Psalm 107-136

GOD’S WORD Translation

² Let the people the Lord defended repeat these words.
They are the people he defended from the power of their enemies
³ and gathered from other countries,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
⁴ They wandered around the desert on a deserted road
without finding an inhabited city.
⁵ They were hungry and thirsty.
They began to lose hope.
⁶ In their distress they cried out to the Lord.
He rescued them from their troubles.
⁷ He led them on a road that went straight to an inhabited city.

⁸ Let them give thanks to the Lord because of his mercy.
He performed his miracles for Adam’s descendants.
⁹ He gave plenty to drink to those who were thirsty.
He filled those who were hungry with good food.
¹⁰ Those who lived in the dark, in death’s shadow
were prisoners in misery.
They were held in iron chains
¹¹ because they had rebelled against God’s words and had despised the advice given by the Most High.
¹² So he humbled them with hard work.
They fell down, but no one was there to help them.
¹³ In their distress they cried out to the Lord.
He saved them from their troubles.
¹⁴ He brought them out of the dark, out of death’s shadow.
He broke apart their chains.

¹⁵ Let them give thanks to the Lord because of his mercy.
He performed his miracles for Adam’s descendants.
¹⁶ He shattered bronze gates
and cut iron bars in two.
¹⁷ Fools suffered because of their disobedience
and because of their crimes.
¹⁸ All food was disgusting to them,
and they came near death’s gates.
¹⁹ In their distress they cried out to the Lord.
He saved them from their troubles.
²⁰ He sent his message and healed them.
He rescued them from the grave.

²¹ Let them give thanks to the Lord because of his mercy.
He performed his miracles for Adam’s descendants.
²² Let them bring songs of thanksgiving as their sacrifice.
Let them tell in joyful songs what he has done.
²³ Those who sail on the sea in ships,
who do business on the high seas,
²⁴ have seen what the Lord can do,
the miracles he performed in the depths of the sea.
²⁵ He spoke, and a storm began to blow,
and it made the waves rise high.
²⁶ The sailors aboard ship rose toward the sky.
They plunged into the depths.
Their courage melted in ⌞the face of⌟ disaster.
²⁷ They reeled and staggered like drunks,
and all their skills as sailors became useless.
²⁸ In their distress they cried out to the Lord.
He led them from their troubles.
²⁹ He made the storm calm down,
and the waves became still.
³⁰ The sailors were glad that the storm was quiet.
He guided them to the harbor they had longed for.

³¹ Let them give thanks to the Lord because of his mercy.
He performed his miracles for Adam’s descendants.
³² Let them glorify him when the people are gathered for worship.
Let them praise him in the company of respected leaders.
³³ He changes rivers into a desert,
springs into thirsty ground,
³⁴ and fertile ground into a layer of salt
because of the wickedness of the people living there.
³⁵ He changes deserts into lakes
and dry ground into springs.
³⁶ There he settles those who are hungry,
and they build cities to live in.
³⁷ They plant in fields and vineyards
that produce crops.
³⁸ He blesses them, and their numbers multiply,
and he does not allow a shortage of cattle.

³⁹ They became few in number and were humiliated
because of oppression, disaster, and sorrow.
⁴⁰ He poured contempt on their influential people
and made them stumble around in a pathless desert.
⁴¹ But now he lifts needy people high above suffering
and makes their families like flocks.
⁴² Decent people will see this and rejoice,
but all the wicked people will shut their mouths.

⁴³ Let those who ⌞think⌟ they are wise
pay attention to these things
so that they may understand the Lord’s blessings.

⁵ May you be honored above the heavens, O God.
Let your glory extend over the whole earth.

⁶ Save ⌞us⌟ with your powerful hand, and answer us
so that those who are dear to you may be rescued.

⁷ God has promised the following through his holiness:
“I will triumph!
I will divide Shechem.
I will measure the valley of Succoth.
⁸ Gilead is mine.
Manasseh is mine.
Ephraim is the helmet on my head.
Judah is my scepter.
⁹ Moab is my washtub.
I will throw my shoe over Edom.
I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”

¹⁰ Who will bring me into the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
¹¹ Isn’t it you, O God, who rejected us?
Isn’t it you, O God, who refused to accompany our armies?

¹² Give us help against the enemy
because human assistance is worthless.
¹³ With God we will display great strength.
He will trample our enemies.

