The Wrong Kind of Leaders

¹⁰Tell those who obey God, "You're very fortunate--
you will be rewarded for what you have done."
¹¹Tell those who disobey, "You're in big trouble--
what you did to others will come back to you."
¹²Though you are God's people, you are ruled and abused
by women and children.
You are confused by leaders
who guide you down the wrong path.

¹³The LORD is ready to accuse and judge all nations.
¹⁴He will even judge you rulers and leaders
of his own nation.
You destroyed his vineyard
and filled your houses by robbing the poor.
¹⁵The LORD All-Powerful says, "You have crushed my people
and rubbed in the dirt the faces of the poor."

Psalm 109
[A psalm by David for the music leader.]
A Prayer for the LORD's Help

¹I praise you, God! Don't keep silent.
²Destructive and deceitful lies are told about me,
³and hateful things are said for no reason.
⁴I had pity and prayed for my enemies,
but their words to me were harsh and cruel.
⁵For being friendly and kind,
they paid me back with meanness and hatred.

⁶My enemies said,
"Find some worthless fools to accuse him of a crime.
⁷Try him and find him guilty!
Consider his prayers a lie.
⁸Cut his life short and let someone else have his job.
⁹Make orphans of his children and a widow of his wife;
¹⁰make his children beg for food and live in the slums.

¹¹"Let the people he owes take everything he owns.
Give it all to strangers.
¹²Don't let anyone be kind to him
or have pity on the children he leaves behind.
¹³Bring an end to his family,
and from now on let him be a forgotten man.

¹⁴"Don't let the LORD forgive
the sins of his parents and his ancestors.
¹⁵Don't let the LORD forget the sins of his family,
or let anyone remember his family ever lived.
¹⁶He was so cruel to the poor, homeless, and discouraged
that they died young.

¹⁷"He cursed others. Now place a curse on him!
He never wished others well.
Wish only trouble for him!
¹⁸He cursed others more often than he dressed himself.
Let his curses strike him deep,
just as water and olive oil soak through to our bones.
¹⁹Let his curses surround him,
just like the clothes he wears each day."

A Vision of the LORD in the Temple

Isaiah 6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I had a vision of the LORD. He was on his throne high above, and his robe filled the temple. ²Flaming creatures with six wings each were flying over him. They covered their faces with two of their wings and their bodies with two more. They used the other two wings for flying, ³as they shouted,
"Holy, holy, holy, LORD All-Powerful!
The earth is filled with your glory."
⁴As they shouted, the doorposts of the temple shook, and the temple was filled with smoke. ⁵Then I cried out, "I'm doomed! Everything I say is sinful, and so are the words of everyone around me. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD All-Powerful."
⁶One of the flaming creatures flew over to me with a burning coal that it had taken from the altar with a pair of metal tongs. ⁷It touched my lips with the hot coal and said, "This has touched your lips. Your sins are forgiven, and you are no longer guilty."
⁸After this, I heard the LORD ask, "Is there anyone I can send? Will someone go for us?"
"I'll go," I answered. "Send me!"
⁹Then the LORD told me to go and speak this message to the people:
"You will listen and listen, but never understand.
You will look and look, but never see."
The LORD also said,
¹⁰"Make these people stubborn! Make them stop up their ears,
cover their eyes, and fail to understand.
Don't let them turn to me and be healed."
¹¹Then I asked the LORD, "How long will this last?"
The LORD answered:

Until their towns are destroyed and their houses are deserted, until their fields are empty, ¹²and I have sent them far away, leaving their land in ruins. ¹³If only a tenth of the people are left, even they will be destroyed. But just as stumps remain after trees have been cut down, some of my chosen ones will be left.

Psalm 109

²⁰Those are the cruel things my enemies wish for me.
Let it all happen to them!
²¹Be true to your name, LORD God!
Show your great kindness and rescue me.

²²I am poor and helpless, and I have lost all hope.
²³I am fading away like an evening shadow;
I am tossed aside like a crawling insect.
²⁴I have gone without eating, until my knees are weak,
and my body is bony.
²⁵When my enemies see me,
they say cruel things and shake their heads.

