Your Word Is a Lamp

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,who walk according to the LORD’s law.

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

The psalm opens with a blessing on those whose ways are blameless and who walk according to the LORD's law. Walking is the picture from the first line, and verses 2 and 3 carry the same description on. The KJV reads "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD."

Also read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2, Job 1:8, John 1:47, James 1:25

Blessed are those who keep his statutes,who seek him with their whole heart.

Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

The psalm opens by calling blessed those who keep God's statutes and seek him with their whole heart. The whole heart becomes one of the psalm's recurring phrases.

Also read Psalm 119:22, 2 Chronicles 31:21, 1 John 3:20, Psalm 119:10

Yes, they do nothing wrong.They walk in his ways.

They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.

Verse 3 finishes the portrait begun in verses 1 and 2: yes, they do nothing wrong, they walk in his ways. It describes the ideal the psalm aims at, and in verse 5 the speaker wishes his own ways were that steady. The KJV reads "They also do no iniquity."

Also read 1 John 3:9, 1 John 5:18

You have commanded your precepts,that we should fully obey them.

Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.

Also read Jeremiah 7:23, Deuteronomy 11:13, Deuteronomy 30:16, 1 John 5:3

Oh that my ways were steadfastto obey your statutes!

O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!

After describing the blessed, the speaker turns to himself with a wish: oh that my ways were steadfast to obey your statutes. It is a longing, not a boast. The KJV reads "O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes."

Also read Psalm 119:44-45, Psalm 119:32, 2 Thessalonians 3:5, Psalm 119:159

Then I wouldn’t be disappointed,when I consider all of your commandments.

Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.

Verse 6 gives the result of the wish in verse 5: then I would not be disappointed when I consider all of your commandments. The word all matters, since the speaker wants to face the whole law without shame. The KJV reads "Then shall I not be ashamed."

Also read 1 John 3:20-21, Psalm 119:80, James 2:10, Daniel 12:2-3

I will give thanks to you with uprightness of heart,when I learn your righteous judgments.

I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.

Thanks and learning are tied together here. The speaker will give thanks with uprightness of heart when he learns God's righteous judgments, so praise is expected to grow as understanding grows. The verse admits that the learning is still going on.

Also read Psalm 25:4-5, Psalm 25:8-10, Psalm 119:64, Psalm 119:12

I will observe your statutes.Don’t utterly forsake me.

I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

The first section closes with a promise and a plea side by side: I will observe your statutes, and don't utterly forsake me. Keeping the law does not stop the speaker asking God not to leave him. The KJV reads "O forsake me not utterly."

Also read Psalm 38:21-22, Philippians 4:13, Psalm 119:115-117, Psalm 71:18

How can a young man keep his way pure?By living according to your word.

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

A question and an answer: how can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to God's word. The King James Version reads "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?"

Also read Deuteronomy 6:6-9, 2 Chronicles 6:16, Proverbs 1:4, 2 Timothy 3:15-17

With my whole heart I have sought you.Don’t let me wander from your commandments.

With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

The speaker has sought God with his whole heart, and still asks not to be allowed to wander. Verse 11 carries the thought on: I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Also read Hosea 10:2, 2 Chronicles 15:15, Proverbs 2:13, 1 John 2:15

I have hidden your word in my heart,that I might not sin against you.

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. The word is stored inside rather than only read, and this answers the question of verse 9 about how to keep a way pure. The KJV reads "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

Also read Proverbs 2:10-11, Psalm 40:8, Luke 2:19, Isaiah 51:7

Blessed are you, LORD.Teach me your statutes.

Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.

The verse turns the psalm's opening word toward God: blessed are you, LORD. It then makes a request, teach me your statutes, the first of several times these exact words appear in the psalm, as in verses 26, 64, 68, 124 and 135.

Also read Psalm 119:64, Psalm 25:4-5, Psalm 119:124, Psalm 119:108

With my lips,I have declared all the ordinances of your mouth.

With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

With my lips I have declared all the ordinances of your mouth. The law moves from God's mouth to the speaker's lips, so what he has received he repeats aloud. The KJV has "all the judgments of thy mouth."

Also read Psalm 119:172, Psalm 71:15-18, Matthew 12:34, Acts 4:20

I have rejoiced in the way of your testimonies,as much as in all riches.

I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.

The speaker has rejoiced in the way of God's testimonies as much as in all riches. Comparing the law with wealth is a thread in the psalm, returning in verse 72 with gold and silver and in verse 127 with pure gold.

Also read Matthew 13:44, Psalm 112:1, Psalm 19:9-10, Psalm 119:47

I will meditate on your precepts,and consider your ways.

I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

I will meditate on your precepts, and consider your ways. This is the first time the psalm uses the word meditate, and meditation becomes one of its most repeated actions. The KJV reads "I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways."

Also read Psalm 119:148, Psalm 1:2, Psalm 119:6, Psalm 119:48

I will delight myself in your statutes.I will not forget your word.

I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

I will delight myself in your statutes. I will not forget your word. Delight and memory both return often in the psalm: delight in verses 24, 35 and 47, and not forgetting in verses 61, 83 and 93.

Also read Psalm 119:109, Psalm 119:35, Psalm 119:70, Psalm 119:14

Do good to your servant.I will live and I will obey your word.

Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.

Do good to your servant, the speaker asks, and he links staying alive with keeping God's word: I will live and I will obey your word. The KJV reads "Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word."

Also read 1 John 5:3-4, Philippians 4:19, Psalm 13:6, Titus 2:11-12

Open my eyes,that I may see wondrous things out of your law.

Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

A request for sight: open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things out of your law. The verse assumes there is more in the law than the speaker can yet see.

Also read Hebrews 10:1, 2 Corinthians 3:13-18, Isaiah 32:3, Revelation 3:18

I am a stranger on the earth.Don’t hide your commandments from me.

I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.

I am a stranger on the earth, the speaker says, and asks God not to hide his commandments from him. He feels like an outsider in the world and does not want to be left without them. The KJV has "a stranger in the earth."