⁶ ⌞I said,⌟ “Appoint the evil one to oppose him.
Let Satan stand beside him.
⁷ When he stands trial,
let him be found guilty.
Let his prayer be considered sinful.
⁸ Let his days be few ⌞in number⌟.
Let someone else take his position.

⁹ “Let his children become fatherless and his wife a widow.
¹⁰ Let his children wander around and beg.
Let them seek help far from their ruined homes.
¹¹ Let a creditor take everything he owns.
Let strangers steal what he has worked for.
¹² Let no one be kind to him anymore.
Let no one show any pity to his fatherless children.
¹³ Let his descendants be cut off
and their family name be wiped out by the next generation.
¹⁴ Let the Lord remember the guilt of his ancestors
and not wipe out his mother’s sin.
¹⁵ Let their guilt and sin always remain on record
in front of the Lord.
Let the Lord remove every memory of him ^[c] from the earth,
¹⁶ because he did not remember to be kind.

“He drove oppressed, needy,
and brokenhearted people to their graves.
¹⁷ He loved to put curses ⌞on others⌟,
so he, too, was cursed.
He did not like to bless ⌞others⌟,
so he never received a blessing.
¹⁸ He wore cursing as though it were clothing,
so cursing entered his body like water
and his bones like oil.
¹⁹ Let cursing be his clothing,
a belt he always wears.”

²⁰ This is how the Lord rewards those who accuse me,
those who say evil things against me.

²¹ O Lord Almighty, deal with me out of the goodness of your name.
Rescue me because of your mercy.
²² I am oppressed and needy.
I can feel the pain in my heart.
²³ I fade away like a lengthening shadow.
I have been shaken off like a grasshopper.
²⁴ My knees give way because I have been fasting.
My body has become lean, without any fat.
²⁵ I have become the victim of my enemies’ insults.
They look at me and shake their heads.
²⁶ Help me, O Lord my God.
Save me because of your mercy.
²⁷ Then they will know that this is your doing,
that you, O Lord, are the one who saved me.
²⁸ They may curse, but you will bless.
Let those who attack me be ashamed,
but let me rejoice.
²⁹ Let those who accuse me wear disgrace as though it were clothing.
Let them be wrapped in their shame as though it were a robe.

³⁰ With my mouth I will give many thanks to the Lord.
I will praise him among many people,
³¹ because he stands beside needy people
to save them from those who would condemn them to death.

² The Lord will extend your powerful scepter from Zion.
Rule your enemies who surround you.

³ Your people will volunteer when you call up your army.
Your young people will come to you in holy splendor
like dew in the early morning.^[e]

⁴ The Lord has taken an oath and will not change his mind:
“You are a priest forever, in the way Melchizedek was a priest.”

⁵ The Lord is at your right side.
He will crush kings on the day of his anger.
⁶ He will pass judgment on the nations
and fill them with dead bodies.
Throughout the earth he will crush ⌞their⌟ heads.
⁷ He will drink from the brook along the road.
He will hold his head high.

111 Hallelujah!

I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart
in the company of decent people and in the congregation.
² The Lord’s deeds are spectacular.
They should be studied by all who enjoy them.
³ His work is glorious and majestic.
His righteousness continues forever.
⁴ He has made his miracles unforgettable.
The Lord is merciful and compassionate.
⁵ He provides food for those who fear him.
He always remembers his promise.^[f]
6 He has revealed the power of his works to his people
by giving them the lands of other nations as an inheritance.
⁷ His works are done with truth and justice.
All his guiding principles are trustworthy.
⁸ They last forever and ever.
They are carried out with truth and decency.
⁹ He has sent salvation to his people.
He has ordered that his promise should continue forever.
His name is holy and terrifying.
¹⁰ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Good sense is shown by everyone who follows ⌞God’s guiding principles⌟.
His praise continues forever.

112 Hallelujah!

Blessed is the person who fears the Lord
and is happy to obey his commands.
² His descendants will grow strong on the earth.
The family of a decent person will be blessed.
³ Wealth and riches will be in his home.
His righteousness continues forever.
⁴ Light will shine in the dark for a decent person.
He is merciful, compassionate, and fair.

⁵ All goes well for the person who is generous and lends willingly.
He earns an honest living.
⁶ He will never fail.
A righteous person will always be remembered.
⁷ He is not afraid of bad news.
His heart remains secure, full of confidence in the Lord.
⁸ His heart is steady, and he is not afraid.
In the end he will look triumphantly at his enemies.
⁹ He gives freely to poor people.
His righteousness continues forever.
His head is raised in honor.
¹⁰ The wicked person sees this and becomes angry.
He angrily grits his teeth and disappears.
The hope that wicked people have will vanish.

