Beginning

119 God has blessed people who always do what is right.
    They obey the Lord's Law.
²     They agree to live by his rules.^[b]
    They love to pray to him.
God has blessed people like that.
³ Also, they do nothing that is wrong.
    They live in a way that please the Lord.
⁴ You, Lord, have told us to obey your teaching carefully.
⁵ I want to be able to obey your laws all the time.
⁶ When I remember all your commands,
    I will not be ashamed.
⁷ When I learn your good rules,
    I will do what is right and I will thank you.
⁸ Yes, I will obey your laws.
    Please do not turn away from me!

⁹ How can a young man live a clean life?
    He must be careful to obey your message.
¹⁰ I bring all my thoughts to you.
    Do not let me forget to obey your commands.
¹¹ I always keep your message in my mind,
    so that I do not do anything bad against you.
¹² Lord, everyone should praise you!
    Please teach me your laws.
¹³ You have taught us your rules.
    I want to speak them aloud for others to hear.
¹⁴ Your rules give me a happy life.
    When I obey them, it is better than being rich!
¹⁵ I want to think carefully about your teaching.
    You have shown me the best way to live.
¹⁶ Your laws make me very happy.
    I will not forget what you have taught me.

¹⁷ Please be kind to me, your servant.
    Then I will live and I will obey your message.
¹⁸ Open my eyes wide!
    Then I will see great things in your Law.
¹⁹ I live like a stranger here on the earth.
    Please do not hide your commands from me.
²⁰ I really want to obey your rules all the time.
    I want that more than anything else.
²¹ You warn people who are proud.
If they turn away from your commands,
    you will surely punish them.
²² I obey your rules.
So do not let people insult me,
    so that I become ashamed.
²³ Rulers may think of ways to hurt me.
    But I will think carefully about your rules.
²⁴ Yes, your laws make me really happy.
    They show me the right way to live.

²⁵ I have fallen to the ground. I am almost dead.
    Give me life again, as you have promised to do.
²⁶ I told you what my life is like,
    and you answered me.
Please teach me your laws.
²⁷ Help me to understand what your teaching means.
    Then I will think carefully about the great things that you do.
²⁸ I am so sad that I feel very weak.
    Use your word to make me strong again.
²⁹ Stop me from living in a wrong way.
Please be kind to me,
    so that I know your Law.
³⁰ I have chosen to live in the right way.
    I will continue to obey your rules.
³¹ Yes, Lord, I will always respect your teaching.
    Please do not let me become ashamed.
³² I want to obey your commands all the time.
    Help me to understand them more and more.

³³ Lord, help me to understand your teaching,
    then I will always obey it.
³⁴ Explain your Law to me, then I will obey it.
    I will always love to do what it says.
³⁵ Help me to live in a way that respects your commands.
    That is what makes me very happy.
³⁶ Help me to love your rules.
    That is better for me than riches.
³⁷ Turn my eyes away from useless things.
    Use your word to help me to live.
³⁸ I am your servant.
    Please do what you have promised to do.
You have promised to bless anyone who respects you.
³⁹ I am afraid when people insult me.
Your rules are good,
    so do not let me be ashamed.
⁴⁰ I really want to obey your rules.
Because you are righteous,
    please let me continue to live.

⁴¹ Lord, I want your faithful love to be with me.
    Please keep me safe, as you have promised.
⁴² Then I will be able to answer the people who insult me.
I will show them that I trust in your word.
⁴³ Do not stop me from speaking your true word!
    I know that you will do what is right.
⁴⁴ I will always obey your Law,
    now and for ever.
⁴⁵ I will not be in danger as I live,
    because I try to obey your teaching.
⁴⁶ I will speak to kings about your rules.
    I will not be ashamed to do that.
⁴⁷ I love your commands
    and they make me very happy.
⁴⁸ I respect your commands,
    and I love them.
I am always thinking about your laws.

⁴⁹ Remember the word that you have spoken to me, your servant.
    You have made me put my hope in it.
⁵⁰ When I have trouble,
    your promise gives me peace in my mind.
It makes my life strong again.
⁵¹ Proud people laugh at me all the time.
    But I do not turn away from your Law.
⁵² Lord, I remember the rules that you made long ago.
    When I do that, I feel happy.
⁵³ When wicked people turn against your Law,
    I become very angry.
⁵⁴ Wherever I live, I sing songs about your rules.
⁵⁵ In the night, Lord, I think about who you are.
    I will continue to obey your Law.
⁵⁶ This is what I do every day:
    I obey your teaching.

⁵⁷ Lord, you are everything that I need.
    I promise to obey your rules.
⁵⁸ I ask you, ‘Please, please take care of me.
Be kind and forgive me,
    as you have promised to do.’
⁵⁹ I have thought about the way that I live.
I have decided to return to your teaching.
⁶⁰ I will be quick to obey your commands.
    I will not be slow to do that.
⁶¹ Wicked people try to catch me in their traps,
    but I will not forget your Law.
⁶² I get up in the middle of the night to praise you.
    I thank you for your fair rules.
⁶³ I am a friend of everyone who respects you,
    and who obeys your teaching.
⁶⁴ Lord, your faithful love is everywhere!
    Please teach me your commands.

⁶⁵ Lord, you have blessed me, your servant,
    as you have promised to do.
⁶⁶ Teach me to understand what is right,
    because I trust your commands.
⁶⁷ Before you showed me what was right, I made mistakes,
    but now I obey your teaching.
⁶⁸ You are good and you do good things.
    So please teach me your laws.
⁶⁹ Proud people have told many lies against me,
    but I love to obey your rules.
⁷⁰ Those people do not understand anything,
    but your Law makes me very happy.
⁷¹ When I suffered, it was good for me.
    It helped me to learn your commands.
⁷² The rules that you have taught me are very valuable.
They are more valuable to me
    than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.

⁷³ You made me with your hands. You made me what I am.
Help me to understand things well,
    so that I learn your commands.
⁷⁴ People who respect you will be happy when they see me.
    That is because I trust your word.
⁷⁵ Lord, I know that your rules are good and fair.
When you sent trouble to me,
    it was because you truly loved me.
⁷⁶ Now, please use your faithful love
    to comfort me.
That is what you promised to do for me, your servant.
⁷⁷ Be kind to me so that I will live!
    Your Law makes me really happy.
⁷⁸ Proud men should be ashamed!
    They have spoken lies against me.
⁷⁹ Let the people who respect you come back to me.
    Then they will learn to obey your rules.
⁸⁰ Let me obey your commands completely.
    Then I will not be ashamed.

⁸¹ As I wait for you to save me,
    I feel tired and weak.
I trust in your word.
⁸² As I wait for you to do what you have promised,
    my eyes are too tired to stay open.
I ask, ‘When will you come to help me?’
⁸³ I am like an old wineskin that has become useless.
But I have not forgotten your rules.
⁸⁴ As your servant, help me to be patient.
Please punish the people who want to hurt me.
    Please do it soon.
⁸⁵ Proud people want to catch me in their traps.
    That is against your Law!
⁸⁶ I know that I can trust all your commands,
    but people still give me trouble with their lies.
    Quickly, help me!
⁸⁷ People here on earth have almost destroyed me,
    but I continue to obey your teaching.
⁸⁸ Please use your faithful love to keep me alive.
Then I can continue to obey the rules that you have taught me.