1 How well God must like you—

you don’t walk in the ruts of those blind-as-bats,

you don’t stand with the good-for-nothings,

you don’t take your seat among the know-it-alls.

2,3 Instead you thrill to God’s Word,

you chew on Scripture day and night.

You’re a tree replanted in Eden,

bearing fresh fruit every month,

Never dropping a leaf,

always in blossom.

1-9 After the death of Moses the servant of God, God spoke to Joshua, Moses’ assistant:

"Moses my servant is dead. Get going. Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people. Cross to the country I’m giving to the People of Israel. I’m giving you every square inch of the land you set your foot on—just as I promised Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon east to the Great River, the Euphrates River—all the Hittite country—and then west to the Great Sea. It’s all yours. All your life, no one will be able to hold out against you. In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you. Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take."

97-104 Oh, how I love all you’ve revealed;

I reverently ponder it all the day long.

Your commands give me an edge on my enemies;

they never become obsolete.

I’ve even become smarter than my teachers

since I’ve pondered and absorbed your counsel.

I’ve become wiser than the wise old sages

simply by doing what you tell me.

I watch my step, avoiding the ditches and ruts of evil

so I can spend all my time keeping your Word.

I never make detours from the route you laid out;

you gave me such good directions.

Your words are so choice, so tasty;

I prefer them to the best home cooking.

With your instruction, I understand life;

that’s why I hate false propaganda.

* * *

9-16 How can a young person live a clean life?

By carefully reading the map of your Word.

I’m single-minded in pursuit of you;

don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted.

I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart

so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.

Be blessed, God;

train me in your ways of wise living.

I’ll transfer to my lips

all the counsel that comes from your mouth;

I delight far more in what you tell me about living

than in gathering a pile of riches.

I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you,

I attentively watch how you’ve done it.

I relish everything you’ve told me of life,

I won’t forget a word of it.

* * *

41-48 Let your love, God, shape my life

with salvation, exactly as you promised;

Then I’ll be able to stand up to mockery

because I trusted your Word.

Don’t ever deprive me of truth, not ever—

your commandments are what I depend on.

Oh, I’ll guard with my life what you’ve revealed to me,

guard it now, guard it ever;

And I’ll stride freely through wide open spaces

as I look for your truth and your wisdom;

Then I’ll tell the world what I find,

speak out boldly in public, unembarrassed.

I cherish your commandments—oh, how I love them!—

relishing every fragment of your counsel.

* * *

145-152 I call out at the top of my lungs,

"God! Answer! I’ll do whatever you say."

I called to you, "Save me

so I can carry out all your instructions."

I was up before sunrise,

crying for help, hoping for a word from you.

I stayed awake all night,

prayerfully pondering your promise.

In your love, listen to me;

in your justice, God, keep me alive.

As those out to get me come closer and closer,

they go farther and farther from the truth you reveal;

But you’re the closest of all to me, God,

and all your judgments true.

I’ve known all along from the evidence of your words

that you meant them to last forever.

* * *

11-14 There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger

and directs us to hidden treasure.

Otherwise how will we find our way?

Or know when we play the fool?

Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!

Keep me from stupid sins,

from thinking I can take over your work;

Then I can start this day sun-washed,

scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.

These are the words in my mouth;

these are what I chew on and pray.

Accept them when I place them

on the morning altar,

O God, my Altar-Rock,

God, Priest-of-My-Altar.

3,4 I set plainspoken wisdom before you,

my heart-seasoned understandings of life.

I fine-tuned my ear to the sayings of the wise,

I solve life’s riddle with the help of a harp.

11,12 Once again I’ll go over what God has done,

lay out on the table the ancient wonders;

I’ll ponder all the things you’ve accomplished,

and give a long, loving look at your acts.

3-6 The enemy hunted me down;

he kicked me and stomped me within an inch of my life.

He put me in a black hole,

buried me like a corpse in that dungeon.

I sat there in despair, my spirit draining away,

my heart heavy, like lead.

I remembered the old days,

went over all you’ve done, pondered the ways you’ve worked,

Stretched out my hands to you,

as thirsty for you as a desert thirsty for rain.

9,10 We pondered your love-in-action, God,

waiting in your temple:

Your name, God, evokes a train

of Hallelujahs wherever

It is spoken, near and far;

your arms are heaped with goodness-in-action.

33-35 Oh, let me sing to God all my life long,

sing hymns to my God as long as I live!

Oh, let my song please him;

I’m so pleased to be singing to God.

But clear the ground of sinners—

no more godless men and women!

O my soul, bless God!