113 Hallelujah!

You servants of the Lord, praise him.
Praise the name of the Lord.
² Thank the name of the Lord now and forever.
³ From where the sun rises to where the sun sets,
the name of the Lord should be praised.
⁴ The Lord is high above all the nations.
His glory is above the heavens.
⁵ Who is like the Lord our God?
He is seated on his high throne.
⁶ He bends down to look at heaven and earth.
⁷ He lifts the poor from the dust.
He lifts the needy from a garbage heap.
⁸ He seats them with influential people,
with the influential leaders of his people.
⁹ He makes a woman who is in a childless home
a joyful mother.

Hallelujah!

114 When Israel left Egypt,
when Jacob’s family left people who spoke a foreign language,
² Judah became his holy place and Israel became his kingdom.
³ The Red Sea looked at this and ran away.
The Jordan River turned back.
⁴ The mountains jumped like rams.
The hills jumped like lambs.
⁵ Red Sea, why did you run away?
Jordan River, what made you turn back?
⁶ Mountains, what made you jump like rams?
Hills, what made you jump like lambs?
⁷ Earth, tremble in the presence of the Lord,
in the presence of the God of Jacob.
⁸ He turns a rock into a pool filled with water
and turns flint into a spring flowing with water.

115 Don’t give glory to us, O Lord.
Don’t give glory to us.
Instead, give glory to your name
because of your mercy and faithfulness.
² Why should other nations say, “Where is their God?”
³ Our God is in heaven.
He does whatever he wants.
⁴ Their idols are made of silver and gold.
They were made by human hands.^[g]
5 They have mouths, but they cannot speak.
They have eyes, but they cannot see.
⁶ They have ears, but they cannot hear.
They have noses, but they cannot smell.
⁷ They have hands, but they cannot feel.
They have feet, but they cannot walk.
They cannot ⌞even⌟ make a sound with their throats.
⁸ Those who make idols end up like them.
So does everyone who trusts them.

⁹ Israel, trust the Lord.
He is your helper and your shield.
¹⁰ Descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord.
He is your helper and your shield.
¹¹ If you fear the Lord, trust the Lord.
He is your helper and your shield.

¹² The Lord, who is ⌞always⌟ thinking about us, will bless us.
He will bless the descendants of Israel.
He will bless the descendants of Aaron.
¹³ He will bless those who fear the Lord,
from the least important to the most important.
¹⁴ May the Lord continue to bless you and your children.
¹⁵ You will be blessed by the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
¹⁶ The highest heaven belongs to the Lord,
but he has given the earth to the descendants of Adam.
¹⁷ Those who are dead do not praise the Lord,
nor do those who go into the silence ⌞of the grave⌟.
¹⁸ But we will thank the Lord now and forever.

Hallelujah!

116 I love the Lord because he hears my voice, my pleas for mercy.
² I will call on him as long as I live
because he turns his ear toward me.
³ The ropes of death became tangled around me.
The horrors of the grave took hold of me.
I experienced pain and agony.
⁴ But I kept calling on the name of the Lord:
“Please, Lord, rescue me!”

⁵ The Lord is merciful and righteous.
Our God is compassionate.
⁶ The Lord protects defenseless people.
When I was weak, he saved me.
⁷ Be at peace again, my soul,
because the Lord has been good to you.

⁸ You saved me from death.
You saved my eyes from tears ⌞and⌟ my feet from stumbling.
⁹ I will walk in the Lord’s presence in this world of the living.
¹⁰ I kept my faith even when I said,
“I am suffering terribly.”
¹¹ I also said when I was panic-stricken,
“Everyone is undependable.”
¹² How can I repay the Lord
for all the good that he has done for me?
¹³ I will take the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord.
¹⁴ I will keep my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
¹⁵ Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his faithful ones.
¹⁶ O Lord, I am indeed your servant.
I am your servant,
the son of your female servant.
You have freed me from my chains.
¹⁷ I will bring a song of thanksgiving to you as a sacrifice.
I will call on the name of the Lord.
¹⁸ I will keep my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
¹⁹ in the courtyards of the Lord’s house,
in the middle of Jerusalem.

Hallelujah!

117 Praise the Lord, all you nations!
Praise him, all you people of the world!
² His mercy toward us is powerful.
The Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.

Hallelujah!

