A ALEF

¹ Those whose way is blameless— who walk in the LORD’s Instruction—are truly happy!

² Those who guard God’s laws are truly happy! They seek God with all their hearts.

³ They don’t even do anything wrong! They walk in God’s ways.

⁴ God, you have ordered that your decrees should be kept most carefully.

⁵ How I wish my ways were strong when it comes to keeping your statutes!

⁶ Then I wouldn’t be ashamed when I examine all your commandments.

⁷ I will give thanks to you with a heart that does right as I learn your righteous rules.

B BET

⁸ I will keep your statutes. Please don’t leave me all alone!

⁹ How can young people keep their paths pure? By guarding them according to what you’ve said.

¹⁰ I have sought you with all my heart. Don’t let me stray from any of your commandments!

¹¹ I keep your word close, in my heart, so that I won’t sin against you.

¹² You, LORD, are to be blessed! Teach me your statutes.

¹³ I will declare out loud all the rules you have spoken.

¹⁴ I rejoice in the content of your laws as if I were rejoicing over great wealth.

¹⁵ I will think about your precepts and examine all your paths.

G GIMEL

¹⁶ I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget what you have said.

¹⁷ Be good to your servant so I can go on living and keeping your word.

¹⁸ Open my eyes so I can examine the wonders of your Instruction!

¹⁹ I’m an immigrant in the land. Don’t hide your commandments from me!

²⁰ I’m worn out by longing every minute for your rules!

²¹ You rebuke the arrogant, accursed people who stray from your commandments.

²² Take all their insults and contempt away from me because I’ve kept your laws!

²³ Even if rulers gather and scheme against me, your servant will contemplate your statutes!

D DALET

²⁴ Yes, your laws are my joy— they are my most trusted advisors!

²⁵ My life is stuck in the dirt. Now make me live again according to your promise!

²⁶ I confessed my ways and you answered me. Now teach me your statutes!

²⁷ Help me understand what your precepts are about so I can contemplate your wondrous works!

²⁸ My spirit sags because of grief. Now raise me up according to your promise!

²⁹ Remove all false ways from me; show mercy to me by means of your Instruction.

³⁰ I’ve chosen the way of faithfulness; I’m set on your rules.

³¹ I’m holding tight to your laws, LORD. Please don’t let me be put to shame.

H HE

³² I run the same path as your commandments because you give my heart insight.

³³ LORD, teach me what your statutes are about, and I will guard every part of them.

³⁴ Help me understand so I can guard your Instruction and keep it with all my heart.

³⁵ Lead me on the trail of your commandments because that is what I want.

³⁶ Turn my heart to your laws, not to greedy gain.

³⁷ Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things. Make me live by your way.

³⁸ Confirm your promise to your servant— the promise that is for all those who honor you.

³⁹ Remove the insults that I dread because your rules are good.

W WAW

⁴⁰ Look how I desire your precepts! Make me live by your righteousness.

⁴¹ LORD, let your faithful love come to me— let your salvation come to me according to your promise—

⁴² so I can have a response for those who mock me because I have trusted in your word!

⁴³ Please don’t take your true word out of my mouth, because I have waited for your rules.

⁴⁴ I will always keep your Instruction, always and forever!

⁴⁵ I will walk around in wide-open spaces, because I have pursued your precepts.

⁴⁶ I will talk about your laws before rulers with no shame whatsoever.

⁴⁷ I will rejoice in your commandments because I love them.

Z ZAYIN

⁴⁸ I will lift up my hands to your commandments because I love them, and I will contemplate all your statutes.

⁴⁹ Remember your promise to your servant, for which you made me wait.

⁵⁰ My comfort during my suffering is this: your word gives me new life.

⁵¹ The arrogant make fun of me to no end, but I haven’t deviated from your Instruction.

⁵² When I remember your ancient rules, I’m comforted, LORD.

⁵³ But I’m seized with anger because of the wicked— because of those who abandon your Instruction.

⁵⁴ Your statutes have been my songs of praise wherever I lived as an immigrant.

⁵⁵ LORD, I remember your name at nighttime, and I keep your Instruction.

J KHET

⁵⁶ This has been my practice because I guard your precepts.

⁵⁷ The LORD is my possession. I promise to do what you have said.

⁵⁸ I’ve sought your favor with all my heart; have mercy on me according to your word.

⁵⁹ I’ve considered my ways and turned my feet back to your laws.

⁶⁰ I hurry to keep your commandments— I never put it off!

⁶¹ Though the wicked have surrounded me with their ropes, I haven’t forgotten your Instruction.

⁶² I get up in the middle of the night to give thanks to you because of your righteous rules.

⁶³ I’m a friend to everyone who honors you and to all who keep your precepts.

