Through the Bible – Day 225

₁Our LORD, you bless everyone

who lives right

and obeys your Law.

₂You bless all those

who follow your commands

from deep in their hearts

₃and who never do wrong

or turn from you.

₄You have ordered us always

to obey your teachings;

₅I don't ever want to stray

from your laws.

₆Thinking about your commands

will keep me from doing

some foolish thing.

₇I will do right and praise you

by learning to respect

your perfect laws.

₈I will obey all of them!

Don't turn your back on me.

₉Young people can live

a clean life

by obeying your word.

₁₀I worship you

with all my heart.

Don't let me walk away

from your commands.

₁₁I treasure your word

above all else;

it keeps me from sinning

against you.

₁₂I praise you, LORD!

Teach me your laws.

₁₃With my own mouth,

I tell others the laws

that you have spoken.

₁₄Obeying your instructions

brings as much happiness

as being rich.

₁₅I will study your teachings

and follow your footsteps.

₁₆I will take pleasure

in your laws

and remember your words.

₁₇Treat me with kindness, LORD,

so that I may live

and do what you say.

₁₈Open my mind

and let me discover

the wonders of your Law.

₁₉I live here as a stranger.

Don't keep me from knowing

your commands.

₂₀What I want most of all

and at all times

is to honour your laws.

₂₁You punish those boastful,

worthless nobodies who turn

from your commands.

₂₂Don't let them sneer

and insult me

for following you.

₂₃I keep thinking about

your teachings, LORD,

even if rulers plot

against me.

₂₄Your laws are my greatest joy!

I follow their advice.

₂₅I am at the point of death.

Let your teachings

breathe new life into me.

₂₆When I told you my troubles,

you answered my prayers.

Now teach me your laws.

₂₇Help me to understand

your teachings,

and I will think about

your marvellous deeds.

₂₈I am overcome with sorrow.

Encourage me,

as you have promised to do.

₂₉Keep me from being deceitful,

and be kind enough

to teach me your Law.

₃₀I am determined to be faithful

and to respect your laws.

₃₁I follow your rules, LORD.

Don't let me be ashamed.

₃₂I am eager to learn all

that you want me to do;

help me to understand

more and more.

₃₃Point out your rules to me,

and I won't disobey

even one of them.

₃₄Help me to understand your Law;

I promise to obey it

with all my heart.

₃₅Direct me by your commands!

I love to do what you say.

₃₆Make me want to obey you,

rather than to be rich.

₃₇Take away my foolish desires,

and let me find life

by walking with you.

₃₈I am your servant!

Do for me what you promised

to those who worship you.

₃₉Your wonderful teachings

protect me from the insults

that I hate so much.

₄₀I long for your teachings.

Be true to yourself

and let me live.

₄₁Show me your love

and save me, LORD,

as you have promised.

₄₂Then I will have an answer

for everyone who insults me

for trusting your word.

₄₃I rely on your laws!

Don't take away my chance

to speak your truth.

₄₄I will keep obeying your Law

for ever and ever.

₄₅I have gained perfect freedom

by following your teachings,

₄₆and I trust them so much

that I tell them to kings.

₄₇I love your commands!

They bring me happiness.

₄₈I love and respect them

and will keep them in mind.

₄₉Don't forget your promise

to me, your servant.

I depend on it.

₅₀When I am suffering,

I find comfort in your promise

that leads to life.

₅₁Conceited people sneer at me,

but I obey your Law.

₅₂I find true comfort, LORD,

because your laws have stood

the test of time.

₅₃I get furious when evil people

turn against your Law.

₅₄No matter where I am,

your teachings

fill me with songs.

₅₅Even in the night

I think about you, LORD,

and I obey your Law.

₅₆You have blessed me

because I have always followed

your teachings.

₅₇You, LORD, are my choice,

and I will obey you.

₅₈With all my heart

I beg you to be kind to me,

just as you have promised.

₅₉I pay careful attention

as you lead me,

and I follow closely.

₆₀As soon as you command,

I do what you say.

₆₁Evil people may set a trap,

but I obey your Law.

₆₂Your laws are so fair

that I wake up and praise you

in the middle of the night.

₆₃I choose as my friends

everyone who worships you

and follows your teachings.

₆₄Our LORD, your love is seen

all over the world.

Teach me your laws.

₆₅I am your servant, LORD,

and you have kept your promise

to treat me with kindness.

₆₆Give me wisdom and good sense.

I trust your commands.

₆₇Once you corrected me

for not obeying you,

but now I obey.

₆₈You are kindhearted,

and you do good things,

so teach me your laws.

₆₉My reputation is being ruined

by conceited liars,

but with all my heart

I follow your teachings.

₇₀Those liars have no sense,

but I find happiness

in your Law.

₇₁When you corrected me,

it did me good

because it taught me

to study your laws.

₇₂I would rather obey you

than have a thousand pieces

of silver and gold.

₇₃You created me

and put me together.

Make me wise enough to learn

what you have commanded.

₇₄Your worshippers will see me,

and they will be glad

that I trust your word.

₇₅Your decisions are correct,

and you were right

to punish me.

₇₆I serve you, LORD.

Comfort me with your love,

just as you have promised.

₇₇I love to obey your Law!

Have mercy and let me live.

₇₈Put down those proud people

who hurt me with their lies,

because I have chosen

to study your teachings.

₇₉Let your worshippers come to me,

so they will learn

to obey your rules.

₈₀Let me truly respect your laws,

so I won't be ashamed.

₈₁I long for you to rescue me!

Your word is my only hope.

₈₂I am worn out from waiting

for you to keep your word.

When will you have mercy?

₈₃My life is wasting away

like a dried up wineskin,

but I have not forgotten

your teachings.

₈₄I am your servant!

How long must I suffer?

When will you punish

those troublemakers?

₈₅Those proud people reject

your teachings,

and they dig pits

for me to fall in.

₈₆Your laws can be trusted!

Protect me from cruel liars.

₈₇They have almost killed me,

but I have been faithful

to your teachings.

₈₈Show that you love me

and let me live,

so that I may obey all

of your commands.

₈₉Our LORD, you are eternal!

Your word will last as long

as the heavens.

₉₀You remain faithful

in every generation,

and the earth you created

will keep standing firm.

₉₁All things are your servants,

and the laws you made

are still in effect today.

₉₂If I had not found happiness

in obeying your Law,

I would have died in misery.

₉₃I won't ever forget

your teachings,

because you give me new life

by following them.

₉₄I belong to you,

and I have respected your laws,

so keep me safe.

₉₅Brutal enemies are waiting

to ambush and destroy me,

but I obey your rules.

₉₆Nothing is completely perfect,

except your teachings.

₉₇I deeply love your Law!

I think about it all day.

₉₈Your laws never leave my mind,

and they make me much wiser

than my enemies.

₉₉Thinking about your teachings

gives me better understanding

than my teachers,

₁₀₀and obeying your laws

makes me wiser than those

who have lived a long time.

₁₀₁I obey your word

instead of following a way

that leads to trouble.

₁₀₂You have been my teacher,

and I won't reject

your instructions.

₁₀₃Your teachings are sweeter

than honey.

₁₀₄They give me understanding

and make me hate all lies.

“I am the one to take revenge

and pay them back.”

“If your enemies are hungry,

give them something to eat.

And if they are thirsty,

give them something

to drink.

This will be the same

as piling burning coals

on their heads.”