118 Give thanks to the Lord because he is good,
because his mercy endures forever.
² Israel should say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
³ The descendants of Aaron should say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
⁴ Those who fear the Lord should say,
“His mercy endures forever.”

⁵ During times of trouble I called on the Lord.
The Lord answered me ⌞and⌟ set me free ⌞from all of them⌟.
⁶ The Lord is on my side.
I am not afraid.
What can mortals do to me?
⁷ The Lord is on my side as my helper.
I will see ⌞the defeat of⌟ those who hate me.
⁸ It is better to depend on the Lord
than to trust mortals.
⁹ It is better to depend on the Lord
than to trust influential people.

¹⁰ All the nations surrounded me,
⌞but armed⌟ with the name of the Lord, I defeated them.
¹¹ They surrounded me. Yes, they surrounded me,
⌞but armed⌟ with the name of the Lord, I defeated them.
¹² They swarmed around me like bees,
but they were extinguished like burning thornbushes.
⌞So armed⌟ with the name of the Lord, I defeated them.
¹³ They pushed hard to make me fall,
but the Lord helped me.
¹⁴ The Lord is my strength and my song.
He is my savior.

¹⁵ The sound of joyful singing and victory is heard
in the tents of righteous people.
The right hand of the Lord displays strength.
¹⁶ The right hand of the Lord is held high.
The right hand of the Lord displays strength.
¹⁷ I will not die,
but I will live and tell what the Lord has done.
¹⁸ The Lord disciplined me severely,
but he did not allow me to be killed.

¹⁹ Open the gates of righteousness for me.
I will go through them ⌞and⌟ give thanks to the Lord.
²⁰ This is the gate of the Lord
through which righteous people will enter.

²¹ I give thanks to you,
because you have answered me.
You are my savior.
²² The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
²³ The Lord is responsible for this,
and it is amazing for us to see.
²⁴ This is the day the Lord has made.
Let’s rejoice and be glad today!
²⁵ We beg you, O Lord, save us!
We beg you, O Lord, give us success!
²⁶ Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the Lord’s house.
²⁷ The Lord is God, and he has given us light.
March in a festival procession
with branches to the horns of the altar.
²⁸ You are my God, and I give thanks to you.
My God, I honor you highly.

²⁹ Give thanks to the Lord because he is good,
because his mercy endures forever.

119 Blessed are those whose lives have integrity,
those who follow the teachings of the Lord.
² Blessed are those who obey his written instructions.
They wholeheartedly search for him.
³ They do nothing wrong.
They follow his directions.
⁴ You have commanded
that your guiding principles be carefully followed.
⁵ I pray that my ways may become firmly established
so that I can obey your laws.
⁶ Then I will never feel ashamed
when I study all your commandments.
⁷ I will give thanks to you
as I learn your regulations, which are based on your righteousness.
⁸ I will obey your laws.
Never abandon me.

⁹ How can a young person keep his life pure?
⌞He can do it⌟ by holding on to your word.
¹⁰ I wholeheartedly searched for you.
Do not let me wander away from your commandments.
¹¹ I have treasured your promise in my heart
so that I may not sin against you.
¹² Thanks be to you, O Lord.
Teach me your laws.
¹³ With my lips I have repeated
every regulation that ⌞comes⌟ from your mouth.
¹⁴ I find joy in the way ⌞shown by⌟ your written instructions
more than I find joy in all kinds of riches.
¹⁵ I want to reflect on your guiding principles
and study your ways.
¹⁶ Your laws make me happy.
I never forget your word.

¹⁷ Be kind to me so that I may live
and hold on to your word.
¹⁸ Uncover my eyes
so that I may see the miraculous things in your teachings.
¹⁹ I am a foreigner in this world.
Do not hide your commandments from me.
²⁰ My soul is overwhelmed with endless longing for your regulations.
²¹ You threaten arrogant people, who are condemned
and wander away from your commandments.
²² Remove the insults and contempt that have fallen on me
because I have obeyed your written instructions.
²³ Even though influential people plot against me,
I reflect on your laws.
²⁴ Indeed, your written instructions make me happy.
They are my best friends.

²⁵ I am close to death.
Give me a new life as you promised.
²⁶ I told you what I have done, and you answered me.
Teach me your laws.
²⁷ Help me understand your guiding principles
so that I may reflect on your miracles.
²⁸ I am drowning in tears.
Strengthen me as you promised.
²⁹ Turn me away from a life of lies.
Graciously provide me with your teachings.
³⁰ I have chosen a life of faithfulness.
I have set your regulations in front of me.
³¹ I have clung tightly to your written instructions.
O Lord, do not let me be put to shame.
³² I will eagerly pursue your commandments
because you continue to increase my understanding.