²⁶Please help me, LORD God!
Come and save me because of your love.
²⁷Let others know that you alone have saved me.
²⁸I don't care if they curse me, as long as you bless me.
You will make my enemies fail when they attack,
and you will make me glad to be your servant.
²⁹You will cover them with shame,
just as their bodies are covered with clothes.

³⁰I will sing your praises and thank you, LORD,
when your people meet.
³¹You help everyone in need,
and you defend them when they are on trial.

A Warning and a Hope

Isaiah 8 The LORD said, "Isaiah, get something to write on. Then write in big clear letters the name, MAHER-SHALAL-HASH-BAZ. ²I will have Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah serve as witnesses to this."
³Sometime later, my wife and I had a son, and the LORD said, "Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. ⁴Because before he can say 'Mommy' or 'Daddy', the king of Assyria will attack and take everything of value from Damascus and Samaria."
⁵The LORD spoke to me again and said:

⁶These people have refused the gentle waters of Shiloah and have gladly gone over to the side of King Rezin and King Pekah. ⁷Now I will send the king of Assyria against them with his powerful army, which will attack like the mighty Euphrates River overflowing its banks. ⁸Enemy soldiers will cover Judah like a flood reaching up to your neck.

But God is with us. He will spread his wings
and protect our land.
⁹All of you foreign nations, go ahead and prepare for war,
but you will be crushed.
¹⁰Get together and make plans, but you will fail
because God is with us.
¹¹The LORD took hold of me with his powerful hand and said:

I'm warning you! Don't act like these people. ¹²Don't call something a rebellious plot, just because they do, and don't be afraid of something, just because they are. ¹³I am the one you should fear and respect. I am the holy God, the LORD All-Powerful! ^14-15Run to me for protection. I am a rock that will make both Judah and Israel stumble and break their bones. I am a trap that will catch the people of Jerusalem--they will be captured and dragged away.

The New Heaven and the New Earth

Revelation 21 I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and so had the sea. ²Then I saw New Jerusalem, that holy city, coming down from God in heaven. It was like a bride dressed in her wedding gown and ready to meet her husband.
³I heard a loud voice shout from the throne:

God's home is now with his people. He will live with them, and they will be his own. Yes, God will make his home among his people. ⁴He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever.

⁵Then the one sitting on the throne said:

I am making everything new. Write down what I have said. My words are true and can be trusted. ⁶Everything is finished! I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give water from the life-giving fountain to everyone who is thirsty. ⁷All who win the victory will be given these blessings. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

⁸But I will tell you what will happen to cowards and to everyone who is unfaithful or dirty-minded or who murders or is sexually immoral or uses witchcraft or worships idols or tells lies. They will be thrown into that lake of fire and burning sulfur. This is the second death.

Psalm 111
Praise the LORD for All He Has Done

¹Shout praises to the LORD!
With all my heart I will thank the LORD
when his people meet.
²The LORD has done many wonderful things!
Everyone who is pleased with God's marvelous deeds
will keep them in mind.
³Everything the LORD does is glorious and majestic,
and his power to bring justice will never end.

⁴The LORD God is famous for his wonderful deeds,
and he is kind and merciful.
⁵He gives food to his worshipers
and always keeps his agreement with them.
⁶He has shown his mighty power to his people
and has given them the lands of other nations.

⁷God is always honest and fair,
and his laws can be trusted.
⁸They are true and right and will stand forever.
⁹God rescued his people,
and he will never break his agreement with them.
He is fearsome and holy.

¹⁰Respect and obey the LORD!
This is the first step to wisdom and good sense.
God will always be respected.

Psalm 112
God Blesses His Worshipers

¹Shout praises to the LORD! The LORD blesses everyone
who worships him and gladly obeys his teachings.
²Their descendants will have great power in the land,
because the LORD blesses all who do right.
³They will get rich and prosper
and will always be remembered for their fairness.
⁴They will be so kind and merciful and good,
that they will be a light in the dark
for others who do the right thing.