F TET

⁶⁴ LORD, the world is full of your faithful love! Teach me your statutes!

⁶⁵ You have treated your servant well, LORD, according to your promise.

⁶⁶ Teach me knowledge and good judgment because I’ve put my trust in your commandments.

⁶⁷ Before I suffered, I took the wrong way, but now I do what you say.

⁶⁸ You are good and you do good. Teach me your statutes!

⁶⁹ The arrogant cover me with their lies, but I guard your precepts with all my heart.

⁷⁰ Their hearts are unfeeling, like blubber, but I rejoice in your Instruction.

⁷¹ My suffering was good for me, because through it I learned your statutes.

Y YOD

⁷² The Instruction you’ve given to me is better than thousands of pieces of gold and silver!

⁷³ Your hands have made me and set me in place. Help me understand so I can learn your commandments.

⁷⁴ Then those who honor you will see me and be glad because I have waited for your promise.

⁷⁵ LORD, I know that your rules are right and that you rightly made me suffer.

⁷⁶ Please let your faithful love comfort me, according to what you’ve said to your servant.

⁷⁷ Let your compassion come to me so I can live again, because your Instruction is my joy!

⁷⁸ But let the arrogant be ashamed because they oppressed me with lies— meanwhile, I will be contemplating your precepts!

⁷⁹ Let the people who honor you come back to me; let those who know your precepts return to me.

K KAF

⁸⁰ Let my heart be blameless in your statutes so that I am not put to shame.

⁸¹ My whole being yearns for your saving help! I wait for your promise.

⁸² My eyes are worn out looking for your word. “When will you comfort me?” I ask,

⁸³ because I’ve become like a bottle dried up by smoke, though I haven’t forgotten your statutes.

⁸⁴ How much more time does your servant have? When will you bring my oppressors to justice?

⁸⁵ The arrogant have dug pits for me— those people who act against your Instruction.

⁸⁶ All your commandments are true, but people harass me for no reason. Help me!

⁸⁷ They’ve almost wiped me off the face of the earth! Meanwhile, I haven’t abandoned your precepts!

L LAMED

⁸⁸ Make me live again according to your faithful love so I can keep the law you’ve given!

⁸⁹ Your word, LORD, stands firm in heaven forever!

⁹⁰ Your faithfulness extends from one generation to the next! You set the earth firmly in place, and it is still there.

⁹¹ Your rules endure to this day because everything serves you.

⁹² If your Instruction hadn’t been my delight, I would have died because of my suffering.

⁹³ I will never forget your precepts because through them you gave me life again.

⁹⁴ I’m yours—save me because I’ve pursued your precepts!

⁹⁵ The wicked wait for me, wanting to kill me, but I’m studying your laws.

M MEM

⁹⁶ I’ve seen that everything, no matter how perfect, has a limit, but your commandment is boundless.

⁹⁷ I love your Instruction! I think about it constantly.

⁹⁸ Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies because it is always with me.

⁹⁹ I have greater insight than all my teachers because I contemplate your laws.

¹⁰⁰ I have more understanding than the elders because I guard your precepts.

¹⁰¹ I haven’t set my feet on any evil path so I can make sure to keep your word.

¹⁰² I haven’t deviated from any of your rules because you are the one who has taught me.

¹⁰³ Your word is so pleasing to my taste buds— it’s sweeter than honey in my mouth!

N NUN

¹⁰⁴ I’m studying your precepts— that’s why I hate every false path.

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp before my feet and a light for my journey.

¹⁰⁶ I have sworn, and I fully mean it: I will keep your righteous rules.

¹⁰⁷ I have been suffering so much— LORD, make me live again according to your promise.

¹⁰⁸ Please, LORD, accept my spontaneous gifts of praise. Teach me your rules!

¹⁰⁹ Though my life is constantly in danger, I won’t forget your Instruction.

¹¹⁰ Though the wicked have set a trap for me, I won’t stray from your precepts.

¹¹¹ Your laws are my possession forever because they are my heart’s joy.

S SAMEK

¹¹² I have decided to keep your statutes forever, every last one.

¹¹³ I hate fickle people, but I love your Instruction.

¹¹⁴ You are my shelter and my shield— I wait for your promise.

¹¹⁵ Get away from me, you evildoers; I want to guard my God’s commandments!

¹¹⁶ Sustain me according to your word so I can live! Don’t let me be put to shame because of hope.

¹¹⁷ Support me so I can be saved and so I can focus constantly on your statutes.

¹¹⁸ You discard everyone who strays from your statutes because they are dishonest and false.

¹¹⁹ You dispose of all the wicked people on earth like waste— that’s why I love your laws.

