Psalms 119

Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet

ALEPH

¹Blessed are those whose way is blameless,

who walk in the Law of the LORD.1

²Blessed are those who keep His testimonies

and seek Him with all their heart.1

³They do no iniquity;

they walk in His ways.1

⁴You have ordained Your precepts,

that we should keep them diligently.1

⁵Oh, that my ways were committed

to keeping Your statutes!1

⁶Then I would not be ashamed

when I consider all Your commandments.1

⁷I will praise You with an upright heart

when I learn Your righteous judgments.2

⁸I will keep Your statutes;

do not utterly forsake me.1

BETH

⁹How can a young man keep his way pure?

By guarding it according to Your word.1

¹⁰With all my heart I have sought You;

do not let me stray from Your commandments.1

¹¹I have hidden Your word in my heart

that I might not sin against You.2

¹²Blessed are You, O LORD;

teach me Your statutes.1

¹³With my lips I proclaim

all the judgments of Your mouth.1

¹⁴I rejoice in the way of Your testimonies

as much as in all riches.1

¹⁵I will meditate on Your precepts

and regard Your ways.1

¹⁶I will delight in Your statutes;

I will not forget Your word.1

GIMEL

¹⁷Deal bountifully with Your servant,

that I may live and keep Your word.1

¹⁸Open my eyes that I may see

wondrous things from Your law.1

¹⁹I am a stranger on the earth;

do not hide Your commandments from me.1

²⁰My soul is consumed with longing

for Your judgments at all times.1

²¹You rebuke the arrogant—

the cursed who stray from Your commandments.1

²²Remove my scorn and contempt,

for I have kept Your testimonies.1

²³Though rulers sit and slander me,

Your servant meditates on Your statutes.1

²⁴Your testimonies are indeed my delight;

they are my counselors.2

DALETH

²⁵My soul cleaves to the dust;

revive me according to Your word.1

²⁶I recounted my ways, and You answered me;

teach me Your statutes.1

²⁷Make clear to me the way of Your precepts;

then I will meditate on Your wonders.1

²⁸My soul melts with sorrow;

strengthen me according to Your word.1

²⁹Remove me from the path of deceit

and graciously grant me Your law.1

³⁰I have chosen the way of truth;

I have set Your ordinances before me.1

³¹I cling to Your testimonies, O LORD;

let me not be put to shame.1

³²I run in the path of Your commandments,

for You will enlarge my heart.1

HE

³³Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes,

and I will keep them to the end.1

³⁴Give me understanding that I may obey Your law,

and follow it with all my heart.2

³⁵Direct me in the path of Your commandments,

for there I find delight.1

³⁶Turn my heart to Your testimonies

and not to covetous gain.1

³⁷Turn my eyes away from worthless things;

revive me with Your word.1

³⁸Establish Your word to Your servant,

to produce reverence for You.1

³⁹Turn away the disgrace I dread,

for Your judgments are good.1

⁴⁰How I long for Your precepts!

Revive me in Your righteousness.1

WAW

⁴¹May Your loving devotion come to me, O LORD,

Your salvation, according to Your promise.1

⁴²Then I can answer him who taunts,

for I trust in Your word.1

⁴³Never take Your word of truth from my mouth,

for I hope in Your judgments.1

⁴⁴I will always obey Your law,

forever and ever.1

⁴⁵And I will walk in freedom,

for I have sought Your precepts.1

⁴⁶I will speak of Your testimonies before kings,

and I will not be ashamed.1

⁴⁷I delight in Your commandments

because I love them.1

⁴⁸I lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love,

and I meditate on Your statutes.1

ZAYIN

⁴⁹Remember Your word to Your servant,

upon which You have given me hope.1

⁵⁰This is my comfort in affliction,

that Your promise has given me life.1

⁵¹The arrogant utterly deride me,

but I do not turn from Your law.1

⁵²I remember Your judgments of old, O LORD,

and in them I find comfort.1

⁵³Rage has taken hold of me

because of the wicked who reject Your law.1

⁵⁴Your statutes are songs to me

in the house of my pilgrimage.1

⁵⁵In the night, O LORD, I remember Your name,

that I may keep Your law.1

⁵⁶This is my practice,

for I obey Your precepts.1

HETH

⁵⁷The LORD is my portion;