³³ Teach me, O Lord, how to live by your laws,
and I will obey them to the end.
³⁴ Help me understand so that I can follow your teachings.
I will guard them with all my heart.
³⁵ Lead me on the path of your commandments,
because I am happy with them.
³⁶ Direct my heart toward your written instructions
rather than getting rich in underhanded ways.
³⁷ Turn my eyes away from worthless things.
Give me a new life in your ways.
³⁸ Keep your promise to me
so that I can fear you.
³⁹ Take away insults, which I dread,
because your regulations are good.
⁴⁰ I long for your guiding principles.
Give me a new life in your righteousness.

⁴¹ Let your blessings reach me, O Lord.
Save me as you promised.
⁴² Then I will have an answer for the one who insults me
since I trust your word.
⁴³ Do not take so much as a single word of truth from my mouth.
My hope is based on your regulations.
⁴⁴ I will follow your teachings forever and ever.
⁴⁵ I will walk around freely
because I sought out your guiding principles.
⁴⁶ I will speak about your written instructions in the presence of kings
and not feel ashamed.
⁴⁷ Your commandments, which I love, make me happy.
⁴⁸ I lift my hands ⌞in prayer⌟ because of your commandments,
which I love.
I will reflect on your laws.

⁴⁹ Remember the word ⌞you gave⌟ me.
Through it you gave me hope.
⁵⁰ This is my comfort in my misery:
Your promise gave me a new life.
⁵¹ Arrogant people have mocked me with cruelty,
yet I have not turned away from your teachings.
⁵² I remembered your regulations from long ago, O Lord,
and I found comfort ⌞in them⌟.
⁵³ I am burning with anger because of wicked people,
who abandon your teachings.
⁵⁴ Your laws have become like psalms to me
in this place where I am only a foreigner.
⁵⁵ At night I remember your name, O Lord,
and I follow your teachings.
⁵⁶ This has happened to me
because I have obeyed your guiding principles.

⁵⁷ You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I promised to hold on to your words.
⁵⁸ With all my heart I want to win your favor.
Be kind to me as you promised.
⁵⁹ I have thought about my life,
and I have directed my feet back to your written instructions.
⁶⁰ Without any hesitation I hurry to obey your commandments.
⁶¹ ⌞Though⌟ the ropes of wicked people are tied around me,
I never forget your teachings.
⁶² At midnight I wake up to give thanks to you
for the regulations, which are based on your righteousness.
⁶³ I am a friend to everyone who fears you
and to everyone who follows your guiding principles.
⁶⁴ Your mercy, O Lord, fills the earth.
Teach me your laws.

⁶⁵ You have treated me well, O Lord,
as you promised.
⁶⁶ Teach me ⌞to use⌟ good judgment and knowledge,
because I believe in your commandments.
⁶⁷ Before you made me suffer, I used to wander off,
but now I hold on to your word.
⁶⁸ You are good, and you do good things.
Teach me your laws.
⁶⁹ Arrogant people have smeared me with lies,
⌞yet⌟ I obey your guiding principles with all my heart.
⁷⁰ Their hearts are cold and insensitive,
⌞yet⌟ I am happy with your teachings.
⁷¹ It was good that I had to suffer
in order to learn your laws.
⁷² The teachings ⌞that come⌟ from your mouth are worth more to me
than thousands in gold or silver.

⁷³ Your hands created me and made me what I am.
Help me understand so that I may learn your commandments.
⁷⁴ Those who fear you will see me and rejoice,
because my hope is based on your word.
⁷⁵ I know that your regulations are fair, O Lord,
and that you were right to make me suffer.
⁷⁶ Let your mercy comfort me
as you promised.
⁷⁷ Let your compassion reach me so that I may live,
because your teachings make me happy.
⁷⁸ Let arrogant people be put to shame
because they lied about me,
⌞yet⌟ I reflect on your guiding principles.
⁷⁹ Let those who fear you turn to me
so that they can come to know your written instructions.
⁸⁰ Let my heart be filled with integrity in regard to your laws
so that I will not be put to shame.