Also read Genesis 47:9, 2 Corinthians 5:6, 1 Peter 2:11, Psalm 39:12

My soul is consumed with longing for your ordinances at all times.

My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.

My soul is consumed with longing for your ordinances at all times. The longing is strong enough to wear the speaker down, and it does not stop. The KJV puts it sharply: "My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times."

Also read Job 27:10, Proverbs 13:12, Song of Songs 5:8, Revelation 3:15-16

You have rebuked the proud who are cursed,who wander from your commandments.

Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.

The speaker notes that God has rebuked the proud, who are cursed and who wander from his commandments. The proud appear here for the first time and come back through the psalm as the speaker's opponents. Wandering from the commandments is what he asked to be kept from in verse 10.

Also read Psalm 138:6, Jeremiah 44:28-29, Deuteronomy 30:19, Jeremiah 44:9-11

Take reproach and contempt away from me,for I have kept your statutes.

Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.

Take reproach and contempt away from me, for I have kept your statutes. The speaker is being scorned and asks God to lift it, pointing to his own faithfulness as the reason. The KJV reads "Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies."

Also read Job 19:2-3, Psalm 68:9-11, Psalm 123:3-4, Psalm 42:10

Though princes sit and slander me,your servant will meditate on your statutes.

Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.

Though princes sit and slander me, your servant will meditate on your statutes. The opposition comes from people with power, sitting together and talking against him, and his response is to keep meditating. The KJV reads "Princes also did sit and speak against me."

Also read 1 Samuel 22:7-13, Luke 23:10-11, Luke 23:1-2, Psalm 2:1-2

Indeed your statutes are my delight,and my counselors.

Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.

Indeed your statutes are my delight, and my counselors. Against the princes of verse 23 who speak against him, the speaker has advisers of his own: God's statutes. The KJV reads "Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors."

Also read Job 27:10, Psalm 119:104-105, Psalm 119:92, Psalm 119:97-100

My soul is laid low in the dust.Revive me according to your word!

My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.

My soul is laid low in the dust, the speaker says, and asks to be revived according to God's word. Revive me is one of the requests the psalm repeats most often.

Also read Isaiah 65:25, Psalm 119:88, Psalm 119:156, Psalm 119:37

I declared my ways, and you answered me.Teach me your statutes.

I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.

The speaker says he declared his ways, laying his life open, and God answered him. His response to being answered is to ask for more teaching: teach me your statutes. The KJV reads "I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me."

Also read Psalm 25:4, Psalm 32:5, Psalm 25:8-9, Proverbs 28:13

Let me understand the teaching of your precepts!Then I will meditate on your wondrous works.

Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.

He asks to understand the teaching of God's precepts. Understanding, he says, will lead him to meditate on God's wondrous works.

Also read Revelation 15:3, Psalm 145:5-6, Psalm 111:4, Acts 2:11

My soul is weary with sorrow;strengthen me according to your word.

My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.

My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word. The sorrow is named without explanation, and the request is for strength rather than escape. The KJV reads "My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word."

Also read Isaiah 40:29, Joshua 2:24, Psalm 20:2, Zechariah 10:12

Keep me from the way of deceit.Grant me your law graciously!

Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.

The speaker asks to be kept from the way of deceit and to be granted God's law graciously, so the law is received as a gift. Verse 30 names the other road: I have chosen the way of truth. The KJV reads "Remove from me the way of lying."

Also read Psalm 119:128, Revelation 22:15, Psalm 119:104, Psalm 119:163

I have chosen the way of truth.I have set your ordinances before me.

I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.

Also read John 8:45, Joshua 24:15, Deuteronomy 11:18-20, Psalm 119:111

I cling to your statutes, LORD.Don’t let me be disappointed.

I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.

Also read Psalm 119:115, Psalm 119:6, 1 John 2:28, Jeremiah 17:18

I run in the path of your commandments,for you have set my heart free.

I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.

I run in the path of your commandments, for you have set my heart free. The verse links obedience with freedom, a link verse 45 repeats: I will walk in liberty.

Also read John 8:32, Job 36:15-16, Isaiah 60:5, 1 Kings 4:29

Teach me, LORD, the way of your statutes.I will keep them to the end.

Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.

The request to be taught the way of God's statutes comes with a promise for the long run: I will keep them to the end. It opens a section made almost entirely of requests, running through give me understanding, direct me and turn my heart to revive me in verse 40.

Also read John 6:45, 1 John 2:19-20, Psalm 119:26-27, 1 John 2:27

Give me understanding, and I will keep your law.Yes, I will obey it with my whole heart.

Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

Give me understanding, and I will keep your law. Understanding comes first and obedience follows from it. The obedience is complete, with my whole heart, a phrase that also appears in verses 2, 10, 58, 69 and 145.

Also read James 3:13-18, Psalm 119:58, Psalm 119:69, Psalm 119:73

Direct me in the path of your commandments,for I delight in them.

Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.

Direct me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in them. The speaker already wants to walk this path and asks to be guided along it. The KJV reads "Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight."

Also read Isaiah 2:3, Isaiah 48:17, Psalm 23:3, Ezekiel 36:26-27

Turn my heart toward your statutes,not toward selfish gain.

Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.

Turn my heart toward your statutes, not toward selfish gain. The verse admits the heart can be pulled two ways, and asks God to do the turning. The KJV names the rival plainly: "Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness."

Also read Psalm 141:4, 1 Kings 8:58, 2 Peter 2:14, Psalm 10:3

Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things.Revive me in your ways.

Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.

Also read Isaiah 33:15, Psalm 119:25, Matthew 5:28, Proverbs 23:5

Fulfill your promise to your servant,that you may be feared.

Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.

Fulfill your promise to your servant, that you may be feared. The speaker asks God to keep his word, and the result he names is that God will be feared. The KJV reads "Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear."

Also read 2 Samuel 7:25-29, Psalm 147:11, 2 Corinthians 1:20, Psalm 103:11

Take away my disgrace that I dread,for your ordinances are good.

Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good.