⁵Life will go well for those who freely lend
and are honest in business.
⁶They won't ever be troubled,
and the kind things they do will never be forgotten.
⁷Bad news won't bother them;
they have decided to trust the LORD.
⁸They are dependable and not afraid,
and they will live to see their enemies defeated.
⁹They will always be remembered and greatly praised,
because they were kind and freely gave to the poor.
¹⁰When evil people see this,
they angrily bite their tongues and disappear.
They will never get what they really want.

Psalm 113
The LORD Helps People in Need

¹Shout praises to the LORD!
Everyone who serves him, come and praise his name.

²Let the name of the LORD be praised now and forever.
³From dawn until sunset
the name of the LORD deserves to be praised.
⁴The LORD is far above all of the nations;
he is more glorious than the heavens.

⁵No one can compare with the LORD our God.
His throne is high above,
⁶and he looks down to see the heavens and the earth.
⁷God lifts the poor and needy from dust and ashes,
⁸and he lets them take part in ruling his people.
⁹When a wife has no children,
he blesses her with some, and she is happy.
Shout praises to the LORD!

Psalm 114
The LORD Works Wonders

¹God brought his people out of Egypt,
that land with a strange language.
²He made Judah his holy place and ruled over Israel.

³When the sea looked at God, it ran away,
and the Jordan River flowed upstream.
⁴The mountains and the hills skipped around like goats.

⁵Ask the sea why it ran away
or ask the Jordan why it flowed upstream.
⁶Ask the mountains and the hills
why they skipped like goats!

⁷Earth, you will tremble,
when the Lord God of Jacob comes near,
⁸because he turns solid rock into flowing streams
and pools of water.

10/25/08 Today

Psalm 115
The LORD Deserves To Be Praised

¹We don't deserve praise!
The LORD alone deserves all of the praise,
because of his love and faithfulness.
²Why should the nations ask, "Where is your God?"

³Our God is in the heavens, doing as he chooses.
⁴The idols of the nations are made of silver and gold.
⁵They have a mouth and eyes,
but they can't speak or see.
⁶Their ears can't hear, and their noses can't smell.
⁷Their hands have no feeling, their legs don't move,
and they can't make a sound.
⁸Everyone who made the idols and all who trust them
are just as helpless as those useless gods.

⁹People of Israel, you must trust the LORD
to help and protect you.
¹⁰Family of Aaron the priest, you must trust the LORD
to help and protect you.
¹¹All of you worship the LORD, so you must trust him
to help and protect you.

¹²The LORD will not forget to give us his blessing;
he will bless all of Israel and the family of Aaron.
¹³All who worship the LORD, no matter who they are,
will receive his blessing.

¹⁴I pray that the LORD will let your family
and your descendants always grow strong.
¹⁵May the LORD who created the heavens and the earth
give you his blessing.

¹⁶The LORD has kept the heavens for himself,
but he has given the earth to us humans.
¹⁷The dead are silent and cannot praise the LORD,
¹⁸but we will praise him now and forevermore.
Shout praises to the LORD!

The Earth Will Be Punished

Isaiah 24 The LORD is going to twist the earth out of shape and turn it into a desert. Everyone will be scattered, ²including ordinary people and priests, slaves and slave owners, buyers and sellers, lenders and borrowers, the rich and the poor. ³The earth will be stripped bare and left that way. This is what the LORD has promised.
⁴The earth wilts away; its mighty leaders melt to nothing.
⁵The earth is polluted because its people
disobeyed the laws of God, breaking their agreement
that was to last forever.

⁶The earth is under a curse; its people are dying out
because of their sins.
⁷Grapevines have dried up: wine is almost gone--
mournful sounds are heard instead of joyful shouts.

⁸No one plays tambourines or stringed instruments;
all noisy celebrating has come to an end.
⁹They no longer sing as they drink their wine,
and it tastes sour.