⁸¹ My soul is weak from waiting for you to save me.
My hope is based on your word.
⁸² My eyes have become strained from looking for your promise.
I ask, “When will you comfort me?”
⁸³ Although I have become like a shriveled and dried out wineskin,
I have not forgotten your laws.
⁸⁴ What is left of my life?
When will you bring those who persecute me to justice?
⁸⁵ Arrogant people have dug pits to trap me
in defiance of your teachings.
⁸⁶ (All your commandments are reliable.)
Those people persecute me with lies. Help me!
⁸⁷ They almost wiped me off ⌞the face of⌟ the earth.
But I did not abandon your guiding principles.
⁸⁸ Give me a new life through your mercy
so that I may obey the written instructions,
⌞which came⌟ from your mouth.

⁸⁹ O Lord, your word is established in heaven forever.
⁹⁰ Your faithfulness endures throughout every generation.
You set the earth in place, and it continues to stand.
⁹¹ All things continue to stand today because of your regulations,
since they are all your servants.
⁹² If your teachings had not made me happy,
then I would have died in my misery.
⁹³ I will never forget your guiding principles,
because you gave me a new life through them.
⁹⁴ I am yours.
Save me, because I have searched for your guiding principles.
⁹⁵ The wicked people have waited for me in order to destroy me,
⌞yet⌟ I want to understand your written instructions.
⁹⁶ I have seen a limit to everything else,
⌞but⌟ your commandments have no limit.

⁹⁷ Oh, how I love your teachings!
They are in my thoughts all day long.
⁹⁸ Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
because your commandments are always with me.
⁹⁹ I have more insight than all my teachers,
because your written instructions are in my thoughts.
¹⁰⁰ I have more wisdom than those with many years of experience,
because I have obeyed your guiding principles.
¹⁰¹ I have kept my feet ⌞from walking⌟ on any evil path
in order to obey your word.
¹⁰² I have not neglected your regulations,
because you have taught me.
¹⁰³ How sweet the taste of your promise is!
It tastes sweeter than honey.
¹⁰⁴ From your guiding principles I gain understanding.
That is why I hate every path that leads to lying.

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp for my feet
and a light for my path.
¹⁰⁶ I took an oath, and I will keep it.
I took an oath to follow your regulations,
which are based on your righteousness.
¹⁰⁷ I have suffered so much.
Give me a new life, O Lord, as you promised.
¹⁰⁸ Please accept the praise I gladly give you, O Lord,
and teach me your regulations.
¹⁰⁹ I always take my life into my own hands,
but I never forget your teachings.
¹¹⁰ Wicked people have set a trap for me,
but I have never wandered away from your guiding principles.
¹¹¹ Your written instructions are mine forever.
They are the joy of my heart.
¹¹² I have decided to obey your laws.
They offer a reward that never ends.

¹¹³ I hate two-faced people,
but I love your teachings.
¹¹⁴ You are my hiding place and my shield.
My hope is based on your word.
¹¹⁵ Get away from me, you evildoers,
so that I can obey the commandments of my God.
¹¹⁶ Help me God, as you promised, so that I may live.
Do not turn my hope into disappointment.
¹¹⁷ Hold me, and I will be safe,
and I will always respect your laws.
¹¹⁸ You reject all who wander away from your laws,
because their lies mislead them.
¹¹⁹ You get rid of all wicked people on earth as if they were rubbish.
That is why I love your written instructions.
¹²⁰ My body shudders in fear of you,
and I am afraid of your regulations.

¹²¹ I have done what is fair and right.
Do not leave me at the mercy of those who oppress me.
¹²² Guarantee my well-being.
Do not let arrogant people oppress me.
¹²³ My eyes are strained from looking for you to save me
and from looking for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
¹²⁴ Treat me with kindness,
and teach me your laws.
¹²⁵ I am your servant.
Help me understand
so that I may come to know your written instructions.
¹²⁶ It is time for you to act, O Lord.^[h]
Even though people have abolished your teachings,
¹²⁷ I love your commandments more than gold, more than pure gold.
¹²⁸ I follow the straight paths of your guiding principles.
I hate every pathway that leads to lying.

¹²⁹ Your written instructions are miraculous.
That is why I obey them.
¹³⁰ Your word is a doorway that lets in light,
and it helps gullible people understand.
¹³¹ I open my mouth and pant
because I long for your commandments.
¹³² Turn toward me, and have pity on me
as you have pledged to do for those who love your name.
¹³³ Make my steps secure through your promise,
and do not let any sin control me.
¹³⁴ Save me from human oppression
so that I may obey your guiding principles.
¹³⁵ Smile on me,
and teach me your laws.
¹³⁶ Streams of tears flow from my eyes
because others do not follow your teachings.