Also read Psalm 57:3, Psalm 119:43, Revelation 19:2, 1 Timothy 3:7

Behold, I long for your precepts!Revive me in your righteousness.

Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.

Behold, I long for your precepts, the speaker says, and asks to be revived in God's righteousness. The run of requests that began at verse 33 ends with longing and a plea for new life. The KJV has "quicken me in thy righteousness" where the WEB has revive me.

Also read Matthew 26:41, 2 Corinthians 7:1, John 10:10, Psalm 119:156

Let your loving kindness also come to me, LORD,your salvation, according to your word.

Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word.

Let your loving kindness come to me, LORD, your salvation, according to your word. Loving kindness and salvation are asked for together, and both rest on what God has already said. The section it opens, verses 41 to 48, goes on to speaking, walking in liberty and delight.

Also read Psalm 119:132, Psalm 119:76-77, Luke 2:28-32, Psalm 106:4-5

So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me,for I trust in your word.

So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word.

So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me, for I trust in your word. The speaker expects the help asked for in verse 41 to give him something to say to his accuser. The ground of that answer is trust in God's word.

Also read Psalm 3:2, Psalm 119:74, Matthew 27:40-43, Psalm 56:4

Don’t snatch the word of truth out of my mouth,for I put my hope in your ordinances.

And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments.

Also read Psalm 119:175, Psalm 9:16, Isaiah 59:21, Psalm 119:13

So I will obey your law continually,forever and ever.

So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever.

Also read Psalm 119:33-34, Revelation 7:15, Revelation 22:11

I will walk in liberty,for I have sought your precepts.

And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.

I will walk in liberty, for I have sought your precepts. The verse links seeking God's precepts with freedom, echoing verse 32, where God has set the speaker's heart free. The KJV reads "And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts."

Also read Luke 4:18, Ecclesiastes 1:13, John 8:30-36, Proverbs 4:12

I will also speak of your statutes before kings,and will not be disappointed.

I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.

Also read Acts 26:1-2, Daniel 4:25-27, Mark 8:38, Philippians 1:20

I will delight myself in your commandments,because I love them.

And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.

I will delight myself in your commandments, because I love them. The words are delight and love, not duty or fear. Verse 48 carries the thought on, with hands reaching out for the commandments he loves.

Also read John 4:34, Romans 7:16, Psalm 19:7-10, Psalm 119:127

I reach out my hands for your commandments, which I love.I will meditate on your statutes.

My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.

I reach out my hands for your commandments, which I love. The body joins the heart as hands reach out toward what is loved, and the section closes with meditation on God's statutes. The KJV reads "My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments."

Also read John 13:17, Matthew 7:21, James 1:22-25, Psalm 10:12

Remember your word to your servant,because you gave me hope.

Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.

Remember your word to your servant, because you gave me hope. The speaker asks God to remember what he said, since that word is what gave him hope in the first place. The KJV reads "upon which thou hast caused me to hope."

Also read Genesis 32:9, Isaiah 62:6, Romans 15:13, Psalm 106:45

This is my comfort in my affliction,for your word has revived me.

This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.

This is my comfort in my affliction, for your word has revived me. The affliction is real, and the comfort comes from having been given life by God's word. The KJV reads "This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me."

Also read Hebrews 6:17-19, Ezekiel 37:10, Psalm 42:11, James 1:18

The arrogant mock me excessively,but I don’t swerve from your law.

The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy law.

Also read Acts 20:23-24, Psalm 119:157, Luke 16:14-15, Jeremiah 20:7

I remember your ordinances of old, LORD,and have comforted myself.

I remembered thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself.

Also read Psalm 143:5, Psalm 103:18, Deuteronomy 4:3-4, Psalm 105:5

Indignation has taken hold on me,because of the wicked who forsake your law.

Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.

Also read Luke 19:41-42, 2 Corinthians 12:21, Ezra 9:14, Philippians 3:18

Your statutes have been my songsin the house where I live.

Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.

Also read Psalm 89:1, Psalm 10:1, Genesis 47:9, Hebrews 11:13-16

I have remembered your name, LORD, in the night,and I obey your law.

I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law.

I have remembered your name, LORD, in the night, and I obey your law. Night is a time the psalm returns to, with midnight thanks in verse 62 and wakeful night watches in verse 148. Here remembering God's name goes hand in hand with keeping his law.

Also read Psalm 139:18, Isaiah 26:9, Genesis 32:24-28, Job 35:9-10

This is my way,that I keep your precepts.

This I had, because I kept thy precepts.

This is my way, that I keep your precepts. The verse is a short summary of how the speaker lives. The KJV reads differently, "This I had, because I kept thy precepts," which points back to what he has described in the verses before.

Also read Psalm 18:18-22, Psalm 119:165, 1 John 3:19-24

The LORD is my portion.I promised to obey your words.

Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy words.

The LORD is my portion, the speaker says, naming God himself as his share, and his response is a promise to obey God's words. The KJV reads "Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy words."

Also read Psalm 16:5, Joshua 24:24-27, Joshua 24:15, Joshua 24:18

I sought your favor with my whole heart.Be merciful to me according to your word.

I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word.

The speaker has sought God's favor with his whole heart, yet what he asks for is mercy, not reward. The appeal rests on God's word, according to your word, as so many requests in the psalm do. The KJV reads "I intreated thy favour with my whole heart."

Also read Psalm 4:6, Psalm 86:1-3, Hosea 7:14, Psalm 119:76

I considered my ways,and turned my steps to your statutes.

I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.

I considered my ways, and turned my steps to your statutes. The verse puts a change of direction in plain terms: first reflection, then turning. The KJV reads "I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies."

Also read Jeremiah 8:4-6, Jeremiah 31:18-19, Joel 2:13, Haggai 1:7

I will hurry, and not delay,to obey your commandments.

I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.

I will hurry, and not delay, to obey your commandments. After the thinking of verse 59 comes action, and saying it twice, hurry and not delay, stresses the urgency. The KJV has "I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments."

Also read Ecclesiastes 9:10, Galatians 1:16, Psalm 95:7-8, Ezekiel 10:6-8

The ropes of the wicked bind me,but I won’t forget your law.

