Psalm 119 - Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Aleph^[a]

119 Great blessings belong to those who live pure lives!
They follow the Lord’s teachings.
² Great blessings belong to those who follow his rules!
They seek him with all their heart.
³ They don’t do wrong.
They follow his ways.
⁴ Lord, you gave us your instructions
and told us to always obey them.
⁵ How I wish I could be more faithful
in obeying your laws!
⁶ Then I would never feel ashamed
when I look closely at your commands.
⁷ The more I understand how fair your laws are,
the more sincerely I will praise you.
⁸ I will obey your laws,
so please don’t leave me!

Beth

⁹ How can a young person live a pure life?
By obeying your word.
¹⁰ I try with all my heart to serve you.
Help me obey your commands.
¹¹ I study your teachings very carefully
so that I will not sin against you.
¹² Lord, you are worthy of praise!
Teach me your laws.
¹³ I will repeat the laws we have heard from you.
¹⁴ I enjoy following your rules
as much as others enjoy great riches.
¹⁵ I will study your instructions.
I will give thought to your way of life.
¹⁶ I enjoy your laws.
I will not forget your word.

Gimel

¹⁷ Be good to me, your servant,
so that I may live to obey your word.
¹⁸ Open my eyes so that I can see
all the wonderful things in your teachings.
¹⁹ I feel like a stranger visiting here on earth.
I need to know your commands.
Don’t keep them hidden from me.
²⁰ I constantly feel a hunger
to understand your laws.
²¹ You tell the proud how angry you are with them.
All those who refuse to obey your word are cursed.
²² Don’t let me be ashamed and embarrassed.
I have obeyed your rules.
²³ Even if rulers say bad things about me,
I am your servant,
and I continue to study your laws.
²⁴ Your rules make me happy.
They give me good advice.

Daleth

²⁵ I lie here like a dying man.
Say the word, and I will live again.^[b]
26 I told you about my life, and you answered me.
Now, teach me your laws.
²⁷ Help me understand your instructions,
and I will think about your wonderful teachings.^[c]
28 I am sad and tired.
Say the word, and make me strong again.
²⁹ Don’t let me live a lie.
Guide me with your teachings.
³⁰ I have chosen to be loyal to you.
I respect your laws.
³¹ I follow your rules closely, Lord.
Don’t let me be put to shame.
³² I do my best to follow your commands,
because you are the one who gives me the desire.

He

³³ Lord, teach me your laws,
and I will always follow them.
³⁴ Help me understand your teachings,
and I will follow them.
Obeying them will be my greatest desire.
³⁵ Help me follow your commands,
because that makes me happy.
³⁶ Give me the desire to follow your rules,
not the desire to get rich.
³⁷ Don’t let me look at worthless things.
Help me live your way.
³⁸ Do what you promised me, your servant,
so that people will respect you.
³⁹ Take away the shame I fear.
Your laws are good.
⁴⁰ See how much I want to obey your instructions!
Be good to me, and let me live.

Waw

⁴¹ Lord, show me your faithful love.
Save me, as you promised.
⁴² Then I will have an answer for those who make fun of me
for trusting what you say.
⁴³ Let me always say what is true.
I depend on your judgment to be fair.
⁴⁴ I will follow your teachings forever and ever.
⁴⁵ So I will live in freedom,
because I do my best to know your instructions.
⁴⁶ I will discuss your rules with kings,
and no one will embarrass me.
⁴⁷ What joy your commands give me!
How I love them!
⁴⁸ Not only do I love your commands, but I also honor them.
I will study your laws.

Zain

⁴⁹ Remember your promise to me, your servant.
It gives me hope.
⁵⁰ You comfort me in my suffering,
because your promise gives me new life.
⁵¹ People full of pride are always making fun of me,
but I have not stopped following your teachings.
⁵² I remember the laws you gave us long ago, Lord,
and they bring me comfort.
⁵³ I am overcome with anger when I see wicked people,
who have stopped following your teachings.
⁵⁴ Your laws are the songs I sing
wherever I am living.
⁵⁵ Lord, in the night I remembered your name,
and I obeyed your teachings.
⁵⁶ This happened because I carefully obey your instructions.

Heth

⁵⁷ Lord, I decided that my duty is to obey your commandments.
⁵⁸ I beg you with all my heart,
be kind to me, as you promised.
⁵⁹ I thought very carefully about my life,
and I decided to follow your rules.
⁶⁰ Without wasting any time,
I hurried back to obey your commands.
⁶¹ The wicked tried to trap me,
but I have not forgotten your teachings.
⁶² In the middle of the night, I get up to thank you
because your laws are so fair.
⁶³ I am a friend to everyone who worships you.
I am a friend to everyone who obeys your instructions.
⁶⁴ Lord, your faithful love fills the earth.
Teach me your laws.