¹³⁷ You are righteous, O Lord,
and your regulations are fair.
¹³⁸ You have issued your written instructions.
They are fair and completely dependable.
¹³⁹ My devotion ⌞for your words⌟ consumes me,
because my enemies have forgotten your words.
¹⁴⁰ Your promise has been thoroughly tested,
and I love it.
¹⁴¹ I am unimportant and despised,
⌞yet⌟ I never forget your guiding principles.
¹⁴² Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
and your teachings are reliable.
¹⁴³ Trouble and hardship have found me,
but your commandments ⌞still⌟ make me happy.
¹⁴⁴ Your written instructions are always right.
Help me understand ⌞them⌟ so that I will live.

¹⁴⁵ I have called out with all my heart. Answer me, O Lord.
I want to obey your laws.
¹⁴⁶ I have called out.
Save me, so that I can obey your written instructions.
¹⁴⁷ I got up before dawn, and I cried out for help.
My hope is based on your word.
¹⁴⁸ My eyes are wide-open throughout the nighttime hours
to reflect on your word.
¹⁴⁹ In keeping with your mercy, hear my voice.
O Lord, give me a new life guided by your regulations.
¹⁵⁰ Those who carry out plots against me are near,
⌞yet⌟ they are far away from your teachings.
¹⁵¹ You are near, O Lord,
and all your commandments are reliable.
¹⁵² Long ago I learned from your written instructions
that you made them to last forever.

¹⁵³ Look at my misery, and rescue me,
because I have never forgotten your teachings.
¹⁵⁴ Plead my case ⌞for me⌟, and save me.
Give me a new life as you promised.
¹⁵⁵ Wicked people are far from being saved,
because they have not searched for your laws.
¹⁵⁶ Your acts of compassion are many in number, O Lord.
Give me a new life guided by your regulations.
¹⁵⁷ I have many persecutors and opponents,
⌞yet⌟ I have not turned away from your written instructions.
¹⁵⁸ I have seen traitors,
and I am filled with disgust.
They have not accepted your promise.
¹⁵⁹ See how I have loved your guiding principles!
O Lord, in keeping with your mercy, give me a new life.
¹⁶⁰ There is nothing but truth in your word,
and all of your righteous regulations endure forever.

¹⁶¹ Influential people have persecuted me for no reason,
but it is only your words that fill my heart with terror.
¹⁶² I find joy in your promise
like someone who finds a priceless treasure.
¹⁶³ I hate lying; I am disgusted with it.
I love your teachings.
¹⁶⁴ Seven times a day I praise you
for your righteous regulations.
¹⁶⁵ There is lasting peace for those who love your teachings.
Nothing can make those people stumble.
¹⁶⁶ I have waited with hope for you to save me, O Lord.
I have carried out your commandments.
¹⁶⁷ I have obeyed your written instructions.
I have loved them very much.
¹⁶⁸ I have followed your guiding principles and your written instructions,
because my whole life is in front of you.

¹⁶⁹ Let my cry for help come into your presence, O Lord.
Help me understand as you promised.
¹⁷⁰ Let my plea for mercy come into your presence.
Rescue me as you promised.
¹⁷¹ Let my lips pour out praise
because you teach me your laws.
¹⁷² Let my tongue sing about your promise
because all your commandments are fair.
¹⁷³ Let your hand help me
because I have chosen ⌞to follow⌟ your guiding principles.
¹⁷⁴ I have longed for you to save me, O Lord,
and your teachings make me happy.
¹⁷⁵ Let my soul have new life so that it can praise you.
Let your regulations help me.
¹⁷⁶ I have wandered away like a lost lamb.
Search for me,
because I have never forgotten your commandments.

³ You deceitful tongue, what can the Lord give you?
What more can he do for you?
⁴ He will give you a warrior’s sharpened arrows and red-hot coals.

⁵ How horrible it is to live as a foreigner in Meshech
or to stay in the tents of Kedar.
⁶ I have lived too long with those who hate peace.
⁷ I am for peace, but when I talk about it,
they only talk about war.

⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you prosper.
⁷ May there be peace inside your walls
and prosperity in your palaces.”
⁸ For the sake of my relatives and friends, let me say,
“May it go well for you!”
⁹ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek what is good for you.

