Psalm 119

Aleph*

¹People living pure lives are happy. Those people follow the Lord’s teachings. ²People who obey the Lord’s Agreement* are happy. They obey the Lord with all their heart. ³Those people don’t do bad things. They obey the Lord. ⁴Lord, you gave us your commands. And you told us to obey those commands completely. ⁵If I always obey your laws, Lord, ⁶then I will never be ashamed when I study your commands. ⁷Then I could truly honor you as I study your fairness and goodness. ⁸Lord, I will obey your commands. So please don’t leave me!

Beth

⁹How can a young person live a pure life? By following your instructions. ¹⁰I try to serve God with all my heart. God, help me obey your commands. ¹¹I study your teachings very carefully. Why? So I will not sin against you. ¹²Bless you Lord. Teach me your laws. ¹³I will talk about all your wise decisions. ¹⁴I enjoy studying your Agreement* more than anything. ¹⁵I discuss your rules. I follow your way of living. ¹⁶I enjoy your laws. I will not forget your words.

Gimel

¹⁷Be good to me, your servant, so I might be able to live and obey your commands. ¹⁸Lord, open my eyes. Let me look into your teachings and read about the wonderful things you did. ¹⁹I am a stranger in this land. Lord, don’t hide your teachings from me. ²⁰I want to study your decisions all the time. ²¹Lord, you criticize proud people. Bad things will happen to them. They refuse to obey your commands. ²²Don’t let me be ashamed and embarrassed. I have obeyed your Agreement.* ²³Even the leaders said bad things about me. But I am your servant, Lord, and I study your laws. ²⁴Your Agreement is my best friend. It gives me good advice.

Daleth

²⁵I will soon die. Lord, give the command and let me live. ²⁶I told you about my life. And you answered me. Now, teach me your laws. ²⁷Lord, help me understand your laws. Let me study about the wonderful things you have done. ²⁸I am sad and tired. Give the command and make me strong again. ²⁹Lord, don’t let me live a lie. Guide me with your teachings. ³⁰Lord, I chose to be loyal to you. I carefully study your wise decisions. ³¹I stick with your Agreement* Lord. Don’t disappoint me. ³²I will gladly obey your commands. Lord, your commands make me happy.

He

³³Lord, teach me your laws, and I will follow them. ³⁴Help me understand, and I will obey your teachings. I will obey them completely. ³⁵Lord, lead me along the path of your commands. I truly love that way of living. ³⁶Help me think about your Agreement* instead of how to get rich. ³⁷Lord, don’t let me look at worthless things. Help me live your way. ³⁸Do what you promised for your servant, so that people will respect you. ³⁹Lord, take away the shame I fear. Your wise decisions are good. ⁴⁰Look, I love your commands. Be good to me and let me live.

Waw

⁴¹Lord, show me your true love. Save me like you promised. ⁴²Then I will have an answer for people who insult me. I really trust the things you say, Lord. ⁴³Let me always speak your true teachings. Lord, I depend on your wise decisions. ⁴⁴Lord, I will follow your teachings forever and ever. ⁴⁵So I will be free. Why? Because I try hard to obey your laws. ⁴⁶I will discuss your Agreement* with kings, and they will not embarrass me. ⁴⁷I enjoy studying your commands, Lord. I love those commands. ⁴⁸Lord, I praise your commands. I love them. And I will study them.

Zain

⁴⁹Lord, remember your promise to me. That promise gives me hope. ⁵⁰I was suffering, and you comforted me. Your words let me live again. ⁵¹People who think they are better than me insulted me constantly. But I did not stop following your teachings. ⁵²I always remember your wise decisions. Lord, your wise decisions comfort me. ⁵³I become angry when I see the wicked people who quit following your teachings. ⁵⁴Your laws are my songs at home.* ⁵⁵Lord, I remember your name at night. And I remember your teachings. ⁵⁶This happens because I carefully obey your commands.

Heth

⁵⁷Lord, I decided my duty is to obey your commands. ⁵⁸Lord, I depend on you completely. Be kind to me like you promised. ⁵⁹I thought very carefully about my life. And I came back to your Agreement.* ⁶⁰I hurried back to obey your commands without delay. ⁶¹A group of bad people said bad things about me. But I did not forget your teachings, Lord. ⁶²In the middle of the night, I get up to thank you for your good decisions. ⁶³I am a friend to every person who worships you. I am a friend to every person who obeys your commands. ⁶⁴Lord, your true love fills the earth. Teach me your laws.

