Chapter 119

ALEPH

¹Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,

Who walk according to Yahweh’s law.

²Blessed are those who keep his statutes,

Who seek him with their whole heart.

³Yes, they do nothing wrong.

They walk in his ways.

⁴You have commanded your precepts,

That we should fully obey them.

⁵Oh that my ways were steadfast

To obey your statutes!

⁶Then I wouldn’t be disappointed,

When I consider all of your commandments.

⁷I will give thanks to you with uprightness of heart,

When I learn your righteous judgments.

⁸I will observe your statutes.

Don’t utterly forsake me.

BEIT

⁹How can a young man keep his way pure?

By living according to your word.

¹⁰With my whole heart, I have sought you.

Don’t let me wander from your commandments.

¹¹I have hidden your word in my heart,

That I might not sin against you.

¹²Blessed are you, Yahweh.

Teach me your statutes.

¹³With my lips,

I have declared all the ordinances of your mouth.

¹⁴I have rejoiced in the way of your testimonies,

As much as in all riches.

¹⁵I will meditate on your precepts,

And consider your ways.

¹⁶I will delight myself in your statutes.

I will not forget your word.

GIMEL

¹⁷Do good to your servant.

I will live and I will obey your word.

¹⁸Open my eyes,

That I may see wondrous things out of your law.

¹⁹I am a stranger on the earth.

Don’t hide your commandments from me.

²⁰My soul is consumed with longing for your ordinances at all times.

²¹You have rebuked the proud who are cursed,

Who wander from your commandments.

²²Take reproach and contempt away from me,

For I have kept your statutes.

²³Though princes sit and slander me,

Your servant will meditate on your statutes.

²⁴Indeed your statutes are my delight,

And my counselors.

DALED

²⁵My soul is laid low in the dust.

Revive me according to your word!

²⁶I declared my ways, and you answered me.

Teach me your statutes.

²⁷Let me understand the teaching of your precepts!

Then I will meditate on your wondrous works.

²⁸My soul is weary with sorrow:

Strengthen me according to your word.

²⁹Keep me from the way of deceit.

Grant me your law graciously!

³⁰I have chosen the way of truth.

I have set my heart on your law.

³¹I cling to your statutes, Yahweh.

Don’t let me be disappointed.

³²I run in the path of your commandments,

For you have set my heart free.

HEY

³³Teach me, Yahweh, the way of your statutes.

I will keep them to the end.

³⁴Give me understanding, and I will keep your law.

Yes, I will obey it with my whole heart.

³⁵Direct me in the path of your commandments,

For I delight in them.

³⁶Turn my heart toward your statutes,

Not toward selfish gain.

³⁷Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things.

Revive me in your ways.

³⁸Fulfill your promise to your servant,

That you may be feared.

³⁹Take away my disgrace that I dread,

For your ordinances are good.

⁴⁰Behold, I long for your precepts!

Revive me in your righteousness.

WAW

⁴¹Let your loving kindness also come to me, Yahweh,

Your salvation, according to your word.

⁴²So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me,

For I trust in your word.

⁴³Don’t snatch the word of truth out of my mouth,

For I put my hope in your ordinances.

⁴⁴So I will obey your law continually,

Forever and ever.

⁴⁵I will walk in liberty,

For I have sought your precepts.

⁴⁶I will also speak of your statutes before kings,

And will not be disappointed.

⁴⁷I will delight myself in your commandments,

Because I love them.

⁴⁸I reach out my hands for your commandments, which I love.

I will meditate on your statutes.

ZAYIN

⁴⁹Remember your word to your servant,

Because you gave me hope.

⁵⁰This is my comfort in my affliction,

For your word has revived me.

⁵¹The arrogant mock me excessively,

But I don’t swerve from your law.

⁵²I remember your ordinances of old, Yahweh,

And have comforted myself.

⁵³Indignation has taken hold on me,

Because of the wicked who forsake your law.

⁵⁴Your statutes have been my songs,

In the house where I live.

⁵⁵I have remembered your name, Yahweh, in the night,

And I obey your law.

⁵⁶This is my way,

That I keep your precepts.

CHET

⁵⁷Yahweh is my portion.

I promised to obey your words.

⁵⁸I sought your favor with my whole heart.

Be merciful to me according to your word.

⁵⁹I considered my ways,

And turned my steps to your statutes.

⁶⁰I will hurry, and not delay,

To obey your commandments.

⁶¹The ropes of the wicked bind me,

But I won’t forget your law.

⁶²At midnight I will rise to give thanks to you,

Because of your righteous ordinances.