Teth

⁶⁵ Lord, you did good things for me, your servant.
You did what you promised to do.
⁶⁶ Give me the knowledge to make wise decisions.
I trust your commands.
⁶⁷ Before I suffered, I did many wrong things.
But now I carefully obey everything you say.
⁶⁸ You are good, and you do good things.
Teach me your laws.
⁶⁹ People full of pride made up lies about me.
But I keep obeying your instructions with all my heart.
⁷⁰ Those people are so stupid that they care for nothing,
but I enjoy studying your teachings.
⁷¹ Suffering was good for me;
I learned your laws.
⁷² Your teachings are worth more to me
than a thousand pieces of silver and gold.

Yod

⁷³ With your hands you made me and helped me become what I am.
Now help me learn and understand your commands.
⁷⁴ Your followers will see me and be happy,
because I trust in your word.
⁷⁵ Lord, I know that your decisions are fair,
and you were right to punish me.
⁷⁶ Now comfort me with your faithful love,
as you promised.
⁷⁷ Comfort me and let me live.
I enjoy your teachings.
⁷⁸ Bring shame on those proud people who lied about me.
All I want to do is study your instructions.
⁷⁹ Let your followers come back to me
so that they may learn your rules.
⁸⁰ Let me obey your laws perfectly
so that I will not be ashamed.

Kaph

⁸¹ I feel weaker and weaker as I wait for you to save me.
But I put my trust in your word.
⁸² I keep looking for what you promised, but my eyes are feeling tired.
When will you comfort me?
⁸³ Even when I am like a dried wineskin on the trash pile,
I will not forget your laws.
⁸⁴ How long must I wait for you
to punish those who persecute me?
⁸⁵ Proud people have tried to trap me
and make me disobey your teachings.
⁸⁶ All your commands can be trusted.
Those people are wrong to persecute me.
Help me!
⁸⁷ They have almost destroyed me,
but I have not stopped obeying your instructions.
⁸⁸ Show me your faithful love and let me live.
I will do whatever you say.

Lamedh

⁸⁹ Lord, your word continues forever in heaven.
⁹⁰ You are loyal forever and ever.
You made the earth, and it still stands.
⁹¹ All things continue today because of your laws.
Like slaves, they all obey you.
⁹² If I had not found joy in your teachings,
my suffering would have destroyed me.
⁹³ I will never forget your commands,
because through them you gave me new life.
⁹⁴ I am yours, so save me!
I have done my best to know your instructions.
⁹⁵ The wicked tried to destroy me,
but your rules made me wise.
⁹⁶ Everything has its limits,
except your commands.

Mem

⁹⁷ Oh, how I love your teachings!
I talk about them all the time.
⁹⁸ Your commands are always with me,
and they make me wiser than my enemies.
⁹⁹ I am wiser than all my teachers,
because I study your rules.
¹⁰⁰ I understand more than those who are older,
because I obey your instructions.
¹⁰¹ I have avoided every path that leads to evil
so that I could obey your word.
¹⁰² You are my teacher,
so I will always do whatever you decide.
¹⁰³ Your words are so sweet to me,
like the taste of honey!
¹⁰⁴ I gain understanding from your instructions,
so I hate anything that leads people the wrong way.

Nun

¹⁰⁵ Your word is like a lamp that guides my steps,
a light that shows the path I should take.
¹⁰⁶ Your laws are good and fair.
I have promised to obey them, and I will keep my promise.
¹⁰⁷ Lord, I have suffered for a long time.
Say the word, and I will live again!^[d]
108 Lord, accept the praise I want to give you,
and teach me your laws.
¹⁰⁹ My life is always in danger,
but I have not forgotten your teachings.
¹¹⁰ The wicked try to trap me,
but I have not disobeyed your instructions.
¹¹¹ The rules you have given me to follow will be mine forever.
They give me great joy.
¹¹² More than anything I want to obey your laws always,
until the end of my life.

Samekh

¹¹³ Lord, I hate those who are not completely loyal to you,
but I love your teachings.
¹¹⁴ Hide me and protect me.
I trust what you say.
¹¹⁵ Don’t come near me, you who are evil,
so that I can obey my God’s commands.
¹¹⁶ Support me, Lord, as you promised, and I will live.
I trust in you, so don’t disappoint me.
¹¹⁷ Help me and I will be saved.
And I will always give attention to your laws.
¹¹⁸ You reject all who don’t obey your laws,
because they are liars and did not do what they said.
¹¹⁹ You throw away the wicked of this world like trash.
So I love your rules.
¹²⁰ I am shaking with fear before you.
I fear and respect your judgments.