¹⁰Towns are crushed and in chaos; houses are locked tight.
¹¹Happy times have disappeared from the earth,
and people shout in the streets, "We're out of wine!"
¹²Cities are destroyed; their gates are torn down.
¹³Nations will be stripped bare, like olive trees
or vineyards after the harvest season.

Praise the God of Justice

¹⁴People in the west shout;
they joyfully praise the majesty of the LORD.
¹⁵And so, everyone in the east and those on the islands
should praise the LORD, the God of Israel.
¹⁶From all over the world songs of praise are heard
for the God of justice.
But I feel awful, terribly miserable.
Can anyone be trusted? So many are treacherous!

There's No Escape

¹⁷Terror, traps, and pits are waiting for everyone.
¹⁸If you are terrified and run, you will fall into a pit;
if you crawl out of the pit, you will get caught in a trap.

The sky has split apart like a window thrown open.
The foundations of the earth have been shaken;
¹⁹the earth is shattered, ripped to pieces.
²⁰It staggers and shakes like a drunkard
or a hut in a windstorm.
It is burdened down with sin;
the earth will fall, never again to get up.

²¹On that day the LORD will punish
the powers in the heavens and the kings of the earth.
²²He will put them in a pit and keep them prisoner.
Then later on, he will punish them.
²³The moon and sun will both be embarrassed and ashamed.
The LORD All-Powerful will rule
on Mount Zion in Jerusalem,
where he will show its rulers his wonderful glory

A Song of Victory

Isaiah 26 The time is coming when the people of Judah
will sing this song:
"Our city is protected. The LORD is our fortress,
and he gives us victory.
²Open the city gates for a law-abiding nation
that is faithful to God.
³The LORD gives perfect peace
to those whose faith is firm.
⁴So always trust the LORD
because he is forever our mighty rock.
⁵God has put down our enemies in their mountain city
and rubbed it in the dirt.
⁶Now the poor and abused stomp all over that city."

The LORD Can Be Trusted

⁷Our LORD, you always do right,
and you make the path smooth for those who obey you.
⁸You are the one we trust to bring about justice;
above all else we want your name to be honored.
⁹Throughout the night, my heart searches for you,
because your decisions show everyone on this earth
how to live right.

¹⁰Even when the wicked are treated with mercy
in this land of justice,
they do wrong and are blind to your glory, our LORD.
¹¹Your hand is raised and ready to punish them,
but they don't see it. Put them to shame!
Show how much you care for us
and throw them into the fire intended for your enemies.

¹²You will give us peace, LORD,
because everything we have done was by your power.
¹³Others have ruled over us besides you, our LORD God,
but we obey only you.
¹⁴Those enemies are now dead and can never live again.
You have punished them--
they are destroyed, completely forgotten.
¹⁵Our nation has grown because of you, our LORD.
We have more land than before, and you are honored.

Isaiah 28 The city of Samaria above a fertile valley
is in for trouble!
Its leaders are drunkards, who stuff themselves
with food and wine.
But they will be like flowers that dry up and wilt.
²Only the Lord is strong and powerful!
His mighty hand will strike them down
with the force of a hailstorm or a mighty whirlwind
or an overwhelming flood.

³Every drunkard in Ephraim takes pride in Samaria,
but it will be crushed.
⁴Samaria above a fertile valley will quickly lose its glory.
It will be gobbled down like the first ripe fig
at harvest season.

⁵When this time comes, the LORD All-Powerful
will be a glorious crown for his people who survive.
⁶He will see that justice rules and that his people
are able to defend their cities.

Corrupt Leaders Will Be Punished

⁷Priests and prophets stumble because they are drunk.
Their minds are too confused to receive God's messages
or give honest decisions.
⁸Their tables are covered, completely covered,
with their stinking vomit.

⁹You drunken leaders are like babies!
How can you possibly understand
or teach the LORD's message?
¹⁰You don't even listen--
all you hear is senseless sound
after senseless sound.

¹¹So, the Lord will speak to his people
in strange sounds and foreign languages.
¹²He promised you perfect peace and rest,
but you refused to listen.
¹³Now his message to you will be senseless sound
after senseless sound.
Then you will fall backwards, injured and trapped.

