ד

Daleth.

²⁵My ^asoul cleaves to the dust;

^bRevive me ^caccording to Your word.

²⁶I have told of my ways, and You have answered me;

^aTeach me Your statutes.

²⁷Make me understand the way of Your precepts,

So I will ^ameditate on Your wonders.

²⁸My ^asoul ¹weeps because of grief;

^bStrengthen me according to Your word.

²⁹Remove the false way from me,

And graciously grant me Your law.

³⁰I have chosen the faithful way;

I have ¹placed Your ordinances before me.

³¹I ^acling to Your testimonies;

O Lord, do not put me to shame!

³²I shall run the way of Your commandments,

For You will ^aenlarge my heart.

ה

^33aTeach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes,

And I shall observe it to the end.

^34aGive me understanding, that I may ^bobserve Your law

And keep it ^cwith all my heart.

³⁵Make me walk in the ^apath of Your commandments,

For I ^bdelight in it.

^36aIncline my heart to Your testimonies

And not to ^bdishonest gain.

³⁷Turn away my ^aeyes from looking at vanity,

And ^brevive me in Your ways.

^38aEstablish Your ¹word to Your servant,

²As that which produces reverence for You.

^39aTurn away my reproach which I dread,

For Your ordinances are good.

⁴⁰Behold, I ^along for Your precepts;

Revive me through Your righteousness.

ו

Vav.

⁴¹May Your ^alovingkindnesses also come to me, O Lord,

Your salvation ^baccording to Your ¹word;

⁴²So I will have an ^aanswer for him who ^breproaches me,

For I trust in Your word.

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

For I ^1await for Your ordinances.

⁴⁴So I will ^akeep Your law continually,

Forever and ever.

⁴⁵And I will ^awalk ¹at liberty,

For I ^bseek Your precepts.

⁴⁶I will also speak of Your testimonies ^abefore kings

And shall not be ashamed.

⁴⁷I shall ^1adelight in Your commandments,

Which I ^blove.

⁴⁸And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments,

Which I ^alove;

And I will ^bmeditate on Your statutes.

ז

Zayin.

⁴⁹Remember the word to Your servant,

¹In which You have made me hope.

⁵⁰This is my ^acomfort in my affliction,

That Your word has ¹revived me.

⁵¹The arrogant ^autterly deride me,

Yet I do not ^bturn aside from Your law.

⁵²I have ^aremembered Your ordinances from ¹of old, O Lord,

And comfort myself.

⁵³Burning ^aindignation has seized me because of the wicked,

Who ^bforsake Your law.

⁵⁴Your statutes are my songs

In the house of my ^apilgrimage.

⁵⁵O Lord, I ^aremember Your name ^bin the night,

And keep Your law.

⁵⁶This has become mine,

¹That I ^aobserve Your precepts.

ח

Heth.

⁵⁷The Lord is my ^aportion;

I have ¹promised to ^bkeep Your words.

⁵⁸I ^asought Your favor ^bwith all my heart;

^cBe gracious to me ^daccording to Your ¹word.

⁵⁹I ^aconsidered my ways

And turned my feet to Your testimonies.

⁶⁰I hastened and did not delay

To keep Your commandments.

⁶¹The ^acords of the wicked have encircled me,

But I have ^bnot forgotten Your law.

⁶²At ^amidnight I shall rise to give thanks to You

Because of Your ^brighteous ordinances.

⁶³I am a ^acompanion of all those who ¹fear You,

And of those who keep Your precepts.

^64aThe earth is full of Your lovingkindness, O Lord;

^bTeach me Your statutes.

ט

⁶⁵You have dealt well with Your servant,

O Lord, according to Your word.

⁶⁶Teach me good ^1adiscernment and knowledge,

For I believe in Your commandments.

^67aBefore I was afflicted I went astray,

But now I keep Your word.

⁶⁸You are ^agood and ^bdo good;

^cTeach me Your statutes.

⁶⁹The arrogant ¹have ^aforged a lie against me;

With all my heart I will ^bobserve Your precepts.

⁷⁰Their heart is ^1acovered with fat,

But I ^bdelight in Your law.

⁷¹It is ^agood for me that I was afflicted,

That I may learn Your statutes.

⁷²The ^alaw of Your mouth is better to me

Than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

י

Yodh.

^73aYour hands made me and ¹fashioned me;

^bGive me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.

⁷⁴May those who ¹fear You ^asee me and be glad,

Because I ^2bwait for Your word.

⁷⁵I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are ^arighteous,

And that ^bin faithfulness You have afflicted me.

⁷⁶O may Your lovingkindness ¹comfort me,

According to Your ²word to Your servant.

⁷⁷May ^aYour compassion come to me that I may live,

For Your law is my ^bdelight.

⁷⁸May ^athe arrogant be ashamed, for they subvert me ^bwith a lie;

But I shall ^cmeditate on Your precepts.