Teth

⁶⁵Lord, you did good things for me, your servant. You did exactly what you promised to do. ⁶⁶Lord, give me the knowledge to make wise decisions. I trust your commands. ⁶⁷Before I suffered, I did many wrong things. But now, I carefully obey your commands. ⁶⁸God, you are good, and you do good things. Teach me your laws. ⁶⁹People who think they are better than me told bad lies about me. But I continued to obey your commands with all my heart, Lord. ⁷⁰Those people are very stupid.* But I enjoy studying your teachings. ⁷¹Suffering was good for me. I learned your laws. ⁷²Lord, your teachings are good for me. They are better than 1,000 pieces of silver and gold.

Yod

⁷³Lord, you made me and you support me with your hands. Help me learn and understand your commands. ⁷⁴Lord, your followers see me and respect me. They are happy because I trust what you say. ⁷⁵Lord, I know that your decisions are fair. And it was right for you to punish me. ⁷⁶Now, comfort me with your true love. Comfort me like you promised. ⁷⁷Lord, comfort me and let me live. I truly enjoy your teachings. ⁷⁸People who think they are better than me lied about me. I hope those people are ashamed. Lord, I study your laws. ⁷⁹I hope your followers come back to me so they can learn your Agreement.* ⁸⁰Lord, let me obey your commands perfectly, so I will not be ashamed.

Kaph

⁸¹I am about to die waiting for you to save me. But I trust the things you say, Lord. ⁸²I keep looking for the things you promised, but my eyes are getting tired. Lord, when will you comfort me? ⁸³Even when I am like a dried wineskin on the trash pile, I will not forget your laws. ⁸⁴How long will I live? Lord, when will you punish the people who persecute me? ⁸⁵Some proud people stabbed me with their lies. And that is against your teachings. ⁸⁶Lord, people can trust all of your commands. Those people are wrong to persecute me. Help me! ⁸⁷Those people almost destroyed me. But I did not stop obeying your commands. ⁸⁸Lord, show me your true love and let me live. I will do whatever you say.

Lamedh

⁸⁹Lord, your word continues forever. Your word continues forever in heaven. ⁹⁰You are loyal forever and ever. Lord, you made the earth, and it still stands. ⁹¹It still continues today because of your laws, because it obeys them like a slave. ⁹²If your teachings were not like friends to me, then my suffering would have destroyed me. ⁹³Lord, I will never forget your commands, because they let me live. ⁹⁴Lord, I am yours, so save me! Why? Because I try hard to obey your commands. ⁹⁵Wicked people tried to destroy me. But your Agreement* made me wise. ⁹⁶Everything has its limits, except your law.

Mem

⁹⁷Oh, I love your teachings, Lord. I talk about them all of the time. ⁹⁸Lord, your commands make me wiser than my enemies. Your law is with me always. ⁹⁹I am wiser than all my teachers because I study your Agreement.* ¹⁰⁰I understand more than the older leaders because I keep your commands. ¹⁰¹You keep me off of the wrong path every step of the way. So I can do what you tell me, Lord. ¹⁰²Lord, you are my teacher so I will not stop obeying your laws. ¹⁰³Your words are sweeter than honey in my mouth. ¹⁰⁴Your teachings make me wise, so I hate false teachings.

Nun

¹⁰⁵Lord, your words are like a lamp lighting my path. ¹⁰⁶Your laws are good. I promise to obey them. And I will keep my promise. ¹⁰⁷Lord, I suffered for a long time. Please give the command, and let me live again! ¹⁰⁸Lord, accept my praise. And teach me your laws. ¹⁰⁹My life is always in danger. But I have not forgotten your teachings. ¹¹⁰Wicked people try to trap me. But I have not disobeyed your commands. ¹¹¹Lord, I will follow your Agreement* forever. It makes me very happy. ¹¹²I will always try very hard to obey all your laws.

Samekh

¹¹³Lord, I hate people who are not completely loyal to you. But I love your teachings. ¹¹⁴Hide me and protect me. Lord, I trust everything you say. ¹¹⁵Lord, don’t let bad people come near me. And I will obey my God’s commands. ¹¹⁶Lord, support me like you promised, and I will live. I trust you, so don’t disappoint me. ¹¹⁷Help me, Lord, and I will be saved. I will study your commands forever. ¹¹⁸Lord, you turn away every person who breaks your laws. Why? Because those people lied when they agreed to follow you. ¹¹⁹Lord, you throw away the wicked people on earth like trash. So I will love your Agreement* forever. ¹²⁰Lord, I am afraid of you. I fear and respect your laws.

Ain

¹²¹I have done what is right and good. Lord, don’t give me to the people who want to hurt me. ¹²²Promise to be good to me. I am your servant. Lord, don’t let those proud people hurt me. ¹²³Lord, I have worn out my eyes looking for help from you, for a good word from you. ¹²⁴I am your servant. Show your true love to me. Teach me your laws. ¹²⁵I am your servant. Help me understand so I can know your Agreement.* ¹²⁶Lord, it is time for you to do something. The people have broken your law. ¹²⁷Lord, I love your commands more than purest gold. ¹²⁸I carefully obey all of your commands.* I hate false teachings.