The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law.

Also read Hosea 6:9, 1 Samuel 30:3-5, Psalm 119:95, Psalm 140:5

At midnight I will rise to give thanks to you,because of your righteous ordinances.

At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.

At midnight I will rise to give thanks to you, because of your righteous ordinances. Thanks is given in the middle of the night, not only by day. Verse 61 has just described the ropes of the wicked binding the speaker, so the thanks rises out of trouble.

Also read Psalm 42:8, Mark 1:35, Psalm 119:7, Psalm 119:75

I am a friend of all those who fear you,of those who observe your precepts.

I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.

I am a friend of all those who fear you, of those who observe your precepts. The psalm is mostly one voice, but here the speaker names his companions, and they are marked out by reverence for God. The KJV reads "I am a companion of all them that fear thee."

Also read Proverbs 13:20, Psalm 142:7, 2 Corinthians 6:14-17, Psalm 119:115

The earth is full of your loving kindness, LORD.Teach me your statutes.

The earth, O LORD, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes.

The view widens to the whole earth, full of God's loving kindness, and then narrows again to the familiar request: teach me your statutes. The section that began at verse 57 ends here. The KJV reads "The earth, O LORD, is full of thy mercy."

Also read Psalm 27:11, Matthew 11:29, Psalm 145:9, Psalm 119:12

You have treated your servant well,according to your word, LORD.

Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word.

You have treated your servant well, according to your word, LORD. The section opens by looking back and finding that God kept his word. Good and well come back again and again in verses 65 to 72, and the KJV reads "Thou hast dealt well with thy servant."

Also read Psalm 18:35, Psalm 13:6, 1 Chronicles 29:14, Psalm 116:7

Teach me good judgment and knowledge,for I believe in your commandments.

Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.

Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments. The speaker asks for good judgment because he already trusts the commandments, so belief comes before understanding here. The KJV reads "for I have believed thy commandments."

Also read Psalm 119:34, Psalm 119:172, Proverbs 8:20, Proverbs 2:1-9

Before I was afflicted, I went astray;but now I observe your word.

Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

Before I was afflicted, I went astray; but now I observe your word. The speaker looks back honestly: before the trouble he wandered, and now he keeps God's word. Verse 71 takes the thought further, calling the affliction good for him because it taught him.

Also read Deuteronomy 32:15, Hosea 2:6-7, Psalm 73:5-28, Jeremiah 22:21

You are good, and do good.Teach me your statutes.

Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.

You are good, and do good. Teach me your statutes. The prayer is short and rests on God's character, both what he is and what he does.

Also read Psalm 86:5, Matthew 5:45, Exodus 34:6-7, Isaiah 63:7

The proud have smeared a lie upon me.With my whole heart, I will keep your precepts.

The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.

Also read Psalm 35:11, Psalm 119:157, Psalm 119:51, Job 13:4

Their heart is as callous as the fat,but I delight in your law.

Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law.

Also read Psalm 17:10, Psalm 73:7, Acts 28:27, Isaiah 6:10

It is good for me that I have been afflicted,that I may learn your statutes.

It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn your statutes. The speaker calls the affliction good for him because of what it taught, a thought also found in verses 67 and 75. The KJV reads "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes."

Also read Psalm 119:67, Hebrews 12:10-11, Isaiah 27:9, Psalm 94:12-13

The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.

The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.

The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver. The section on God's goodness closes with a comparison of worth. The law is spoken, from God's own mouth, and it is valued above any amount of money.

Also read Psalm 119:111, Psalm 119:14, Proverbs 16:16, Proverbs 3:14-15

Your hands have made me and formed me.Give me understanding, that I may learn your commandments.

Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.

Your hands have made me and formed me, the speaker says, and asks for understanding to learn God's commandments. He appeals to God as his maker, asking the one who formed his body to give him understanding as well. The KJV reads "Thy hands have made me and fashioned me."

Also read 2 Chronicles 2:12, 1 Chronicles 22:12, Job 32:8, Job 10:8-11

Those who fear you will see me and be glad,because I have put my hope in your word.

They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.

Those who fear you will see me and be glad, because I have put my hope in your word. The speaker's hope is not private. Others who fear God will be glad when they see him, and the reason is that he has hoped in God's word.

Also read Psalm 119:147, Luke 21:33, Malachi 3:16, Psalm 108:7

LORD, I know that your judgments are righteous,that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

LORD, I know that your judgments are righteous, that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. The speaker places his suffering inside God's faithfulness rather than outside it. It is the plainest statement of the thought in verses 67 and 71, and verse 76 at once asks for loving kindness as comfort.

Also read Psalm 119:128, Psalm 89:30-33, Jeremiah 12:1, Psalm 25:10

Please let your loving kindness be for my comfort,according to your word to your servant.

Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.

He asks that God's loving kindness be his comfort, according to God's word to his servant. The section around it speaks openly of affliction, in verse 75 and again in verse 78.

Also read Psalm 86:5, 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, Psalm 106:4-5

Let your tender mercies come to me, that I may live;for your law is my delight.

Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.

Let your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight. The request is for mercy, and what is at stake is life itself. The reason given is delight in God's law, a word the psalm uses again and again.

Also read Psalm 1:2, Hebrews 8:10-12, Psalm 119:174, Lamentations 3:22-23

Let the proud be disappointed, for they have overthrown me wrongfully.I will meditate on your precepts.

Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.

Also read Jeremiah 50:32, 1 Samuel 24:10-12, Psalm 109:3, Psalm 1:2

Let those who fear you turn to me.They will know your statutes.

Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies.

Also read Psalm 142:7, Psalm 7:7, Psalm 119:74, Psalm 119:63

Let my heart be blameless toward your decrees,that I may not be disappointed.

Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.

Let my heart be blameless toward your decrees, that I may not be disappointed. Blameless echoes verse 1, and here the speaker asks for it in his heart, not only in his ways. The KJV reads "Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed."