I have promised to keep Your words.1

⁵⁸I have sought Your face with all my heart;

be gracious to me according to Your promise.1

⁵⁹I considered my ways

and turned my steps to Your testimonies.1

⁶⁰I hurried without hesitating

to keep Your commandments.1

⁶¹Though the ropes of the wicked bind me,

I do not forget Your law.1

⁶²At midnight I rise to give You thanks

for Your righteous judgments.1

⁶³I am a friend to all who fear You,

and to those who keep Your precepts.1

⁶⁴The earth is filled with Your loving devotion, O LORD;

teach me Your statutes.1

TETH

⁶⁵You are good to Your servant, O LORD,

according to Your word.1

⁶⁶Teach me good judgment and knowledge,

for I believe in Your commandments.1

⁶⁷Before I was afflicted, I went astray;

but now I keep Your word.1

⁶⁸You are good, and You do what is good;

teach me Your statutes.1

⁶⁹Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,

I keep Your precepts with all my heart.1

⁷⁰Their hearts are callous and insensitive,

but I delight in Your law.1

⁷¹It was good for me to be afflicted,

that I might learn Your statutes.2

⁷²The law from Your mouth is more precious to me

than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.1

YODH

⁷³Your hands have made me and fashioned me;

give me understanding to learn Your commandments.1

⁷⁴May those who fear You see me and rejoice,

for I have hoped in Your word.1

⁷⁵I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are righteous,

and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.1

⁷⁶May Your loving devotion comfort me, I pray,

according to Your promise to Your servant.1

⁷⁷May Your compassion come to me, that I may live,

for Your law is my delight.1

⁷⁸May the arrogant be put to shame for subverting me with a lie;

I will meditate on Your precepts.1

⁷⁹May those who fear You turn to me,

those who know Your testimonies.1

⁸⁰May my heart be blameless in Your statutes,

that I may not be put to shame.1

KAPH

⁸¹My soul faints for Your salvation;

I wait for Your word.1

⁸²My eyes fail, looking for Your promise;

I ask, “When will You comfort me?”1

⁸³Though I am like a wineskin dried up by smoke,

I do not forget Your statutes.1

⁸⁴How many days must Your servant wait?

When will You execute judgment on my persecutors?1

⁸⁵The arrogant have dug pits for me

in violation of Your law.2

⁸⁶All Your commandments are faithful;

I am persecuted without cause—help me!1

⁸⁷They almost wiped me from the earth,

but I have not forsaken Your precepts.1

⁸⁸Revive me according to Your loving devotion,

that I may obey the testimony of Your mouth.1

LAMEDH

⁸⁹Your word, O LORD, is everlasting;

it is firmly fixed in the heavens.1

⁹⁰Your faithfulness continues through all generations;

You established the earth, and it endures.1

⁹¹Your ordinances stand to this day,

for all things are servants to You.1

⁹²If Your law had not been my delight,

then I would have perished in my affliction.1

⁹³I will never forget Your precepts,

for by them You have revived me.1

⁹⁴I am Yours; save me,

for I have sought Your precepts.1

⁹⁵The wicked wait to destroy me,

but I will ponder Your testimonies.1

⁹⁶I have seen a limit to all perfection,

but Your commandment is without limit.2

MEM

⁹⁷Oh, how I love Your law!

All day long it is my meditation.1

⁹⁸Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,

for they are always with me.1

⁹⁹I have more insight than all my teachers,

for Your testimonies are my meditation.1

¹⁰⁰I discern more than the elders,

for I obey Your precepts.1

¹⁰¹I have kept my feet from every evil path,

that I may keep Your word.1

¹⁰²I have not departed from Your ordinances,

for You Yourself have taught me.1

¹⁰³How sweet are Your words to my taste—

sweeter than honey in my mouth!1

¹⁰⁴I gain understanding from Your precepts;

therefore I hate every false way.1

NUN

¹⁰⁵Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light to my path.2

¹⁰⁶I have sworn and confirmed

that I will keep Your righteous judgments.1

¹⁰⁷I am severely afflicted, O LORD;

revive me through Your word.1

¹⁰⁸Accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD,

and teach me Your judgments.1

¹⁰⁹I constantly take my life in my hands,

yet I do not forget Your law.1

¹¹⁰The wicked have set a snare for me,

but I have not strayed from Your precepts.1

¹¹¹Your testimonies are my heritage forever,

for they are the joy of my heart.1

¹¹²I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes,

even to the very end.1

SAMEKH

¹¹³The double-minded I despise,

but Your law I love.2

¹¹⁴You are my hiding place and my shield;

I put my hope in Your word.1

¹¹⁵Depart from me, you evildoers,

that I may obey the commandments of my God.1

¹¹⁶Sustain me as You promised, that I may live;

let me not be ashamed of my hope.1

¹¹⁷Uphold me, and I will be saved,

that I may always regard Your statutes.1

¹¹⁸You reject all who stray from Your statutes,

for their deceitfulness is in vain.1

¹¹⁹All the wicked on earth You discard like dross;

therefore I love Your testimonies.1

¹²⁰My flesh trembles in awe of You;

