Beginning

⁹ Young people can live
a clean life
    by obeying your word.
¹⁰ I worship you
    with all my heart.
Don't let me walk away
    from your commands.
¹¹ I treasure your word
    above all else;
it keeps me from sinning
    against you.
¹² I praise you, Lord!
    Teach me your laws.
¹³ With my own mouth,
I tell others the laws
    that you have spoken.
¹⁴ Obeying your instructions
brings as much happiness
    as being rich.
¹⁵ I will study your teachings
    and follow your footsteps.
¹⁶ I will take pleasure
in your laws
    and remember your words.

¹⁷ Treat me with kindness, Lord,
so that I may live
    and do what you say.
¹⁸ Open my mind
and let me discover
    the wonders of your Law.
¹⁹ I live here as a stranger.
Don't keep me from knowing
    your commands.
²⁰ What I want most
and at all times
    is to honor your laws.
²¹ You punish those boastful,
worthless nobodies who turn
    from your commands.
²² Don't let them sneer
and insult me
    for following you.
²³ I keep thinking about
    your teachings, Lord,
even if rulers plot
    against me.
²⁴ Your laws are my greatest joy!
    I follow their advice.

²⁵ I am at the point of death.
Let your teachings
    breathe new life into me.
²⁶ When I told you my troubles,
you answered my prayers.
    Now teach me your laws.
²⁷ Help me to understand
    your teachings,
and I will think about
    your marvelous deeds.
²⁸ I am overcome with sorrow.
Encourage me,
    as you have promised to do.
²⁹ Keep me from being deceitful,
and be kind enough
    to teach me your Law.
³⁰ I am determined to be faithful
    and to respect your laws.
³¹ I follow your rules, Lord.
    Don't let me be ashamed.
³² I am eager to learn all
that you want me to do;
    help me to understand more.

³³ Point out your rules, Lord,
and I won't disobey
    even one of them.
³⁴ Help me to understand your Law;
I promise to obey it
    with all my heart.
³⁵ Direct me by your commands!
    I love to do what you say.
³⁶ Make me want to obey you,
    rather than to be rich.
³⁷ Take away my foolish desires,
and let me find life
    by walking with you.
³⁸ I am your servant!
Do for me what you promised
    to those who worship you.
³⁹ Your wonderful teachings
protect me from the insults
    that I hate so much.
⁴⁰ I long for your teachings.
Be true to yourself
    and let me live.

⁴¹ Show me your love
and save me, Lord,
    as you have promised.
⁴² Then I will have an answer
for everyone who insults me
    for trusting your word.
⁴³ I rely on your laws!
Don't take away my chance
    to speak your truth.
⁴⁴ I will keep obeying your Law
    forever and ever.
⁴⁵ I have gained perfect freedom
    by following your teachings,
⁴⁶ and I trust them so much
    that I tell them to kings.
⁴⁷ I love your commands!
    They bring me happiness.
⁴⁸ I love and respect them
    and will keep them in mind.

⁴⁹ Don't forget your promise
to me, your servant.
    I depend on it.
⁵⁰ When I am hurting,
I find comfort in your promise
    that leads to life.
⁵¹ Conceited people sneer at me,
    but I obey your Law.
⁵² I find true comfort, Lord,
because your laws have stood
    the test of time.
⁵³ I get furious when evil people
    turn against your Law.
⁵⁴ No matter where I am,
your teachings
    fill me with songs.
⁵⁵ Even in the night
I think about you, Lord,
    and I obey your Law.
⁵⁶ You have blessed me
because I have always followed
    your teachings.

⁵⁷ You, Lord, are my choice,
    and I will obey you.
⁵⁸ With all my heart
I beg you to be kind to me,
    just as you have promised.
⁵⁹ I pay careful attention
as you lead me,
    and I follow closely.
⁶⁰ As soon as you command,
    I do what you say.
⁶¹ Evil people may set a trap,
    but I obey your Law.
⁶² Your laws are so fair
that I wake up and praise you
    in the middle of the night.
⁶³ I choose as my friends
everyone who worships you
    and follows your teachings.
⁶⁴ Our Lord, your love is seen
all over the world.
    Teach me your laws.

⁶⁵ I am your servant, Lord,
and you have kept your promise
    to treat me with kindness.
⁶⁶ Give me wisdom and good sense.
    I trust your commands.
⁶⁷ Once you corrected me
for not obeying you,
    but now I do obey.
⁶⁸ You are kindhearted,
and you do good things,
    so teach me your laws.
⁶⁹ My reputation is being ruined
    by conceited liars,
but with all my heart
    I follow your teachings.
⁷⁰ Those liars have no sense,
but I find happiness
    in your Law.
⁷¹ When you corrected me,
    it did me good
because it taught me
    to study your laws.
⁷² I would rather obey you
than to have a thousand pieces
    of silver and gold.

⁷³ You created me
    and put me together.
Make me wise enough to learn
    what you have commanded.
⁷⁴ Your worshipers will see me,
and they will be glad
    that I trust your word.
⁷⁵ Your decisions are correct,
and you were right
    to punish me.
⁷⁶ I serve you, Lord.
Comfort me with your love,
    just as you have promised.
⁷⁷ I love to obey your Law!
    Have mercy and let me live.
⁷⁸ Put down those proud people
    who hurt me with their lies,
because I have chosen
    to study your teachings.
⁷⁹ Let your worshipers come to me,
so they will learn
    to obey your rules.
⁸⁰ Let me truly respect your laws,
    so I won't be ashamed.

⁸¹ I long for you to rescue me!
    Your word is my only hope.
⁸² I am worn out from waiting
for you to keep your word.
    When will you have mercy?
⁸³ My life is wasting away
    like a dried-up wineskin,^[a]
but I have not forgotten
    your teachings.
⁸⁴ I am your servant!
    How long must I suffer?
When will you punish
    those troublemakers?
⁸⁵ Those proud people reject
    your teachings,
and they dig pits
    for me to fall in.
⁸⁶ Your laws can be trusted!
    Protect me from cruel liars.
⁸⁷ They have almost killed me,
but I have been faithful
    to your teachings.
⁸⁸ Show that you love me
    and let me live,
so that I may obey
    your commands.