False Security Is Fatal

¹⁴You rulers of Jerusalem do nothing but sneer;
now you must listen to what the LORD says.
¹⁵Do you think you have an agreement with death
and the world of the dead?
Why do you trust in your lies to keep you safe from danger
and the mighty flood?

¹⁶And so the LORD says, "I'm laying a firm foundation
for the city of Zion.
It's a valuable cornerstone proven to be trustworthy;
no one who trusts it will ever be disappointed.
¹⁷Justice and fairness will be the measuring lines
that help me build."

Hailstones and floods will destroy and wash away
your shelter of lies.
¹⁸Your agreement with death and the world of the dead
will be broken.
Then angry, roaring waves will sweep over you.
¹⁹Morning, noon, and night an overwhelming flood
will wash you away.
The terrible things that happen will teach you this lesson:
²⁰Your bed is too short, your blanket too skimpy.

²¹The LORD will fiercely attack as he did at Mount Perazim
and in Gibeon Valley.
But this time the LORD will do something surprising,
not what you expect.
²²So you had better stop sneering
or you will be in worse shape than ever before.
I heard the LORD All-Powerful threaten the whole country
with destruction.

All Wisdom Comes from the LORD

Jerusalem Will Suffer

The LORD said:
Isaiah 29 Jerusalem, city of David, the place of my altar,
you are in for trouble!
Celebrate your festivals year after year.
²I will still make you suffer,
and your people will cry when I make an altar of you.
³I will surround you and prepare to attack from all sides.
⁴From deep in the earth, you will call out for help
with only a faint whisper.

⁵Then your cruel enemies will suddenly be swept away
like dust in a windstorm.
⁶I, the LORD All-Powerful, will come to your rescue
with a thundering earthquake and a fiery whirlwind.

⁷Every brutal nation that attacks Jerusalem
and makes it suffer will disappear like a dream
when night is over.
⁸Those nations that attack Mount Zion
will suffer from hunger and thirst.
They will dream of food and drink
but wake up weary and hungry and thirsty as ever.

Prophets Who Fool Themselves

⁹Be shocked and stunned, you prophets! Refuse to see.
Get drunk and stagger, but not from wine.
¹⁰The LORD has made you drowsy;
he put you into a deep sleep and covered your head.
¹¹Now his message is like a sealed letter to you. Some of you say, "We can't read it, because it's sealed." ¹²Others say, "We can't read it, because we don't know how to read."
¹³The Lord has said:
"These people praise me with their words,
but they never really think about me.
They worship me by repeating rules
made up by humans.
¹⁴So once again I will do things
that shock and amaze them,
and I will destroy the wisdom
of those who claim to know and understand."

¹⁵You are in for trouble, if you try to hide your plans
from the LORD!
Or if you think what you do in the dark can't be seen.
¹⁶You have it all backwards.
A clay dish doesn't say to the potter,
"You didn't make me. You don't even know how."

Psalm 119

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 forever 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 hurting,
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.

The Nations Will Be Judged

Isaiah 34 Everyone of every nation, the entire earth,
and all of its creatures, come here and listen!
²The LORD is terribly angry with the nations;
he has condemned them to be slaughtered.
³Their dead bodies will be left to rot and stink;
their blood will flow down the mountains.
⁴Each star will disappear--
the sky will roll up like a scroll.
Everything in the sky will dry up and wilt
like leaves on a vine or fruit on a tree.

Trouble for Edom

⁵After the sword of the LORD has done what it wants
to the skies above,
it will come down on Edom, the nation that the LORD
has doomed for destruction.

⁶The sword of the LORD is covered with blood
from lambs and goats,
together with fat from kidneys of rams.
This is because the LORD will slaughter many people
and make a sacrifice of them in the city of Bozrah
and everywhere else in Edom.
⁷Edom's leaders are wild oxen. They are powerful bulls,
but they will die with the others.
Their country will be soaked with their blood,
and its soil made fertile with their fat.