Also read 2 Chronicles 25:2, 1 John 2:28, Psalm 25:21, 2 Chronicles 15:17

My soul faints for your salvation.I hope in your word.

My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.

My soul faints for your salvation, yet the speaker adds: I hope in your word. It opens verses 81 to 88, a section full of distress, and even while fainting he keeps hoping. The KJV reads "My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word."

Also read Psalm 119:42, Psalm 119:77, Psalm 119:114, Psalm 119:74

My eyes fail for your word.I say, “When will you comfort me?”

Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?

Also read Psalm 90:13-15, Psalm 86:17, Isaiah 38:11, Deuteronomy 28:32

For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke.I don’t forget your statutes.

For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.

The speaker compares himself to a wineskin in the smoke, an image set among lines about failing eyes in verse 82 and long waiting in verse 84. Even so, he adds, I don't forget your statutes. The KJV reads "For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes."

Also read Psalm 22:15, Job 30:30, Psalm 102:3-4, Psalm 119:61

How many are the days of your servant?When will you execute judgment on those who persecute me?

How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?

Also read Psalm 39:4-5, Job 7:6-8, Psalm 90:12, Revelation 6:10-11

The proud have dug pits for me,contrary to your law.

The proud have digged pits for me, which are not after thy law.

Also read Psalm 35:7, Psalm 119:78, Proverbs 16:27, Jeremiah 18:22

All of your commandments are faithful.They persecute me wrongfully.Help me!

All thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me.

Also read Psalm 119:151, Psalm 119:138, Jeremiah 18:20, Psalm 35:19

They had almost wiped me from the earth,but I didn’t forsake your precepts.

They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts.

Also read Psalm 119:51, 2 Samuel 17:16, Isaiah 58:2, 1 Samuel 24:6-7

Preserve my life according to your loving kindness,so I will obey the statutes of your mouth.

Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth.

Also read Psalm 119:40, Psalm 132:12, Psalm 78:5, Psalm 119:146

LORD, your word is settled in heaven forever.

For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

LORD, your word is settled in heaven forever. After the distress of verses 81 to 88, the psalm lifts its eyes from the speaker's troubles to God's word, fixed in heaven. The KJV reads "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven."

Also read Matthew 5:18, Psalm 119:160, 1 Peter 1:25, Psalm 89:2

Your faithfulness is to all generations.You have established the earth, and it remains.

Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.

Also read 2 Peter 3:5-7, Psalm 104:5, Psalm 89:1-2, Psalm 100:5

Your laws remain to this day,for all things serve you.

They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants.

Also read Joshua 10:12-13, Psalm 148:5-6, Isaiah 48:13, Genesis 8:22

Unless your law had been my delight,I would have perished in my affliction.

Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.

Unless your law had been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. The speaker credits delight in God's law with keeping him alive through suffering. It is one of the psalm's plainest statements of what the law has meant to him personally.

Also read Proverbs 6:22-23, Romans 15:4, Psalm 119:77, Psalm 27:13

I will never forget your precepts,for with them, you have revived me.

I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me.

I will never forget your precepts, for with them, you have revived me. The promise to remember rests on experience, since the precepts were the means by which God gave him life. The KJV reads "for with them thou hast quickened me."

Also read Psalm 119:50, 1 Peter 1:23, John 6:63, Psalm 119:16

I am yours.Save me, for I have sought your precepts.

I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts.

Also read Isaiah 41:8-10, Psalm 86:2, Joshua 10:4-6, Zephaniah 3:17

The wicked have waited for me, to destroy me.I will consider your statutes.

The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: but I will consider thy testimonies.

Also read Psalm 119:69, Psalm 119:31, Psalm 119:61, Psalm 37:32

I have seen a limit to all perfection,but your commands are boundless.

I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad.

I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commands are boundless. Everything else the speaker has seen, even the best, has an end, and God's commandments have none. The KJV reads "I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad."

Also read Matthew 5:28, Ecclesiastes 2:11, 1 Samuel 17:8, Matthew 24:35

How I love your law!It is my meditation all day.

O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

How I love your law. It is my meditation all day. The King James Version has "O how love I thy law", and the verse describes the law as something thought about constantly, not only obeyed.

Also read Psalm 119:127, Proverbs 2:10, Proverbs 18:1, Joshua 1:8

Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,for your commandments are always with me.

Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.

Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for your commandments are always with me. The wisdom comes from keeping the commandments close all the time. It begins a run of comparisons: wiser than enemies here, then teachers in verse 99, then the aged in verse 100.

Also read 1 Samuel 18:14, Psalm 119:11, Colossians 3:16, James 1:25

I have more understanding than all my teachers,for your testimonies are my meditation.

I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.

I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. The reason given is meditation on God's testimonies rather than cleverness. It sits between verse 98, wiser than enemies, and verse 100, more understanding than the aged.

Also read 2 Chronicles 30:22, Jeremiah 2:8, Matthew 11:25, Matthew 15:6-9

I understand more than the aged,because I have kept your precepts.

I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.

Also read Matthew 7:24, Job 28:28, Jeremiah 8:8-9, Job 32:4

I have kept my feet from every evil way,that I might observe your word.

I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.

Also read Isaiah 55:7, Psalm 119:104, 1 Peter 2:1-2, Proverbs 1:15

I have not turned away from your ordinances,for you have taught me.

I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.

Also read Ephesians 4:20-24, Jeremiah 32:40, 1 John 2:27, 1 John 2:19

How sweet are your promises to my taste,more than honey to my mouth!

How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

How sweet are your promises to my taste, more than honey to my mouth. The psalm moves from thinking about God's word to tasting it, and the word is found sweeter than honey. The KJV reads "How sweet are thy words unto my taste" and goes on, sweeter than honey to my mouth.

Also read Proverbs 3:17, Psalm 19:10, Psalm 63:5, Job 23:12

Through your precepts, I get understanding;therefore I hate every false way.

Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

Through your precepts, I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Understanding leads to a clear rejection, and once the speaker sees what is true, falseness becomes something he hates. Verse 128 ends with the same words: I hate every false way.

