UST PSA Chapter 19

Psalm

To the music director. psalm of

19 When people look at everything that God has placed in the skies, they can see that he is very great.

Yes, the way God made the sky shows people that he is powerful.

2 Day after day it is as though the sun proclaims the glory of God,

and night after night it is as though the moon and stars say that God made them.

3 They do not really speak;

they do not say any words.

There is no sound from them for anyone to hear.

4 But what they declare about God goes throughout all the world,

and even people who live in the most distant places on earth can know it.

The sun is in the skies where God placed it;

5 it rises each morning like a bridegroom who is happy as he comes out of his bedroom after his wedding.

It is like a strong athlete who is very eager to start running in a race.

6 The sun rises at one side of the sky and goes across the sky and sets on the other side;

and there is nothing that is unaffected by its heat.

7 The instructions that Yahweh has given us are perfect;

they keep us from living in a way that would cause God to condemn us.

We can be sure that the things that Yahweh has told us are trustworthy,

and by learning them people who have not been previously taught will become wise.

8 Yahweh’s laws are fair;

when we obey them, we become joyful.

The commands of Yahweh are morally perfect,

and by learning them we start to understand how God wants us to behave.

9 The law of Yahweh causes people to revere him and therefore live in a morally upright way;

that is something that will endure forever.

The things Yahweh has decreed are true,

they are completely righteous.

10 Yahweh’s commandments are more valuable than gold,

even great amounts of the purest gold.

Learning the things Yahweh teaches us through them is more pleasurable than eating honey;

than honey dripping from honeycombs.

11 Furthermore, by your commandments I am warned about what things I should not do.

You greatly reward those who obey them.

12 There is no one who can know all his sins;

so Yahweh, forgive me for these things which I do that I do not realize are wrong.

13 Also, keep me from doing things that I know are wrong;

do not let my sinful desires control me.

If you do that, then I will be guiltless,

and I will not be guilty of committing any great sin.

14 I pray that both what I say, and what I think about,

be pleasing to you,

Yahweh, you who enable me to be strong and who redeem me.