⁸The LORD has chosen the year and the day,
when he will take revenge and come to Zion's defense.
⁹Edom's streams will turn into tar and its soil into sulfur--
then the whole country will go up in flames.
¹⁰It will burn night and day and never stop smoking.
Edom will be a desert, generation after generation;
no one will ever travel through that land.
¹¹Owls, hawks, and wild animals will make it their home.
God will leave it in ruins, merely a pile of rocks.

The End of Edom

¹²Edom will be called "Kingdom of Nothing."
Its rulers will also be nothing.
¹³Its palaces and fortresses will be covered with thorns;
only wolves and ostriches will make their home there.
¹⁴Wildcats and hyenas will hunt together,
demons will scream to demons,
and creatures of the night will live among the ruins.
¹⁵Owls will nest there to raise their young
among its shadows,
while families of buzzards circle around.

¹⁶In The Book of the LORD you can search
and find where it is written,
"The LORD brought together all of his creatures
by the power of his Spirit. Not one is missing."
¹⁷The LORD has decided where they each should live;
they will be there forever,
generation after generation.

God's Splendor Will Be Seen

Isaiah 35 Thirsty deserts will be glad;
barren lands will celebrate and blossom with flowers.
²Deserts will bloom everywhere and sing joyful songs.
They will be as majestic as Mount Lebanon,
as glorious as Mount Carmel or Sharon Valley.
Everyone will see the wonderful splendor
of the LORD our God.

God Changes Everything

^*3Here is a message for all who are weak,
trembling, and worried:
⁴"Cheer up! Don't be afraid.
Your God is coming to punish your enemies.
God will take revenge on them and rescue you."

⁵The blind will see, and the ears of the deaf will be healed.
⁶Those who were lame will leap around like deer;
tongues once silent will begin to shout.
Water will rush through the desert.
⁷Scorching sand will turn into a lake,
and thirsty ground will flow with fountains.
Grass will grow in wetlands, where packs of wild dogs
once made their home.

God's Sacred Highway

⁸A good road will be there,
and it will be named "God's Sacred Highway."
It will be for God's people; no one unfit to worship God
will walk on that road.
And no fools can travel on that highway.
⁹No lions or other wild animals will come near that road;
only those the LORD has saved will travel there.

¹⁰The people the LORD has rescued will come back singing
as they enter Zion.
Happiness will be a crown they will always wear.
They will celebrate and shout because all sorrows
and worries will be gone far away.

Psalm 119

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 to 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 worshipers 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 worshipers 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.

Psalm 119

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.

¹⁰⁵Your word is a lamp that gives light wherever I walk.
¹⁰⁶Your laws are fair,
and I have given my word to respect them all.
¹⁰⁷I am in terrible pain! Save me, LORD,
as you said you would.
¹⁰⁸Accept my offerings of praise and teach me your laws.
¹⁰⁹I never forget your teachings,
although my life is always in danger.
¹¹⁰Some merciless people are trying to trap me,
but I never turn my back on your teachings.
¹¹¹They will always be my most prized possession
and my source of joy.
¹¹²I have made up my mind to obey your laws forever,
no matter what.

¹¹³I hate anyone whose loyalty is divided,
but I love your Law.
¹¹⁴You are my place of safety and my shield.
Your word is my only hope.
¹¹⁵All of you worthless people, get away from me!
I am determined to obey the commands of my God.
¹¹⁶Be true to your word, LORD. Keep me alive and strong;
don't let me be ashamed because of my hope.
¹¹⁷Keep me safe and secure,
so that I will always respect your laws.
¹¹⁸You reject all deceitful liars
because they refuse your teachings.
¹¹⁹As far as you are concerned,
all evil people are garbage,
and so I follow your rules.
¹²⁰I tremble all over when I think of you
and the way you judge.