⁶³I am a friend of all those who fear you,

Of those who observe your precepts.

⁶⁴The earth is full of your loving kindness, Yahweh.

Teach me your statutes.

TET

⁶⁵Do good to your servant,

According to your word, Yahweh.

⁶⁶Teach me good judgment and knowledge,

For I believe in your commandments.

⁶⁷Before I was afflicted, I went astray;

But now I observe your word.

⁶⁸You are good, and do good.

Teach me your statutes.

⁶⁹The proud have smeared a lie upon me.

With my whole heart, I will keep your precepts.

⁷⁰Their heart is as callous as the fat,

But I delight in your law.

⁷¹It is good for me that I have been afflicted,

That I may learn your statutes.

⁷²The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.

YUD

⁷³Your hands have made me and formed me.

Give me understanding, that I may learn your commandments.

⁷⁴Those who fear you will see me and be glad,

Because I have put my hope in your word.

⁷⁵Yahweh, I know that your judgments are righteous,

That in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

⁷⁶Please let your loving kindness be for my comfort,

According to your word to your servant.

⁷⁷Let your tender mercies come to me, that I may live;

For your law is my delight.

⁷⁸Let the proud be disappointed, for they have overthrown me wrongfully.

I will meditate on your precepts.

⁷⁹Let those who fear you turn to me.

They will know your statutes.

⁸⁰Let my heart be blameless toward your decrees,

That I may not be disappointed.

KAF

⁸¹My soul faints for your salvation.

I hope in your word.

⁸²My eyes fail for your word.

I say, “When will you comfort me?”

⁸³For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke.

I don’t forget your statutes.

⁸⁴How many are the days of your servant?

When will you execute judgment on those who persecute me?

⁸⁵The proud have dug pits for me,

Contrary to your law.

⁸⁶All of your commandments are faithful.

They persecute me wrongfully.

Help me!

⁸⁷They had almost wiped me from the earth,

But I didn’t forsake your precepts.

⁸⁸Preserve my life according to your loving kindness,

So I will obey the statutes of your mouth.

LAMED

⁸⁹Yahweh, your word is settled in heaven forever.

⁹⁰Your faithfulness is to all generations.

You have established the earth, and it remains.

⁹¹Your laws remain to this day,

For all things serve you.

⁹²Unless your law had been my delight,

I would have perished in my affliction.

⁹³I will never forget your precepts,

For with them, you have revived me.

⁹⁴I am yours.

Save me, for I have sought your precepts.

⁹⁵The wicked have waited for me, to destroy me.

I will consider your statutes.

⁹⁶I have seen a limit to all perfection,

But your commands are boundless.

MEM

⁹⁷How love I your law!

It is my meditation all day.

⁹⁸Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,

For your commandments are always with me.

⁹⁹I have more understanding than all my teachers,

For your testimonies are my meditation.

¹⁰⁰I understand more than the aged,

Because I have kept your precepts.

¹⁰¹I have kept my feet from every evil way,

That I might observe your word.

¹⁰²I have not turned aside from your ordinances,

For you have taught me.

¹⁰³How sweet are your promises to my taste,

More than honey to my mouth!

¹⁰⁴Through your precepts, I get understanding;

Therefore I hate every false way.

NUN

¹⁰⁵Your word is a lamp to my feet,

And a light for my path.

¹⁰⁶I have sworn, and have confirmed it,

That I will obey your righteous ordinances.

¹⁰⁷I am afflicted very much.

Revive me, Yahweh, according to your word.

¹⁰⁸Accept, I beg you, the willing offerings of my mouth.

Yahweh, teach me your ordinances.

¹⁰⁹My soul is continually in my hand,

Yet I won’t forget your law.

¹¹⁰The wicked have laid a snare for me,

Yet I haven’t gone astray from your precepts.

¹¹¹I have taken your testimonies as a heritage forever,

For they are the joy of my heart.

¹¹²I have set my heart to perform your statutes forever,

Even to the end.

SAMEKH

¹¹³I hate double-minded men,

But I love your law.

¹¹⁴You are my hiding place and my shield.

I hope in your word.

¹¹⁵Depart from me, you evildoers,

That I may keep the commandments of my God.

¹¹⁶Uphold me according to your word, that I may live.

Let me not be ashamed of my hope.

¹¹⁷Hold me up, and I will be safe,

And will have respect for your statutes continually.

¹¹⁸You reject all those who stray from your statutes,

For their deceit is in vain.

¹¹⁹You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross.

Therefore I love your testimonies.

¹²⁰My flesh trembles for fear of you.

I am afraid of your judgments.

AYIN

¹²¹I have done what is just and righteous.