Ain

¹²¹ I have done what is right and good.
Don’t let me fall into the hands of those who want to hurt me.
¹²² Promise to be good to me, your servant.
Don’t let those proud people do harm to me.
¹²³ I have worn out my eyes looking for your help,
waiting for you to save me, as you promised.
¹²⁴ Show your faithful love to me, your servant.
Teach me your laws.
¹²⁵ I am your servant.
Give me wisdom to understand your rules.
¹²⁶ Lord, it is time for you to do something.
The people do what is against your teachings.
¹²⁷ I love your commands more than gold,
more than the purest gold.
¹²⁸ I carefully obey all your commands.
So I hate anything that leads people the wrong way.

Pe

¹²⁹ Lord, your rules are wonderful.
That is why I follow them.
¹³⁰ As people understand your word, it brings light to their lives.
Your word makes even simple people wise.
¹³¹ My desire to hear your commands is so strong
that I wait with open mouth, gasping for breath.
¹³² Look at me, and be kind to me,
just as you always are to those who love your name.
¹³³ Guide me, as you promised.
Don’t let evil rule over me.
¹³⁴ Save me from those who want to hurt me,
and I will obey your instructions.
¹³⁵ Accept your servant,
and teach me your laws.
¹³⁶ I have cried a river of tears
because people don’t obey your teachings.

Tsadhe

¹³⁷ Lord, you do what is right,
and your decisions are fair.
¹³⁸ The rules you have given us are right.
We can trust them completely.
¹³⁹ Something that really upsets me is the thought
that my enemies ignore your commands.
¹⁴⁰ I love your word.
Time and again it has been proven true.
¹⁴¹ I am young, and people don’t respect me.
But I have not forgotten your instructions.
¹⁴² Your goodness is forever,
and your teachings can be trusted.
¹⁴³ Even though I have troubles and hard times,
your commands give me joy.
¹⁴⁴ Your rules are always right.
Help me understand them so that I can live.

Qoph

¹⁴⁵ Lord, I call to you with all my heart.
Answer me, and I will obey your laws.
¹⁴⁶ I call to you.
Save me, and I will obey your rules.
¹⁴⁷ I get up early in the morning to pray to you.
I trust what you say.
¹⁴⁸ Late into the night I stay awake
to think about your word.
¹⁴⁹ I know your love is true, so listen to me.
Lord, you always do what is right, so let me live.
¹⁵⁰ Here come those who have evil plans to hurt me.
They live far away from your teachings.
¹⁵¹ But you are near me, Lord,
and all your commands can be trusted.
¹⁵² Long ago, I learned from your rules
that you made them to last forever.

Resh

¹⁵³ Look at my suffering and rescue me.
I have not forgotten your teachings.
¹⁵⁴ Argue my case, and set me free.
Let me live, as you promised.
¹⁵⁵ The wicked have no hope of being saved,
because they don’t follow your laws.
¹⁵⁶ Lord, you are very kind.
You always do what is right, so let me live.
¹⁵⁷ I have many enemies trying to hurt me,
but I have not stopped following your rules.
¹⁵⁸ I look at those traitors and hate what I see,
because they refuse to do what you say.
¹⁵⁹ See how much I love your instructions!
Lord, I know your love is true, so let me live.
¹⁶⁰ Every word you say can be trusted.
Your laws are fair and will last forever.

Shin

¹⁶¹ Powerful leaders attack me for no reason,
but the only thing I fear is your command.
¹⁶² Your word makes me happy,
like someone who has found a great treasure.
¹⁶³ I hate lies; they make me sick!
But I love your teachings.
¹⁶⁴ Seven times a day I praise you
because your laws are fair.
¹⁶⁵ Those who love your teachings will find true peace.
Nothing can make them fall.
¹⁶⁶ Lord, I am waiting for you to save me.
I obey your commands.
¹⁶⁷ I follow your rules.
I love them very much.
¹⁶⁸ I obey all your instructions and rules,
because you know everything I do.

Taw

¹⁶⁹ Lord, listen to my cry for help.
Make me wise, as you promised.
¹⁷⁰ Listen to my prayer.
Save me, as you promised.
¹⁷¹ I will burst into songs of praise,
because you have taught me your laws.
¹⁷² Let my voice sing about your word,
because all your commands are good.
¹⁷³ I have chosen to follow your instructions,
so reach out and help me!
¹⁷⁴ Lord, I want you to save me.
Your teachings make me happy.
¹⁷⁵ Let me live to praise you.
Let me find the help I need in your laws.
¹⁷⁶ I have wandered away like a lost sheep.
Come and find me.
I am your servant,
and I have not forgotten your commands.

Footnotes

1. Psalm 119:1 Psalm 119 Aleph The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This psalm has a section for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and each of the eight verses in each section begins with the Hebrew letter for its section.
2. Psalm 119:25 Say … again Or “Give me life as you promised.”
3. Psalm 119:27 teachings Or “deeds.”
4. Psalm 119:107 Say … again Or “Give me life as you promised.”