Psalms  ◦   Chapter 119

1א Aleph
Happy and healthy are those whose characters have been healed,
who live in harmony with God’s design for life.

2Happy and healthy are those who preserve God’s principles in their characters
and seek him with all their heart.

3They do no wrong;
they walk in the Lord’s ways.

4You have established the laws upon which life and health are built,
and they are to be eagerly observed.

5Oh, how I wish my nature was established
to naturally live in harmony with your design protocols for life!

6Then I would not feel ashamed
when I compare my life to your perfect law of love.

7When your living law of love is assimilated into my mind and character,
then I will praise you with a heart that is right with you.

8I will live in harmony with your specifications for life;
please don’t let go of me.

9ב Beth
How can a young person keep their life pure?
By living in harmony with your word — your design for life.

10I am on a journey to find you, seeking you with all my heart;
don’t let me stray from your directions.

11I have internalized your methods into my life,
that I may never betray you.

12I kneel in adoration before you, O Lord;
teach me all your ways.

13I recite aloud
all the therapeutic directives that you have given us.

14In living out your methods I find the greatest joy,
beyond all riches.

15I meditate on your design protocols for life
and study the way you function.

16I delight in all your prescriptions;
I will not forget what you have taught me.

17ג Gimel
Develop and mature your servant that I might thrive
and live in harmony with your design-law for life.

18Open my mind that I may truly see
the wonderful ways in which your law is built into all reality.

19I am like a foreigner in the land — one who doesn’t know the customs —
so please don’t hide your instructions from me.

20My heart is starving, constantly longing
to have your standard for life and health fully restored within me.

21You rebuke the self-centered — the miserable and spiritually sick
who cling to error and violate your design.

22Free me from the ridicule and condemnation I experience
because I carefully apply all you say.

23Though leaders get together and gossip about me,
I, your representative, will study your methods.

24Your design-laws are my delight —
my hedge of protection and a guidepost.

25ד Daleth
My heart is infected with selfishness; it is terminal and dying.
Heal me — infuse me with life, restoring your design-law of love within me.

26I have confessed my brokenness — how I naturally do things the selfish way —
and you came to me to train me in your methods of love.

27Enable me to understand how you built reality to operate,
then I will meditate on your wonderful ways.

28I am dying under the weight of sin;
revive me with your truth.

29Remove from me all falsehood and misunderstanding,
and graciously give me your law of love.

30I have chosen the way of truth;
I am committed to your design for life.

31I hold fast to your methods, O Lord,
and I am not ashamed.

32I eagerly live in harmony with your design,
for you have healed my heart, enabling me to do so.

33ה He
Teach me, O Lord, the way you have designed life to operate,
so that I might conform and be transformed.

34Enable me to understand, and I will practice your principles
and live out your methods with all my heart.

35Lead me to live according to your ways,
because it brings me health and happiness.

36Transform my heart to desire your methods of love
and hate selfish gain.

37Turn my interest away from all worthless things;
recreate me to live according to your way.

38Establish your promise within your servant,
so that you may be worshipped and admired.

39Heal me, take away my disgrace and fear,
for your ways are always good.

40O how I have longed for your methods!
Give me eternal life through your perfect righteousness.

41ו Waw
Renew me with your perfect character of love, O Lord,
the transformation and healing you promised —

42a perfected life that rebuts the accuser —
for I trust your word.

43Never stop feeding me your healing truth,
for I depend upon you to restore your law within me.

44Then I will live in harmony with your design for life
for all eternity future.

45I will live in true freedom,
for I have internalized your methods.

46I will declare your design-laws before world leaders
and will not be ashamed.

47My greatest delight is living out your methods,
because I love them.

48I reach out with all my power to embrace your ways, which I love,
and I meditate on your designs.

49ז Zayin
Remember your promise to me, your servant,
for you are my only hope.

50My hope in you comforts me in the midst of trouble,
for your words are living threads of life-giving energy.

51The conceited always make fun of me,
but I will not deviate from your design for life.

52I remember your law — the perpetual principles that govern life;
and O how they bring me comfort, my Lord.

53Seeing the self-injury and character corruption of the wicked,
who violate your design-laws, fills me with horror and indignation.

54My life is a song and your instructions are the melody
that directs the music of my life.

55Each night I reflect on your character of love, O Lord,
and I treasure your methods and principles.

56This joy is mine,
for I preserve your living-law in my heart.

57ח Heth
You, O Lord, are my life;
I choose you — I choose to follow all your instructions.

58With all my heart I seek your presence;
pour your healing grace upon me and prepare me, just as you have promised.

59I have considered my selfish condition — my ways —
and have chosen to follow your methods of love.