I stand in fear of Your judgments.1

AYIN

¹²¹I have done what is just and right;

do not leave me to my oppressors.1

¹²²Ensure Your servant’s well-being;

do not let the arrogant oppress me.1

¹²³My eyes fail, looking for Your salvation,

and for Your righteous promise.1

¹²⁴Deal with Your servant according to Your loving devotion,

and teach me Your statutes.1

¹²⁵I am Your servant; give me understanding,

that I may know Your testimonies.1

¹²⁶It is time for the LORD to act,

for they have broken Your law.1

¹²⁷Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold,

even the purest gold.1

¹²⁸Therefore I admire all Your precepts

and hate every false way.1

PE

¹²⁹Wonderful are Your testimonies;

therefore I obey them.1

¹³⁰The unfolding of Your words gives light;

it informs the simple.2

¹³¹I open my mouth and pant,

longing for Your commandments.1

¹³²Turn to me and show me mercy,

as You do to those who love Your name.1

¹³³Order my steps in Your word;

let no sin rule over me.1

¹³⁴Redeem me from the oppression of man,

that I may keep Your precepts.1

¹³⁵Make Your face shine upon Your servant,

and teach me Your statutes.1

¹³⁶My eyes shed streams of tears

because Your law is not obeyed.1

TZADE

¹³⁷Righteous are You, O LORD,

and upright are Your judgments.1

¹³⁸The testimonies You have laid down are righteous

and altogether faithful.1

¹³⁹My zeal has consumed me

because my foes forget Your words.1

¹⁴⁰Your promise is completely pure;

therefore Your servant loves it.1

¹⁴¹I am lowly and despised,

but I do not forget Your precepts.1

¹⁴²Your righteousness is everlasting

and Your law is true.1

¹⁴³Trouble and distress have found me,

but Your commandments are my delight.1

¹⁴⁴Your testimonies are righteous forever.

Give me understanding, that I may live.1

KOPH

¹⁴⁵I call with all my heart; answer me, O LORD!

I will obey Your statutes.1

¹⁴⁶I call to You; save me,

that I may keep Your testimonies.1

¹⁴⁷I rise before dawn and cry for help;

in Your word I have put my hope.1

¹⁴⁸My eyes anticipate the watches of night,

that I may meditate on Your word.1

¹⁴⁹Hear my voice, O LORD, according to Your loving devotion;

give me life according to Your justice.1

¹⁵⁰Those who follow after wickedness draw near;

they are far from Your law.1

¹⁵¹You are near, O LORD,

and all Your commandments are true.1

¹⁵²Long ago I learned from Your testimonies

that You have established them forever.1

RESH

¹⁵³Look upon my affliction and rescue me,

for I have not forgotten Your law.1

¹⁵⁴Defend my cause and redeem me;

revive me according to Your word.1

¹⁵⁵Salvation is far from the wicked

because they do not seek Your statutes.1

¹⁵⁶Great are Your mercies, O LORD;

revive me according to Your ordinances.1

¹⁵⁷Though my persecutors and foes are many,

I have not turned from Your testimonies.1

¹⁵⁸I look on the faithless with loathing

because they do not keep Your word.1

¹⁵⁹Consider how I love Your precepts, O LORD;

give me life according to Your loving devotion.1

¹⁶⁰The entirety of Your word is truth,

and all Your righteous judgments endure forever.1

SIN and SHIN

¹⁶¹Rulers persecute me without cause,

but my heart fears only Your word.1

¹⁶²I rejoice in Your promise

like one who finds great spoil.1

¹⁶³I hate and abhor falsehood,

but Your law I love.1

¹⁶⁴Seven times a day I praise You

for Your righteous judgments.1

¹⁶⁵Abundant peace belongs to those who love Your law;

nothing can make them stumble.1

¹⁶⁶I wait for Your salvation, O LORD,

and I carry out Your commandments.1

¹⁶⁷I obey Your testimonies

and love them greatly.1

¹⁶⁸I obey Your precepts and Your testimonies,

for all my ways are before You.1

TAW

¹⁶⁹May my cry come before You, O LORD;

give me understanding according to Your word.1

¹⁷⁰May my plea come before You;

rescue me according to Your promise.1

¹⁷¹My lips pour forth praise,

for You teach me Your statutes.1

¹⁷²My tongue sings of Your word,

for all Your commandments are righteous.1

¹⁷³May Your hand be ready to help me,

for I have chosen Your precepts.1

¹⁷⁴I long for Your salvation, O LORD,

and Your law is my delight.1

¹⁷⁵Let me live to praise You;

may Your judgments sustain me.1

¹⁷⁶I have strayed like a lost sheep;

seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commandments.1