Don’t leave me to my oppressors.

¹²²Ensure your servant’s well-being.

Don’t let the proud oppress me.

¹²³My eyes fail looking for your salvation,

For your righteous word.

¹²⁴Deal with your servant according to your loving kindness.

Teach me your statutes.

¹²⁵I am your servant. Give me understanding,

That I may know your testimonies.

¹²⁶It is time to act, Yahweh,

For they break your law.

¹²⁷Therefore I love your commandments more than gold,

Yes, more than pure gold.

¹²⁸Therefore I consider all of your precepts to be right.

I hate every false way.

PEY

¹²⁹Your testimonies are wonderful,

Therefore my soul keeps them.

¹³⁰The entrance of your words gives light.

It gives understanding to the simple.

¹³¹I opened my mouth wide and panted,

For I longed for your commandments.

¹³²Turn to me, and have mercy on me,

As you always do to those who love your name.

¹³³Establish my footsteps in your word.

Don’t let any iniquity have dominion over me.

¹³⁴Redeem me from the oppression of man,

So I will observe your precepts.

¹³⁵Make your face shine on your servant.

Teach me your statutes.

¹³⁶Streams of tears run down my eyes,

Because they don’t observe your law.

TZADI

¹³⁷You are righteous, Yahweh.

Your judgments are upright.

¹³⁸You have commanded your statutes in righteousness.

They are fully trustworthy.

¹³⁹My zeal wears me out,

Because my enemies ignore your words.

¹⁴⁰Your promises have been thoroughly tested,

And your servant loves them.

¹⁴¹I am small and despised.

I don’t forget your precepts.

¹⁴²Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness.

Your law is truth.

¹⁴³Trouble and anguish have taken hold of me.

Your commandments are my delight.

¹⁴⁴Your testimonies are righteous forever.

Give me understanding, that I may live.

KUF

¹⁴⁵I have called with my whole heart.

Answer me, Yahweh!

I will keep your statutes.

¹⁴⁶I have called to you. Save me!

I will obey your statutes.

¹⁴⁷I rise before dawn and cry for help.

I put my hope in your words.

¹⁴⁸My eyes stay open through the night watches,

That I might meditate on your word.

¹⁴⁹Hear my voice according to your loving kindness.

Revive me, Yahweh, according to your ordinances.

¹⁵⁰They draw near who follow after wickedness.

They are far from your law.

¹⁵¹You are near, Yahweh.

All your commandments are truth.

¹⁵²Of old I have known from your testimonies,

That you have founded them forever.

RESH

¹⁵³Consider my affliction, and deliver me,

For I don’t forget your law.

¹⁵⁴Plead my cause, and redeem me!

Revive me according to your promise.

¹⁵⁵Salvation is far from the wicked,

For they don’t seek your statutes.

¹⁵⁶Great are your tender mercies, Yahweh.

Revive me according to your ordinances.

¹⁵⁷Many are my persecutors and my adversaries.

I haven’t swerved from your testimonies.

¹⁵⁸I look at the faithless with loathing,

Because they don’t observe your word.

¹⁵⁹Consider how I love your precepts.

Revive me, Yahweh, according to your loving kindness.

¹⁶⁰All of your words are truth.

Every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever.

SIN AND SHIN

¹⁶¹Princes have persecuted me without a cause,

But my heart stands in awe of your words.

¹⁶²I rejoice at your word,

As one who finds great spoil.

¹⁶³I hate and abhor falsehood.

I love your law.

¹⁶⁴Seven times a day, I praise you,

Because of your righteous ordinances.

¹⁶⁵Those who love your law have great peace.

Nothing causes them to stumble.

¹⁶⁶I have hoped for your salvation, Yahweh.

I have done your commandments.

¹⁶⁷My soul has observed your testimonies.

I love them exceedingly.

¹⁶⁸I have obeyed your precepts and your testimonies,

For all my ways are before you.

TAV

¹⁶⁹Let my cry come before you, Yahweh.

Give me understanding according to your word.

¹⁷⁰Let my supplication come before you.

Deliver me according to your word.

¹⁷¹Let my lips utter praise,

For you teach me your statutes.

¹⁷²Let my tongue sing of your word,

For all your commandments are righteousness.

¹⁷³Let your hand be ready to help me,

For I have chosen your precepts.

¹⁷⁴I have longed for your salvation, Yahweh.

Your law is my delight.

¹⁷⁵Let my soul live, that I may praise you.

Let your ordinances help me.

¹⁷⁶I have gone astray like a lost sheep.

Seek your servant, for I don’t forget your commandments.