60Eagerly, without delay, I hasten
to live in harmony with your laws — the way you built life to operate.

61Bands of selfish people seek to captivate me from every side,
but I will not turn away from your law of love.

62When I awake in the night, I give thanks to you,
because you govern righteously.

63I am a friend to all who revere you,
to all who live in harmony with your methods and principles.

64The earth is built upon your living law of love, O Creator God;
teach me your perfect ways.

65ט Teth
You have done what is best for me, your servant, O Lord,
just as you have promised.

66Give me wisdom to understand reality — how you have built life to operate —
for I trust the way you have ordered life.

67Before I felt the painful consequences, I used to wander from your ways,
but now I live in harmony with your designs.

68You are good and do only good;
teach me to live like you.

69The self-centered smear me with lies
because I live out your law of love with all my heart.

70Their hearts are calloused, bloated with selfishness,
but I thrive in harmonizing with your design-law.

71It was therapeutic for me to suffer painful consequences,
so that I might learn how your creation works.

72Your instructions are more precious to me
than billions in gold and silver.

73י Yodh
You have held me in your hands and made me who I am;
give me the ability to learn your ways.

74May those who revere your methods of love rejoice when they see me,
for I have waited for your healing remedy.

75I know, O Creator God, that your design-laws are right — the standard for life —
and your faithfulness in sustaining them let me reap the suffering I chose.

76May your healing love comfort me,
just as you promised me, your servant.

77May your merciful remedy come to me, that I may live,
for your design for life is my true delight.

78May the self-centered be ashamed for lying about me,
but I will meditate upon your principles.

79May those who embrace your methods of love be reunited with me —
all those who understand your design for life.

80May my character be perfectly restored to harmony with your law of love,
that I may not be ashamed.

81ך Kaph
I desperately hunger for your healing;
I await your perfect remedy.

82I am tired of waiting to be well, of waiting for your promise to be fulfilled;
I wonder, "When will you fully heal my heart?"

83Though I am old and withered like a leather bag dried in the smoke,
I do not forget your ways.

84How long must I go on?
When will you diagnose those who persecute me as incurable?

85The self-centered dig traps to cause my downfall —
those who hate your methods and violate your designs.

86All your design-laws are reliable constants;
help me reveal the truth, for people attack my reputation with lies.

87They nearly ended my earthly life,
but I refused to compromise and would not deviate from your design.

88Give me life by your love,
and I will live as you have testified life should operate.

89ל Lamedh
Your design-laws, O Creator God, are eternal;
they are built right into the fabric of the cosmos.

90Your truth is faithfully revealed to all generations;
you built the earth, and the evidence stands firm.

91All nature continues to this day because of your sustaining laws,
for all evidence and truth serve you.

92If I did not love and embrace your design-laws,
I would have died in my own self-induced misery.

93I will never forget your principles,
for by restoring them in me you have given me eternal life.

94Heal me, for I am yours;
I choose your methods and principles.

95The selfish hope they can destroy me,
but I know reality — your design protocols for life.

96Everything human is finite — limited;
but your governance is infinite — boundless.

97ם Mem
Oh, how I love your design — your living-law built right into reality!
I meditate upon it all day long.

98Your laws make me wiser than my enemies;
they continually enlighten me.

99I have greater understanding of reality than all my teachers,
for I humbly contemplate your law of love.

100I have greater understanding of reality than the elders,
for I live in harmony with your principles.

101I have refused to walk in selfishness — I keep clear of every evil path —
in order to live in harmony with your instructions.

102I do not turn away from your cause — your kingdom of love —
for you have taught me the truth.

103Oh how sweet your truth tastes,
sweeter even than honey!

104From your design-laws I gain insight into how reality works,
therefore I hate every path that deviates from your design for life.

105ן Nun
Your word is the lamp that guides my steps —
the light that directs my way.

106I will keep my promise
to diligently follow the treatment plan you determine is right.

107I have suffered so much, O Lord;
heal me — restore me to life, just as you have promised.

108May the spontaneous speech of my mouth be pleasing to you, O Lord;
teach me to live your law of love.

109My life is under constant threat,
but I will not forget your design for life.

110The selfish have set traps for me,
but I do not deviate from your principles of love.

111Your living law of love is my possession forever;
it is the joy of my heart.

112With all my heart I choose to keep your methods of love forevermore,
for doing so changes everything.

113ס Samekh
I hate inconsistency, unreliability, disloyalty,
but I love your design-laws.

114 You are my safe haven, my protective remedy;
my hope is in your promise.

115Remove from me all selfishness and those who promote it,
that I may live in harmony with the design of my Creator God!