⁶ Thank the Lord, who did not let them sink their teeth into us.
⁷ We escaped like a bird caught in a hunter’s trap.
The trap was broken, and we escaped.
⁸ Our help is in the name of the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

³ A wicked ruler will not be allowed to govern
the land set aside for righteous people.
That is why righteous people do not use their power to do wrong.

⁴ Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
to those whose motives are decent.
⁵ But when people become crooked,
the Lord will lead them away with troublemakers.

Let there be peace in Israel!

³ The Lord has done spectacular things for us.
We are overjoyed.
⁴ Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
as you restore streams ⌞to dry riverbeds⌟ in the Negev.
⁵ Those who cry while they plant
will joyfully sing while they harvest.
⁶ The person who goes out weeping, carrying his bag of seed,
will come home singing, carrying his bundles of grain.

³ Children are an inheritance from the Lord.
They are a reward from him.
⁴ The children born to a man when he is young
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.
⁵ Blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them.
He will not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the city gate.

² You will certainly eat what your own hands have provided.
Blessings to you!
May things go well for you!
³ Your wife will be like a fruitful vine inside your home.
Your children will be like young olive trees around your table.
⁴ This is how the Lord will bless the person who fears him.
⁵ May the Lord bless you from Zion
so that you may see Jerusalem prospering
all the days of your life.
⁶ May you live to see your children’s children.

Let there be peace in Israel!

⁶ Now, we have heard about the ark ⌞of the promise⌟ being in Ephrathah.
We have found it in Jaar.
⁷ Let’s go to his dwelling place.
Let’s worship at his footstool.
⁸ O Lord, arise, and come to your resting place
with the ark of your power.
⁹ Clothe your priests with righteousness.
Let your godly ones sing with joy.
¹⁰ For the sake of your servant David,
do not reject your anointed one.
¹¹ The Lord swore an oath to David.
This is a truth he will not take back:
“I will set one of your own descendants on your throne.
¹² If your sons are faithful to my promise ^[i]
and my written instructions that I will teach them,
then their descendants will also sit on your throne forever.”

¹³ The Lord has chosen Zion.
He wants it for his home.
¹⁴ “This will be my resting place forever.
Here I will sit enthroned because I want Zion.
¹⁵ I will certainly bless all that Zion needs.
I will satisfy its needy people with food.
¹⁶ I will clothe its priests with salvation.
Then its godly ones will sing joyfully.
¹⁷ There I will make a horn sprout up for David.
I will prepare a lamp for my anointed one.
¹⁸ I will clothe his enemies with shame,
but the crown on my anointed one will shine.”

135 Hallelujah!

Praise the name of the Lord.
Praise him, you servants of the Lord
² who are standing in the house of the Lord,
in the courtyards of the house of our God.
³ Praise the Lord because he is good.
Make music to praise his name because his name is beautiful.
⁴ The Lord chose Jacob to be his own
and chose Israel to be his own special treasure.

⁵ I know that the Lord is great,
that our Lord is greater than all the false gods.
⁶ The Lord does whatever he wants in heaven or on earth,
on the seas or in all the depths of the oceans.
⁷ He is the one who makes the clouds rise from the ends of the earth,
who makes lightning for the thunderstorms,
and who brings wind out of his storerooms.

⁸ He is the one who killed every firstborn male in Egypt.
He killed humans and animals alike.
⁹ He sent miraculous signs and amazing things into the heart of Egypt
against Pharaoh and all his officials.
¹⁰ He is the one who defeated many nations and killed mighty kings:
¹¹ King Sihon of the Amorites,
King Og of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms in Canaan.
¹² He gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to his people Israel.
¹³ O Lord, your name endures forever.
O Lord, you will be remembered throughout every generation.
¹⁴ The Lord will provide justice for his people
and have compassion on his servants.

¹⁵ The idols of the nations are made of silver and gold.
They were made by human hands.^[j]
16 They have mouths, but they cannot speak.
They have eyes, but they cannot see.
¹⁷ They have ears, but they cannot hear.
They cannot breathe.
¹⁸ Those who make idols end up like them.
So does everyone who trusts them.

¹⁹ Descendants of Israel, praise the Lord.
Descendants of Aaron, praise the Lord.
²⁰ Descendants of Levi, praise the Lord.
You people who fear the Lord, praise the Lord.
²¹ Thank the Lord in Zion.
Thank the one who lives in Jerusalem.

Hallelujah!

136 Give thanks to the Lord because he is good,
because his mercy endures forever.
² Give thanks to the God of gods
because his mercy endures forever.
³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords
because his mercy endures forever.