Also read Psalm 101:3, Proverbs 8:13, Psalm 119:98, Romans 12:9

Your word is a lamp to my feet,and a light for my path.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. A lamp at the feet lights the next step rather than the whole road. The King James Version reads "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path".

Also read Proverbs 6:23, Psalm 18:28, 2 Peter 1:19, Job 29:3

I have sworn, and have confirmed it,that I will obey your righteous ordinances.

I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.

I have sworn, and have confirmed it, that I will obey your righteous ordinances. The speaker makes a solemn promise and then confirms it, binding himself twice. The KJV reads "I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments."

Also read Psalm 119:115, Psalm 56:12, 2 Corinthians 8:5, 2 Chronicles 15:13-14

I am afflicted very much.Revive me, LORD, according to your word.

I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word.

I am afflicted very much, the speaker says, and asks to be revived according to God's word. The light on the path in verse 105 does not remove the affliction, and he says so plainly. The KJV reads "quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word."

Also read Psalm 22:14-18, Psalm 143:11, Psalm 6:1, Psalm 34:19

Accept, I beg you, the willing offerings of my mouth.LORD, teach me your ordinances.

Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me thy judgments.

Also read Hebrews 13:15, Psalm 119:12, Numbers 29:39, Psalm 119:130

My soul is continually in my hand,yet I won’t forget your law.

My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.

My soul is continually in my hand, yet I won't forget your law. The next verse suggests what this means, since the wicked have laid a snare and his life is always at risk. The KJV reads "My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law."

Also read 1 Samuel 19:5, Judges 12:3, 1 Samuel 20:3, 2 Corinthians 11:23

The wicked have laid a snare for me,yet I haven’t gone astray from your precepts.

The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.

Also read Psalm 119:51, Psalm 141:9, Daniel 6:10, Psalm 119:10

I have taken your testimonies as a heritage forever,for they are the joy of my heart.

Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart.

I have taken your testimonies as a heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. The speaker counts God's testimonies as his lasting inheritance, and the reason he gives is joy. The KJV has "the rejoicing of my heart."

Also read Acts 26:18, Psalm 119:92, Deuteronomy 33:4, Psalm 119:127

I have set my heart to perform your statutes forever,even to the end.

I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.

I have set my heart to perform your statutes forever, even to the end. The section closes by echoing verse 33, where the speaker promised to keep God's statutes to the end, and the heart here is set, a settled decision. The KJV reads "I have inclined mine heart."

Also read Revelation 2:10, Psalm 119:44, 1 Peter 1:13, Philippians 2:13

I hate double-minded men,but I love your law.

I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.

I hate double-minded men, but I love your law. The contrast is between divided loyalty and a single love. The KJV reads differently, "I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love," which moves the problem from other people to empty thinking.

Also read Jeremiah 4:14, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Psalm 119:97, Psalm 94:11

You are my hiding place and my shield.I hope in your word.

Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.

God is called a hiding place and a shield, and the speaker puts his hope in God's word. Protection and hope sit side by side in one line.

Also read Psalm 84:11, Psalm 32:7, Psalm 130:5-6, Isaiah 32:2

Depart from me, you evildoers,that I may keep the commandments of my God.

Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.

Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God. The speaker sends away those who do evil, and the reason he gives is that he may keep the commandments. This is the only verse in the psalm that calls God my God.

Also read Psalm 6:8, Psalm 26:5, Psalm 139:19, 1 Corinthians 15:33

Uphold me according to your word, that I may live.Let me not be ashamed of my hope.

Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.

Uphold me according to your word, that I may live, the speaker asks, and let me not be ashamed of my hope. He fears that his hope might be shown to be empty. Verse 117 repeats the request: hold me up, and I will be safe.

Also read Psalm 63:8, Psalm 94:18, Psalm 37:17, Psalm 25:2

Hold me up, and I will be safe,and will have respect for your statutes continually.

Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually.

Also read Isaiah 41:13, Romans 14:4, 1 Peter 1:5, Psalm 119:48

You reject all those who stray from your statutes,for their deceit is in vain.

Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood.

Also read Psalm 119:21, Psalm 119:29, Isaiah 63:3, Ephesians 5:6

You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross.Therefore I love your testimonies.

Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies.

Also read Matthew 3:12, Psalm 119:126-128, Psalm 119:111, Ezekiel 22:18-22

My flesh trembles for fear of you.I am afraid of your judgments.

My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.

My flesh trembles for fear of you, the speaker says, and I am afraid of your judgments. After God puts away the wicked like dross in verse 119, the response is trembling. In this psalm love for God's law sits alongside real fear of God.

Also read Habakkuk 3:16, Leviticus 10:1-3, Hebrews 12:21, 1 Samuel 6:20

I have done what is just and righteous.Don’t leave me to my oppressors.

I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine oppressors.

Also read Psalm 57:3-4, 2 Peter 2:9, Psalm 18:20-24, Acts 21:16

Ensure your servant’s well-being.Don’t let the proud oppress me.

Be surety for thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me.

Also read Philemon 1:18-19, Genesis 43:9, Hebrews 7:22, Job 17:3

My eyes fail looking for your salvation,for your righteous word.

Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the word of thy righteousness.

Also read Psalm 69:3, Psalm 143:7, Psalm 130:6, Lamentations 4:17

Deal with your servant according to your loving kindness.Teach me your statutes.

Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy, and teach me thy statutes.

Also read Luke 18:13, Psalm 103:10, 2 Timothy 1:16-18, Psalm 69:16

I am your servant. Give me understanding,that I may know your testimonies.

I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.

I am your servant, the speaker says, and on that ground asks for understanding to know God's testimonies. Servant is one of the psalm's recurring words for the speaker, as in verses 17, 23, 49 and 65.

Also read Psalm 119:94, Psalm 119:11, Psalm 119:66, Psalm 86:16

It is time to act, LORD,for they break your law.

It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law.

It is time to act, LORD, for they break your law. The speaker urges God to act, and gives as his reason that others break his law. The KJV reads "It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law."