116Infuse me with your life-giving presence just as you promised, and I will live;
please don’t let me spoil what I have hoped for.

117Heal me and I will be delivered from my terminal condition,
then I will continually live in harmony with the way you built life to operate.

118You reject as viable all who persist in deviating from your design for life,
for all their false remedies are useless.

119The persistently selfish you excise from the earth like necrotic tissue;
Oh, how I love your healing methods.

120I tremble in awe of you;
I stand in humble admiration of your laws — your design protocols for life.

121ע Ayin
I have done what is right and good;
don’t leave me to my enemies.

122Ensure your servant’s well-being;
do not let the selfish oppress me.

123 My eyes strain to see your deliverance,
to see your promise fulfilled.

124 Transform me by your love
and teach me your ways.

125 I am yours; give me wisdom
that I may assimilate and live out your methods.

126 It is time for you to intervene, O Lord,
for your design for life is being broken.

127 This is the reason I love your methods
more than all the gold in the world;

128 this is the reason I consider all your precepts right
and hate everything that breaks your design for life.

129פ Pe
Your design-laws are wonderful,
therefore I live in harmony with them.

130 The entrance of your word enlightens the mind
and teaches the unlearned how reality works.

131 I pant with an open mouth —
that’s how deeply I long for your law of love.

132 Turn to me and pour your healing grace upon me,
as you always do for those who love you.

133Guide my choices to be in harmony with your methods;
do not let selfishness control me.

134 Deliver me from selfishness which oppresses humanity,
that I may live like you designed.

135 Bless me with greater revelations of yourself
and teach me your ways.

136My tears flow like a river,
because so many people violate your law of life.

137ץ Tsadhe
You are perfect and right, O Lord,
and the laws you constructed life upon are also perfect and right.

138 The principles you have built into reality are perfect and right;
they are constants — trustworthy and reliable.

139I am so upset I am worn out,
because my enemies refuse your instructions.

140 Your word is absolutely true and reliable,
and oh, how I love it.

141 I am weak and unimportant,
but I do not forget your principles.

142 Your righteousness is everlasting righteousness,
and your design-law is the truth — the way reality operates.

143 Trouble and distress inevitably find me,
but I find delight in following your prescription for living.

144 Your methods are always right;
help me understand and embrace them, so I will live.

145ק Qoph
With all my heart I call out to you, O Lord,
come to me and I will be enabled to live as you direct.

146I call to you; heal me,
and I will carry out your principles.

147I rise before dawn and cry out for help,
and I wait on your instructions.

148I stay awake at night
and meditate upon your promises.

149Hear me Lord, because you love me;
give me life by restoring your design-law within me.

150Those who live for self, pursuing their me-first agenda,
are far outside your law of love.

151Yet you are always near, O Lord,
and your design-laws are truth — the way reality works.

152I learned long ago that you established your laws as the foundation of reality,
and they will last forever.

153ר Resh
See how sin-sickness torments me, and heal me,
for I have not rejected love — your law for life.

154Fight for me and rescue me;
give me eternal life, just as you have promised.

155The persistently selfish are far from being cured,
for they do not seek for your treatment.

156 Your kindness and tenderness are infinite, O Lord;
give me life by restoring your law within me.

157I have many enemies who oppose me,
but I do not stray from your ways.

158Seeing the persistently-selfish sickens me,
for they rebel against your design for life.

159See how I love your methods;
give me life, O Lord, by restoring your love within me.

160The source of your law is truth;
your righteous government is eternal.

161ש Sin and Shin
Leaders attack me for no reason,
but I stand in awe of the truth about you, O God.

162In my entire being I celebrate your directions —
it’s like finding a map to the greatest treasure.

163I hate and detest all false dealings
but I love your law.

164 Seven times a day I praise you,
because your design-laws are perfect.

165Great peace have they who love and live your law,
and they do not stumble.

166I wait eagerly for your healing, O Lord,
while I diligently follow your treatment plan.

167I live in harmony with your principles for life,
And I love them very much.

168I practice your methods and follow your instructions,
for everything I do and think is open before you.

169ת Taw
May you grant my heart’s desire, O Lord —
reveal your truth to me and give me understanding of your kingdom.

170Grant my plea for mercy
and heal me just as your promised.

171Let praise flow freely from my lips,
for you taught me your ways.

172Let my tongue sing of your revelations of truth,
for all your laws are perfect — the protocols for life and health.

173 Your hand always helps me,
for I have chosen your kingdom of love.

174 I long for complete healing, O Lord;
your law is my life, health and happiness.

175Give me life that I may glorify you;
may your laws sustain me.

176When I, like a lost sheep, stray from your path,
please come and find me, and bring me home, for I have not rejected your law of love.