Psalm 118

Ah, blessed they, who pass through life’s journey unstained, who follow the law of the Lord!

Ah, blessed they, who cherish his decrees, make him the whole quest of their hearts!

Afar from wrong-doing, thy sure paths they tread.

Above all else it binds us, the charge thou hast given us to keep.

Ah, how shall my steps be surely guided to keep faith with thy covenant?

Attentive to all thy commandments, I go my way undismayed.

A true heart’s worship thou shalt have, thy just awards prompting me.

All shall be done thy laws demand, so thou wilt not forsake me utterly.

Best shall he keep his youth unstained, who is true to thy trust.

Be thou the whole quest of my heart; never let me turn aside from thy commandments.

Buried deep in my heart, thy warnings shall keep me clear of sin.

Blessed art thou, O Lord, teach me to know thy will.

By these lips let the awards thou makest ever be recorded.

Blithely as one that has found great possessions, I follow thy decrees.

Bethinking me still of the charge thou givest, I will mark thy footsteps.

Be thy covenant ever my delight, thy words kept in memory.

Crown thy servant with life, to live faithful to thy commands.

Clear sight be mine, to contemplate the wonders of thy law.

Comfort this earthly exile; do not refuse me the knowledge of thy will.

Crushed lies my spirit, longing ever for thy just awards.

Chastener of the proud, thy curse lies on all who swerve from thy covenant.

Clear me of the reproach that shames me, as I was ever attentive to thy claims.

Closeted together, princes plot against me, thy servant, that thinks only of thy decrees.

Claims lovingly cherished, decrees that are my counsellors!

Deep lies my soul in the dust, restore life to me, as thou hast promised.

Deign, now, to shew me thy will, thou who hast listened when I opened my heart to thee.

Direct me in the path thou biddest me follow, and all my musing shall be of thy wonderful deeds.

Despair wrings tears from me; let thy promises raise me up once more.

Deliver me from every false thought; make me free of thy covenant.

Duty’s path my choice, I keep thy bidding ever in remembrance.

Disappoint me, Lord, never, one that holds fast by thy commandments.

Do but open my heart wide, and easy lies the path thou hast decreed.

Expound, Lord, thy whole bidding to me; faithfully I will keep it.

Enlighten me, to scan thy law closely, and keep true to it with all my heart.

Eagerly I long to be guided in the way of thy obedience.

Ever let my choice be set on thy will, not on covetous thoughts.

Eyes have I none for vain phantoms; let me find life in following thy ways.

Establish with me, thy servant, the promise made to thy worshippers.

Ease me of the reproach my heart dreads, thou, whose awards are gracious.

Each command of thine I embrace lovingly; do thou in thy faithfulness grant me life.

For me too, Lord, thy mercy, for me too the deliverance thou hast promised!

Fit answer for those who taunt me, that I rely on thy truth.

Faithful thy promise, let me not boast in vain; in thy covenant lies my hope.

For ever and for evermore true to thy charge thou shalt find me.

Freely shall my feet tread, if thy will is all my quest.

Fearlessly will I talk of thy decrees in the presence of kings, and be never abashed.

Fain would I have all my comfort in the law I love.

Flung wide my arms to greet thy law, ever in my thoughts thy bidding.

Go not back on the word thou hast pledged to thy servant; there lies all my hope.

Good news in my affliction, thy promises have brought me life.

Ground down by the scorn of my oppressors, never from thy law I swerve aside.

Gracious comfort, Lord, is the memory of thy just dealings in times long past.

Great ruth have I to see wrong-doers, and how they abandon thy law.

Gone out into a land of exile, of thy covenant I make my song.

Gloom of the night finds me still thinking of thy name, Lord, still observant of thy bidding.

Guerdon I ask no other, but the following of thy will.

Heritage, Lord, I claim no other, but to obey thy word.

Heart-deep my supplication before thee for the mercies thou hast promised.

Have I not planned out my path, turned aside to follow thy decrees?