[ AYIN

¹²⁰ My body shudders because I fear you; I’m in awe of your rules.

¹²¹ I’ve done what is just and right. Don’t just hand me over to my oppressors.

¹²² Guarantee good things for your servant. Please don’t let the arrogant oppress me.

¹²³ My eyes are worn out looking for your saving help— looking for your word that will set things right.

¹²⁴ Act toward your servant according to your faithful love. Teach me your statutes!

¹²⁵ I’m your servant! Help me understand so I can know your laws.

¹²⁶ It is time for the LORD to do something! Your Instruction has been broken.

¹²⁷ But I love your commandments more than gold, even more than pure gold.

P PE

¹²⁸ That’s why I walk straight by every single one of your precepts. That’s why I hate every false path.

¹²⁹ Your laws are wonderful! That’s why I guard them.

¹³⁰ Access to your words gives light, giving simple folk understanding.

¹³¹ I open my mouth up wide, panting, because I long for your commandments.

¹³² Come back to me and have mercy on me; that’s only right for those who love your name.

¹³³ Keep my steps steady by your word; don’t let any sin rule me.

¹³⁴ Redeem me from the people who oppress me so I can keep your precepts.

¹³⁵ Shine your face on your servant, and teach me your statutes.

X TSADE

¹³⁶ Rivers of tears stream from my eyes because your Instruction isn’t being kept.

¹³⁷ LORD, you are righteous, and your rules are right.

¹³⁸ The laws you commanded are righteous, completely trustworthy.

¹³⁹ Anger consumes me because my enemies have forgotten what you’ve said.

¹⁴⁰ Your word has been tried and tested; your servant loves your word!

¹⁴¹ I’m insignificant and unpopular, but I don’t forget your precepts.

¹⁴² Your righteousness lasts forever! Your Instruction is true!

¹⁴³ Stress and strain have caught up with me, but your commandments are my joy!

Q QOF

¹⁴⁴ Your laws are righteous forever. Help me understand so I can live!

¹⁴⁵ I cry out with all my heart: “LORD, answer me so I can guard your statutes!”

¹⁴⁶ I cry out to you, “Save me so I can keep your laws!”

¹⁴⁷ I meet the predawn light and cry for help. I wait for your promise.

¹⁴⁸ My eyes encounter each hour of the night as I think about your word.

¹⁴⁹ Listen to my voice, according to your faithful love. LORD, make me live again, according to your justice.

¹⁵⁰ The people who love to plot wicked schemes are nearby, but they are so far from your Instruction!

¹⁵¹ But you, LORD, are nearby too, and all your commandments are true.

R RESH

¹⁵² Long ago I learned from your laws that you had established them forever.

¹⁵³ Look at my suffering and deliver me because I haven’t forgotten your Instruction.

¹⁵⁴ Argue my case and redeem me. Make me live again by your word.

¹⁵⁵ Salvation is far from the wicked because they haven’t pursued your statutes.

¹⁵⁶ You have so much compassion, LORD— make me live again, according to your rules.

¹⁵⁷ My oppressors and enemies are many, but I haven’t turned away from your laws.

¹⁵⁸ I look on the faithless, and I am disgusted because they haven’t kept your word.

¹⁵⁹ Look at how much I love your precepts. Make me live again, LORD, according to your faithful love!

` SIN AND V SHIN

¹⁶⁰ The first thing to know about your word is that it is true and that all your righteous rules last forever.

¹⁶¹ Rulers oppress me without cause, but my heart honors what you’ve said.

¹⁶² I’m overjoyed at your word, like someone who finds great treasure.

¹⁶³ I hate, I absolutely despise, what is false, but I’m in love with your Instruction.

¹⁶⁴ I praise you seven times a day for your righteous rules.

¹⁶⁵ The people who love your Instruction enjoy peace—and lots of it. There’s no stumbling for them!

¹⁶⁶ LORD, I wait for your saving help. I do what you’ve commanded.

¹⁶⁷ I keep your laws; I love them so much!

T TAV

¹⁶⁸ I keep your precepts and your laws because all my ways are seen by you.

¹⁶⁹ Let my cry reach you, LORD; help me understand according to what you’ve said.

¹⁷⁰ Let my request for grace come before you; deliver me according to your promise!

¹⁷¹ Let my lips overflow with praise because you’ve taught me your statutes.

¹⁷² Let my tongue declare your word, because all your commandments are righteous.

¹⁷³ Let your power help me because I have chosen your precepts.

¹⁷⁴ LORD, I long for your saving help! Your Instruction is my joy!

¹⁷⁵ Let me live again so I can praise you! Let your rules help me!

¹⁷⁶ I’ve wandered off like a sheep, lost. Find your servant because I haven’t forgotten your commandments!