Pe

¹²⁹Lord, your Agreement* is wonderful. That is why I follow it. ¹³⁰When people begin to understand your word, it is like a light showing them the right way of living. Your word makes even simple people wise. ¹³¹Lord, I really want to study your commands. I am like a person breathing hard and waiting impatiently. ¹³²God, look at me and be kind to me. Do what is right for the people who love your name. ¹³³Lord, guide me like you promised. Don’t let anything bad happen to me. ¹³⁴Lord, save me from the people who hurt me. And I will obey your commands. ¹³⁵Lord, accept your servant, and teach me your laws. ¹³⁶I have cried a river of tears because people don’t obey your teachings.

Tsadhe

¹³⁷Lord, you are good. And your laws are fair. ¹³⁸You gave us good laws in the Agreement.* We can really trust them. ¹³⁹My strong feelings are destroying me. I am so upset because my enemies forgot your commands. ¹⁴⁰We have proof that we can trust your word, Lord. And I love it. ¹⁴¹I am a young person, and people don’t respect me. But I don’t forget your commands. ¹⁴²Lord, your goodness is forever. And your teachings can be trusted. ¹⁴³I have had troubles and hard times. But I enjoy your commands. ¹⁴⁴Your Agreement is good forever. Help me understand it so I can live.

Qoph

¹⁴⁵I call to you with all my heart, Lord. Answer me! I obey your commands. ¹⁴⁶Lord, I call to you. Save me! And I will obey your Agreement.* ¹⁴⁷I got up early in the morning to pray to you. I trust the things you say. ¹⁴⁸I stayed up late at night to study your word. ¹⁴⁹With all your love, listen to me. Lord, do the things you say are right, and let me live. ¹⁵⁰People are making evil plans against me. Those people don’t follow your teachings. ¹⁵¹Lord, you are close to me. And all your commands can be trusted. ¹⁵²Long ago I learned from your Agreement* that your teachings will continue forever.

Resh

¹⁵³Lord, see my suffering and rescue me. I have not forgotten your teachings. ¹⁵⁴Lord, fight my fight for me and save me. Let me live, like you promised. ¹⁵⁵Wicked people will not win because they don’t follow your laws. ¹⁵⁶Lord, you are very kind. Do the things you say are right, and let me live. ¹⁵⁷I have many enemies trying to hurt me. But I have not stopped following your Agreement.* ¹⁵⁸I see those traitors.* They don’t obey your word, Lord. And I hate that. ¹⁵⁹Look, I try hard to obey your commands. Lord, with all your love, let me live. ¹⁶⁰From the very beginning, all your words could be trusted, Lord. And your good law will last forever.

Shin

¹⁶¹Powerful leaders attacked me for no reason. But I fear and respect only your law. ¹⁶²Lord, your word makes me happy, as happy as a person who just found a great treasure. ¹⁶³I hate lies! I despise them! But I love your teachings, Lord. ¹⁶⁴Seven times a day I praise you for your good laws. ¹⁶⁵People who love your teachings will find true peace. Nothing can make those people fall. ¹⁶⁶Lord, I am waiting for you to save me. I obeyed your commands. ¹⁶⁷I followed your Agreement.* Lord, I love your laws very much. ¹⁶⁸I have obeyed your Agreement and commands. Lord, you know everything I have done.

Taw

¹⁶⁹Lord, listen to my happy song. Make me wise like you promised. ¹⁷⁰Lord, listen to my prayer. Save me, like you promised. ¹⁷¹I burst into songs of praise, because you taught me your laws. ¹⁷²Help me respond to your words and let me sing my song. Lord, all your laws are good. ¹⁷³I chose to follow your commands, so reach out and help me! ¹⁷⁴Lord, I want you to save me. But your teachings make me happy. ¹⁷⁵Let me live and praise you, Lord. Let your laws help me. ¹⁷⁶I wandered away like a lost sheep. Come looking for me, Lord. I am your servant, and I have not forgotten your commands.

Aleph First letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In Hebrew, each section of this song begins with the next letter of the alphabet. Agreement Literally, “Proof.” The flat stones with the Ten Commandments written on them were proof of the Agreement between God and Israel. at home Or “at the temple, where I live.” Those people are very stupid Or, “It is as hard for their minds to understand things as it is to grab milk with your hand.” I carefully obey all of your commands The meaning of the Hebrew here is not clear. traitors People who turn against their country, friends, or family and do bad things to them.