Haste such as mine can brook no delay in carrying out all thy bidding.

Hemmed in by the snares which sinners laid for me, never was I forgetful of thy law.

Hearken when I rise at dead of night to praise thee for thy just dealings.

How well I love the souls that fear thee, and are true to thy trust!

How thy mercy fills the earth, Lord! Teach me to do thy will.

In fulfilment of thy promise, Lord, what kindness thou hast shewn thy servant!

Inspire, instruct me still; all my hope is in thy covenant.

Idly I strayed till thou didst chasten me; no more shall thy warnings go unheeded.

Indeed, indeed thou art gracious; teach me to do thy bidding.

In vain my oppressors plot against me; thy will is all my quest.

Inhuman hearts, curdled with scorn! For me, thy law is enough.

It was in mercy thou didst chasten me, schooling me to thy obedience.

Is not the law thou hast given dearer to me than rich store of gold and silver?

Jealous for the handiwork thou hast made, teach me to understand thy commandments.

Joy shall be theirs, thy true worshippers, to see the confidence I have in thy word.

Just are thy awards; I know well, Lord, it was in faithfulness thou didst afflict me.

Judge me no more; pity and comfort thy servant as thou hast promised.

Judge me no more; pardon and life for one that loves thy will!

Just be their fall, who wrong me scornfully; thy law is all my study.

Joined to my company be every soul that worships thee and heeds thy warnings.

Jealously let my heart observe thy bidding; let me not hope in vain.

Keeping watch for thy aid, my soul languishes, yet I trust in thy word.

Keeping watch for the fulfilment of thy promise, my eyes languish for comfort still delayed.

Kitchen-smoke shrivels the wine-skin; so waste I, yet never forget thy will.

Knowest thou not how short are thy servant’s days? Soon be my wrongs redressed.

Knaves will be plotting against me still, that are no friends to thy law.

Knaves they are that wrong me; bring aid, as thy covenant stands unchanging.

Keep thy bidding I would, though small hope of life they had left me.

Kind as thou ever wert, preserve me; then utter thy bidding, and I will obey.

Lord, the word thou hast spoken stands ever unchanged as heaven.

Loyal to his promise, age after age, is he who made the enduring earth.

Long as time lasts, these shall stand, obeying thy decree, Master of all.

Lest I should sink in my affliction, thou hast given thy covenant to be my comfort.

Life-giving are thy commands, never by me forgotten.

Lend me thy aid, for thine I am, and thy bidding is all my quest.

Let sinners go about to destroy me, I wait on thy will.

Look where I may, all good things must end; only thy law is wide beyond measure.

My delight, Lord, is in thy bidding; ever my thoughts return to it.

Musing still on thy commandments, I have grown more prudent than my enemies.

More wisdom have I than all my teachers, so well have I pondered thy decrees.

More learning have I than my elders, I that hold true to thy charge.

Mindful of thy warnings, I guide my steps clear of every evil path.

Meek under thy tuition, thy will I keep ever in view.

Meat most appetizing are thy promises; never was honey so sweet to my taste.

Made wise by thy law, I shun every path of evil-doing.

No lamp like thy word to guide my feet, to shew light on my path.

Never will I retract my oath to give thy just commands observance.

Nothing, Lord, but affliction, never the saving help thou didst promise me?

Nay, Lord, accept these vows of mine; teach me to do thy bidding.

Needs must I carry my life in my hands, yet am I ever mindful of thy law.

Nearly the snares of the wicked caught my feet, yet would I not swerve from thy obedience.

Now and ever thy covenant is my prize, is my heart’s comfort.

Now and ever to do thy will perfectly is my heart’s aim.

Out upon the men that play traitor to the law I love!

Other defence, other shield have I none; in thy law I trust.

Out of my path, lovers of wrong; I will keep my God’s commandments.

Only let thy promised aid preserve me; do not disappoint me of the hope I cherish.

Only do thou sustain me in safety, looking ever to thy will.

Obey thee who will not, shall earn thy disdain; idle is all their scheming.