Also read Genesis 22:10-11, Romans 3:31, Psalm 102:13, Jeremiah 8:8

Therefore I love your commandments more than gold,yes, more than pure gold.

Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.

Also read Proverbs 16:16, Proverbs 3:13-18, Proverbs 8:11, Matthew 13:45-46

Therefore I consider all of your precepts to be right.I hate every false way.

Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.

Also read Job 33:27, Romans 7:22, Romans 7:14, Psalm 119:104

Your testimonies are wonderful,therefore my soul keeps them.

Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.

Also read Psalm 119:2, Psalm 119:31, Revelation 19:10, Psalm 119:18

The entrance of your words gives light.It gives understanding to the simple.

The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

The entrance of your words gives light, and it gives understanding to the simple. When God's words come in, light comes with them, and the ones who gain understanding are the simple. The KJV reads "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple."

Also read 2 Corinthians 4:4, Proverbs 1:22-23, Proverbs 9:4-6, Proverbs 6:23

I opened my mouth wide and panted,for I longed for your commandments.

I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.

Also read Psalm 119:162, 1 Peter 2:2, Psalm 119:174, Psalm 81:10

Turn to me, and have mercy on me,as you always do to those who love your name.

Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.

Also read Isaiah 63:7-9, Psalm 106:4, Exodus 4:31, 1 Samuel 1:11

Establish my footsteps in your word.Don’t let any iniquity have dominion over me.

Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

Establish my footsteps in your word, the speaker asks, and don't let any iniquity have dominion over me. He wants steady steps and fears being ruled by wrongdoing. The KJV reads "Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me."

Also read Psalm 17:5, Psalm 121:3, Psalm 119:116, Romans 6:12-14

Redeem me from the oppression of man,so I will observe your precepts.

Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts.

Also read Acts 9:31, Psalm 56:13, Ezekiel 11:17-20, Psalm 56:1-2

Make your face shine on your servant.Teach me your statutes.

Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes.

Make your face shine on your servant, the speaker asks, and teach me your statutes. God's shining face is a picture of favor turned toward him, paired again with the psalm's steady request to be taught. The KJV reads "Make thy face to shine upon thy servant."

Also read Psalm 119:12, Psalm 80:7, Psalm 80:1, Job 33:26

Streams of tears run down my eyes,because they don’t observe your law.

Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.

Streams of tears run down my eyes, because they don't observe your law. The speaker's grief here is not for his own trouble but for others who ignore God's law. The KJV reads "Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law."

Also read Jeremiah 13:17, Jeremiah 9:1, Ezekiel 9:4, Luke 19:41

You are righteous, LORD.Your judgments are upright.

Righteous art thou, O LORD, and upright are thy judgments.

You are righteous, LORD, and your judgments are upright. This opens verses 137 to 144, a section that keeps returning to righteousness, and it says it first of God himself, then of his judgments. The KJV reads "Righteous art thou, O LORD."

Also read Jeremiah 12:1, Romans 3:5-6, Revelation 19:2, Psalm 99:4

You have commanded your statutes in righteousness.They are fully trustworthy.

Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful.

Also read Psalm 119:144, Deuteronomy 4:8, Psalm 119:86, Psalm 19:7-9

My zeal wears me out,because my enemies ignore your words.

My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.

Also read Psalm 69:9, Acts 13:27, Matthew 21:42, Psalm 53:4

Your promises have been thoroughly tested,and your servant loves them.

Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.

Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them. The speaker loves God's promises because they have proved true under testing. The KJV reads "Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it."

Also read Psalm 12:6, 1 Peter 2:2, Romans 7:22, 2 Peter 1:21

I am small and despised.I don’t forget your precepts.

I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.

Also read Isaiah 53:3, Proverbs 16:8, Proverbs 15:16, Psalm 119:109

Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness.Your law is truth.

Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.

Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your law is truth. God's righteousness has no end, and his law is truth itself. Verse 151 says the same of the commandments, and verse 160 of all his words.

Also read Psalm 119:151, Isaiah 51:8, John 17:17, Isaiah 51:6

Trouble and anguish have taken hold of me.Your commandments are my delight.

Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights.

Trouble and anguish have taken hold of me, the speaker says, yet your commandments are my delight. The two statements stand side by side without the trouble being solved. The KJV reads "yet thy commandments are my delights."

Also read Psalm 88:3-18, Mark 14:33-34, Psalm 116:3, Psalm 18:4-5

Your testimonies are righteous forever.Give me understanding, that I may live.

The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.

Also read Matthew 5:18, Isaiah 27:11, Psalm 19:9, John 17:3

I have called with my whole heart.Answer me, LORD!I will keep your statutes.

I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes.

I have called with my whole heart, the speaker says, asking the LORD to answer and promising to keep his statutes. The prayer opens verses 145 to 152, which are full of calling out, before dawn and through the night. The KJV reads "I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD."

Also read Psalm 119:106, Psalm 61:1-2, Psalm 142:1-2, Psalm 119:115

I have called to you. Save me!I will obey your statutes.

I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies.

Also read Titus 2:14, Judges 10:15-16, Matthew 1:21, Psalm 119:134

I rise before dawn and cry for help.I put my hope in your words.

I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.

I rise before dawn and cry for help, the speaker says, and I put my hope in your words. Prayer begins before the day does, and verse 148 carries it on through the night. The KJV reads "I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word."

Also read Psalm 57:8, Psalm 56:4, Isaiah 26:9, Psalm 42:8

My eyes stay open through the night watches,that I might meditate on your word.

Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.

My eyes stay open through the night watches, that I might meditate on your word. Verse 147 had prayer before dawn, and here meditation keeps the speaker awake at night. The KJV reads "Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word."

Also read Luke 6:12, Psalm 63:1, Psalm 139:17-18, Psalm 119:62

Hear my voice according to your loving kindness.Revive me, LORD, according to your ordinances.

Hear my voice according unto thy lovingkindness: O LORD, quicken me according to thy judgment.

Also read Psalm 64:1, Psalm 69:16, Psalm 5:2-3, Psalm 55:2

They draw near who follow after wickedness.They are far from your law.