⁷⁹May those who ¹fear You turn to me,

Even those who know Your testimonies.

⁸⁰May my heart be ^1ablameless in Your statutes,

So that I will not ^bbe ashamed.

‍ך

Kaph.

⁸¹My ^asoul languishes for Your salvation;

I ^1bwait for Your word.

⁸²My ^aeyes fail with longing for Your ¹word,

²While I say, “When will You comfort me?”

⁸³Though I have ^abecome like a wineskin in the smoke,

I do ^bnot forget Your statutes.

⁸⁴How many are the ^adays of Your servant?

When will You ^bexecute judgment on those who persecute me?

⁸⁵The arrogant have ^adug pits for me,

Men who are not ¹in accord with Your law.

⁸⁶All Your commandments are ^afaithful;

They have ^bpersecuted me with a lie; ^chelp me!

⁸⁷They almost destroyed me ¹on earth,

But as for me, I ^adid not forsake Your precepts.

⁸⁸Revive me according to Your lovingkindness,

So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.

ל

Lamedh.

^89aForever, O Lord,

Your word ¹is settled in heaven.

⁹⁰Your ^afaithfulness continues ¹throughout all generations;

You ^bestablished the earth, and it ^cstands.

⁹¹They stand this day according to Your ^aordinances,

For ^ball things are Your servants.

⁹²If Your law had not been my ^adelight,

Then I would have perished ^bin my affliction.

⁹³I will ^anever forget Your precepts,

For by them You have ^1brevived me.

⁹⁴I am Yours, ^asave me;

For I have ^bsought Your precepts.

⁹⁵The wicked ^await for me to destroy me;

I shall diligently consider Your testimonies.

⁹⁶I have seen ¹a limit to all perfection;

Your commandment is exceedingly broad.

ם

Mem.

⁹⁷O how I ^alove Your law!

It is my ^bmeditation all the day.

⁹⁸Your ^acommandments make me wiser than my enemies,

For they are ever ¹mine.

⁹⁹I have more insight than all my teachers,

For Your testimonies are my ^ameditation.

¹⁰⁰I understand ^amore than the aged,

Because I have ^bobserved Your precepts.

¹⁰¹I have ^arestrained my feet from every evil way,

That I may keep Your word.

¹⁰²I have not ^aturned aside from Your ordinances,

For You Yourself have taught me.

¹⁰³How ^asweet are Your ¹words to my ²taste!

Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

¹⁰⁴From Your precepts I ^aget understanding;

Therefore I ^bhate every false way.

‍ן

¹⁰⁵Your word is a ^alamp to my feet

And a light to my path.

¹⁰⁶I have ^asworn and I will confirm it,

That I will keep Your righteous ordinances.

¹⁰⁷I am exceedingly ^aafflicted;

^1bRevive me, O Lord, according to Your word.

¹⁰⁸O accept the ^afreewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord,

And ^bteach me Your ordinances.

¹⁰⁹My ^1alife is continually ²in my hand,

Yet I do not ^bforget Your law.

¹¹⁰The wicked have ^alaid a snare for me,

Yet I have not ^bgone astray from Your precepts.

¹¹¹I have ^ainherited Your testimonies forever,

For they are the ^bjoy of my heart.

¹¹²I have ^ainclined my heart to perform Your statutes

Forever, even ^bto the end.

ס

Samekh.

¹¹³I hate those who are ^adouble-minded,

But I love Your ^blaw.

¹¹⁴You are my ^ahiding place and my ^bshield;

I ^1cwait for Your word.

^115aDepart from me, evildoers,

That I may ^bobserve the commandments of my God.

^116aSustain me according to Your ¹word, that I may live;

And ^bdo not let me be ²ashamed of my hope.

¹¹⁷Uphold me that I may be ^asafe,

That I may ^bhave regard for Your statutes continually.

¹¹⁸You have ¹rejected all those ^awho wander from Your statutes,

For their deceitfulness is ²useless.

¹¹⁹You have ¹removed all the wicked of the earth like ^adross;

Therefore I ^blove Your testimonies.

¹²⁰My flesh ^1atrembles for fear of You,

And I am ^bafraid of Your judgments.

ע

Ayin.

¹²¹I have ^adone justice and righteousness;

Do not leave me to my oppressors.

¹²²Be ^asurety for Your servant for good;

Do not let the arrogant ^boppress me.

¹²³My ^aeyes fail with longing for Your salvation

And for Your righteous ¹word.

¹²⁴Deal with Your servant ^aaccording to Your lovingkindness

And ^bteach me Your statutes.

^125aI am Your servant; ^bgive me understanding,

That I may know Your testimonies.

¹²⁶It is time for the Lord to ^aact,

For they have broken Your law.

¹²⁷Therefore I ^alove Your commandments

Above gold, yes, above fine gold.

¹²⁸Therefore I…