Outcasts they are that profane the land with wrong; for me, thy law is enough.

Overcome is my whole being with the fear of thee; I am adread of thy judgements.

Protect the justice of my cause; never leave me at the mercy of my oppressors.

Pledge thyself still to befriend me; save me from the oppression of my enemies.

Pining away, I look for thy saving help, the faithful keeping of thy promises.

Pity thy own servant, and teach him thy decrees.

Perfect in thy own servant’s heart the knowledge of thy will.

Put off the hour, Lord, no more; too long thy commandment stands defied.

Precious beyond gold or jewel I hold thy law.

Prized be every decree of thine; forsworn be every path of evil-doing.

Right wonderful thy decrees are, hard to read, and well my heart heeds them.

Revelation and light thy words disclose to the simple.

Rises ever a sigh from my lips as I long after thy covenant.

Regard and pity me, as thou hast pity for all that love thy name.

Rule thou my path as thou hast promised; never be wrong-doing my master.

Rescue me from man’s oppression, to wait henceforth on thy bidding.

Restore to thy servant the smile of thy living favour, and teach him to know thy will.

Rivers of tears flow from my eyes, to see thy law forgotten.

So just, Lord, thou art, thy awards so truly given!

Strict justice and utter faithfulness inspire all thy decrees.

Stung by love’s jealousy, I watch my enemies defy thy bidding.

Shall not I, thy servant, love thy promises, tested and found true?

Still despised and disinherited, I do not forget thy charge.

Stands thy faithfulness eternally, thy law for ever changeless.

Sorrow and distress have fallen on me; in thy commandments is all my comfort.

Sentence eternal is thy decree; teach me the wisdom that brings life.

Thy audience, Lord, my whole heart claims, a heart true to thy trust.

To thee I cry, O grant deliverance; I will do all thy bidding.

Twilight comes, and I awake to plead with thee, hoping ever in thy promises.

Through the night my eyes keep watch, to ponder thy sayings.

Thine, Lord, to listen in thy mercy, and grant life according to thy will.

Treacherous foes draw near, that are strangers to thy covenant.

Thou, Lord, art close at hand; all thy awards are true.

Taught long since by thy decrees, I know well thou hast ordained them everlastingly.

Unblessed is my lot; look down and rescue me, that still am mindful of thy law.

Uphold my cause, and deliver me; true to thy promise, grant me life.

Unknown thy mercy to the sinner that defies thy bidding.

Unnumbered, Lord, are thy blessings; as thy will is, grant me life.

Under all the assaults of my oppressors, I keep true to thy charge.

Unhappy I, that watch thy warnings to the sinner go unheeded!

Up, Lord, and witness the love I bear thy covenant; in thy mercy bid me live!

Unchanging truth is thy word’s fountain-head, eternal the force of thy just decrees.

Vexed by the causeless malice of princes, my heart still dreads thy warnings.

Victors rejoice not more over rich spoils, than I in thy promises.

Villainy I abhor and renounce; thy law is all my love.

Votive thanks seven times a day I give thee for the just awards thou makest.

Very great peace is theirs who love thy law; their feet never stumble.

Valiantly, Lord, I wait on thee for succour, keeping ever true to thy charge.

Vanquished by great love, my heart is ever obedient to thy will.

Vigilantly I observe precept and bidding of thine, living always as in thy sight.

Wilt thou not admit my cry, Lord, to thy presence, and grant me thy promised gift of wisdom?

Wilt thou not countenance my plea, redeem thy pledge to deliver me?

What praise shall burst from my lips, when thou makest known thy will!

What hymns of thankfulness this tongue shall raise to the author of all just decrees!

Wouldst thou but lift thy hand to aid me, that take my stand on thy covenant!

Weary it is, Lord, waiting for deliverance, but thy law is my comfort.

When will thy just award grant redress, that I may live to praise thee?

Wayward thou seest me, like a lost sheep; come to look for thy servant, that is mindful still of thy bidding.