They draw nigh that follow after mischief: they are far from thy law.

Also read Proverbs 1:7, Job 21:14, Psalm 22:11-13, 1 Samuel 23:16

You are near, LORD.All your commandments are truth.

Thou art near, O LORD; and all thy commandments are truth.

Also read Psalm 34:18, Psalm 139:2, Matthew 1:23, Psalm 119:142

Of old I have known from your testimonies,that you have founded them forever.

Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.

Also read Luke 21:33, Psalm 119:144, Psalm 119:160, Psalm 89:34-37

Consider my affliction, and deliver me,for I don’t forget your law.

Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law.

Also read Psalm 119:159, Nehemiah 9:32, Psalm 119:109, Exodus 3:7-8

Plead my cause, and redeem me!Revive me according to your promise.

Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word.

Also read Jeremiah 11:20, 1 John 2:1, Psalm 119:40, Job 5:8

Salvation is far from the wicked,for they don’t seek your statutes.

Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes.

Also read Job 5:4, Romans 3:11, Job 21:14-15, Luke 16:24

Great are your tender mercies, LORD.Revive me according to your ordinances.

Great are thy tender mercies, O LORD: quicken me according to thy judgments.

Also read Psalm 51:1, Isaiah 55:7, Psalm 86:13, Psalm 86:5

Many are my persecutors and my adversaries.I haven’t swerved from your testimonies.

Many are my persecutors and mine enemies; yet do I not decline from thy testimonies.

Also read Psalm 118:10-12, Psalm 56:2, Matthew 26:47, Job 23:11

I look at the faithless with loathing,because they don’t observe your word.

I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word.

Also read Psalm 139:21, Ezekiel 9:4, Mark 3:5, Psalm 119:136

Consider how I love your precepts.Revive me, LORD, according to your loving kindness.

Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness.

Also read Psalm 119:97, Psalm 119:153, 2 Kings 20:3, Nehemiah 13:22

All of your words are truth.Every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever.

Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

All of your words are truth, and every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever. The verse makes two sweeping claims: all God's words are true, and every one of his judgments lasts. The KJV reads "Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever."

Also read Psalm 119:144, Psalm 119:138, Psalm 119:152, Psalm 119:86

Princes have persecuted me without a cause,but my heart stands in awe of your words.

Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.

Also read Psalm 119:23, Psalm 4:4, 1 Samuel 24:9-15, Genesis 39:9

I rejoice at your word,as one who finds great plunder.

I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.

I rejoice at your word, as one who finds great plunder. The joy is compared with finding spoil, a gain of great value. The KJV reads "I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil."

Also read 1 Samuel 30:16, Isaiah 9:3, Jeremiah 15:16, Proverbs 16:19

I hate and abhor falsehood.I love your law.

I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.

Also read Psalm 101:7, Amos 5:15, Psalm 119:128, Revelation 22:15

Seven times a day, I praise you,because of your righteous ordinances.

Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.

Seven times a day, I praise you, because of your righteous ordinances. Praise comes back again and again through the day. It fits a psalm that also speaks of midnight thanks in verse 62 and prayer before dawn in verse 147.

Also read Psalm 55:17, Psalm 97:8, Psalm 119:62, Psalm 48:11

Those who love your law have great peace.Nothing causes them to stumble.

Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

Those who love your law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble. Love of God's law brings peace and steady footing. The KJV reads "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them," where the WEB has causes them to stumble.

Also read Galatians 6:15-16, 1 Peter 2:6-8, Proverbs 3:1-2, John 14:27

I have hoped for your salvation, LORD.I have done your commandments.

LORD, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.

Also read Psalm 4:5, Psalm 119:81, John 7:17, Psalm 24:3-5

My soul has observed your testimonies.I love them exceedingly.

My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.

My soul has observed your testimonies, the speaker says, and I love them exceedingly. Near the end, he sums up in two short lines what the psalm has been saying all along: he keeps God's testimonies, and he loves them. The KJV reads "My soul hath kept thy testimonies."

Also read Psalm 119:97, John 14:21-24, Psalm 119:111, Psalm 119:159

I have obeyed your precepts and your testimonies,for all my ways are before you.

I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.

Also read Psalm 139:3, Psalm 98:8, Revelation 2:23, Psalm 44:20-21

Let my cry come before you, LORD.Give me understanding according to your word.

Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.

Let my cry come before you, LORD, the last section begins, asking that the prayer reach God. What the speaker asks for is still understanding according to God's word, as it was in verses 34, 73 and 125.

Also read Daniel 2:21, Psalm 119:144-145, 1 Chronicles 22:12, Psalm 18:6

Let my supplication come before you.Deliver me according to your word.

Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.

Also read Genesis 32:9-12, Psalm 31:2, Psalm 28:2, Psalm 89:20-25

Let my lips utter praise,for you teach me your statutes.

My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.

Also read Psalm 50:23, Psalm 51:15, Psalm 71:17, Psalm 94:12

Let my tongue sing of your word,for all your commandments are righteousness.

My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.

Also read Ephesians 4:29, Psalm 119:86, Psalm 119:13, Romans 7:12

Let your hand be ready to help me,for I have chosen your precepts.

Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.

Also read Psalm 119:94, Proverbs 1:29, Psalm 37:24, Psalm 119:35

I have longed for your salvation, LORD.Your law is my delight.

I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.

Also read Psalm 119:166-167, Psalm 119:77, 2 Samuel 23:5, Psalm 1:2

Let my soul live, that I may praise you.Let your ordinances help me.

Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me.

Also read Romans 8:28, Psalm 118:18-19, Psalm 9:13-14, Isaiah 26:8-9

I have gone astray like a lost sheep.Seek your servant, for I don’t forget your commandments.

I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

I have gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I don't forget your commandments. After 175 verses of love for God's law, the psalm ends not with a claim of success but with a lost sheep asking to be found, still holding on to the commandments.

Also read Isaiah 53:6, Matthew 15:24, Galatians 4:9, Jeremiah 31:18