Psalm 119

¹²¹I did what was fair and right!
Don't hand me over to those who want to mistreat me.
¹²²Take good care of me, your servant,
and don't let me be harmed by those conceited people.
¹²³My eyes are weary from waiting
to see you keep your promise to come and save me.
¹²⁴Show your love for me, your servant,
and teach me your laws.
¹²⁵I serve you, so let me understand your teachings.
¹²⁶Do something, LORD! They have broken your Law.
¹²⁷Your laws mean more to me than the finest gold.
¹²⁸I follow all of your commands,
but I hate anyone who leads me astray.

¹²⁹Your teachings are wonderful, and I respect them all.
¹³⁰Understanding your word brings light
to the minds of ordinary people.
¹³¹I honestly want to know everything you teach.
¹³²Think about me and be kind,
just as you are to everyone who loves your name.
¹³³Keep your promise and don't let me stumble
or let sin control my life.
¹³⁴Protect me from abuse, so I can obey your laws.
¹³⁵Smile on me, your servant, and teach me your laws.
¹³⁶When anyone disobeys you, my eyes overflow with tears.

¹³⁷Our LORD, you always do right,
and your decisions are fair.
¹³⁸All of your teachings are true and trustworthy.
¹³⁹It upsets me greatly
when my enemies neglect your teachings.
¹⁴⁰Your word to me, your servant, is like pure gold;
I treasure what you say.
¹⁴¹Everyone calls me a nobody, but I remember your laws.
¹⁴²You will always do right, and your teachings are true.
¹⁴³I am in deep distress, but I love your teachings.
¹⁴⁴Your rules are always fair.
Help me to understand them and live.

Psalm 119 ¹⁴⁵I pray to you, LORD! Please answer me.
I promise to obey your laws.
¹⁴⁶I beg you to save me, so I can follow your rules.
¹⁴⁷Even before sunrise, I pray for your help,
and I put my hope in what you have said.
¹⁴⁸I lie awake at night, thinking of your promises.
¹⁴⁹Show that you love me, LORD, and answer my prayer.
Please do the right thing and save my life.
¹⁵⁰People who disobey your Law have made evil plans
and want to hurt me,
¹⁵¹but you are with me,
and all of your commands can be trusted.
¹⁵²From studying your laws, I found out long ago
that you made them to last forever.

¹⁵³I have not forgotten your Law!
Look at the trouble I am in, and rescue me.
¹⁵⁴Be my defender and protector!
Keep your promise and save my life.
¹⁵⁵Evil people won't obey you,
and so they have no hope of being saved.
¹⁵⁶You are merciful, LORD!
Please do the right thing and save my life.
¹⁵⁷I have a lot of brutal enemies,
but still I never turn from your laws.
¹⁵⁸All of those unfaithful people who refuse to obey you
are disgusting to me.
¹⁵⁹Remember how I love your laws,
and show your love for me by keeping me safe.
¹⁶⁰All you say can be trusted;
your teachings are true and will last forever.

¹⁶¹Rulers are cruel to me for no reason.
But with all my heart I respect your words,
¹⁶²because they bring happiness
like treasures taken in war.
¹⁶³I can't stand liars, but I love your Law.
¹⁶⁴I praise you seven times a day
because your laws are fair.
¹⁶⁵You give peace of mind to all who love your Law.
Nothing can make them fall.
¹⁶⁶You are my only hope for being saved, LORD,
and I do all you command.
¹⁶⁷I love and obey your laws with all my heart.
¹⁶⁸You know everything I do.
You know I respect every law you have given.

¹⁶⁹Please, LORD, hear my prayer
and give me the understanding
that comes from your word.
¹⁷⁰Listen to my concerns and keep me safe,
just as you have promised.
¹⁷¹If you will teach me your laws,
I will praise you ¹⁷²and sing about your promise,
because all of your teachings are what they ought to be.
¹⁷³Be ready to protect me
because I have chosen to obey your laws.
¹⁷⁴I am waiting for you to save me, LORD.
Your Law makes me happy.
¹⁷⁵Keep me alive, so I can praise you,
and let me find help in your teachings.
¹⁷⁶I am your servant,
but I have wandered away like a lost sheep.
Please come after me,
because I have not forgotten your teachings.