Why read Psalm 118?
Psalm 118 encourages faithfulness to God's commandments and the search for His guidance. The longest psalm reflects on God's law, patience and spiritual growth; each section can support prayer and examination of conscience.
You can read this psalm when its themes speak to your circumstances, or as part of your regular reading of the Psalter. This explanation draws on the text itself; the psalm is not reserved for one particular need.
Psalm 118 opens the heart with the call “Blessed are the blameless in the way,...”. It is one of the 176-verse psalms in Kathisma 17 and is recited both in church services and in prayer at home — the Psalter being the Orthodox Christian’s essential book.
Text of Psalm 118
1. Blessed are the blameless in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.
2. Blessed are those who keep His commandments and seek Him with all their heart,
3. For those who practice lawlessness have not walked in His ways.
4. You commanded that Your commandments be kept diligently.
5. Oh, that my ways might be set aright, to keep Your commandments!
6. Then I will not be ashamed when I look toward all Your commandments.
7. I will praise You in uprightness of heart, that I may learn the judgments of Your righteousness.
8. I will keep Your statutes; do not forsake me completely.
9. By what will a young man set his way aright? By keeping Your words.
10. With all my heart I sought You; do not cast me away from Your commandments.
11. In my heart I hid Your words, that I might not sin against You.
12. Blessed are You, Lord; teach me Your statutes.
13. With my lips I spoke all the judgments of Your mouth.
14. In the way of Your testimonies I delighted as in all riches.
15. I will meditate on Your commandments and know Your ways.
16. I will meditate on Your statutes and will not forget Your words.
17. Reward Your servant! I will live and keep Your commandments.
18. Open my eyes, and I will know the wonders in Your law.
19. I am a stranger on the earth; do not hide Your commandments from me.
20. My soul burns with longing for Your judgments at all times.
21. You rebuked the proud; cursed are those who turn aside from Your commandments.
22. Take reproach and contempt away from me, for I kept Your testimonies.
23. For leaders sat and slandered me, but Your servant meditated on Your statutes.
24. For Your testimonies are my meditation, and Your statutes my counsel.
25. My soul clung to the earth; give me life according to Your word.
26. I declared my ways, and You heard me; teach me Your statutes.
27. Make me understand the way of Your statutes, and I will meditate on Your wonders.
28. My soul grew weary with sorrow; strengthen me in Your words.
29. Remove from me the way of injustice, and have mercy on me through Your law.
30. I chose the way of truth and did not forget Your judgments.
31. I clung to Your testimonies, Lord; do not put me to shame.
32. I ran in the way of Your commandments when You enlarged my heart.
33. Set the way of Your statutes as a law for me, Lord, and I will keep it always.
34. Make me wise, and I will seek Your law and keep it with all my heart.
35. Guide me on the path of Your commandments, for this I desired.
36. Incline my heart to Your testimonies and not to greed.
37. Turn my eyes away, that they may not see vanity; give me life in Your way.
38. Fulfill Your word to Your servant, which is for those who fear You.
39. Remove the reproach I fear, for Your judgments are good.
40. Behold, I desired Your commandments; give me life in Your righteousness.
41. Let Your mercy come upon me, Lord, Your salvation according to Your word,
42. And I will answer with a word those who reproach me, for I hoped in Your words.
43. Do not remove the word of truth from my mouth completely, for I hoped in Your judgments,
44. And I will keep Your law always, forever and ever.
45. I walked in spaciousness, for I sought Your commandments.
46. I spoke of Your testimonies before kings and was not ashamed.
47. I meditated on Your commandments, which I loved greatly.
48. I lifted my hands to Your commandments, which I loved, and meditated on Your statutes.
49. Remember Your word to Your servant, in which You gave me hope.
50. This comforted me in my humility, for Your word gave me life.
51. The proud mocked me beyond measure, but I did not turn aside from Your law.
52. I remembered Your judgments of old, Lord, and was comforted.
53. Sorrow seized me because of the sinners who forsake Your law.
54. Your statutes were sung by me in the place of my wandering.
55. I remembered Your name, Lord, and kept Your law.
56. This happened to me because I sought Your statutes.
57. You are my portion, Lord; I said I would keep Your law.
58. I prayed before Your face with all my heart; have mercy on me according to Your word.
59. I meditated on Your ways and turned my feet toward Your testimonies.
60. I was ready and was not troubled to keep Your commandments.
61. The ropes of sinners wrapped around me, but I did not forget Your law.
62. At midnight I arose to praise You for the judgments of Your righteousness.
63. I am a companion of all who fear You and keep Your commandments.
64. The earth is full of Your mercy, Lord; teach me Your statutes.
65. You have shown goodness to Your servant, Lord, according to Your word.
66. Teach me goodness, instruction and knowledge, for I believed in Your commandments.
67. Before I was humbled, I sinned; therefore I kept Your word.
68. You are good, Lord, and in Your goodness teach me Your statutes.
69. The injustice of the proud multiplied against me, but with all my heart I will examine Your commandments.
70. Their heart congealed like fat, but I delighted in Your law.
71. It is good for me that You humbled me, that I may learn Your statutes.
72. The law of Your mouth is better for me than thousands of treasures of gold and silver.
73. Your hands made me and fashioned me; make me wise, and I will learn Your commandments.
74. Those who fear You will see me and rejoice, for I hoped in Your words.
75. I knew, Lord, that Your judgments are righteous and that in truth You humbled me.
76. Let Your mercy, then, comfort me according to Your word to Your servant.
77. Let Your compassion come upon me, and I will live, for Your law is my meditation.
78. Let the proud be ashamed, for unjustly they wronged me; but I will meditate on Your commandments.
79. Let those who fear You turn toward me, and those who know Your testimonies.
80. Let my heart be blameless in Your statutes, that I may not be ashamed.
81. My soul melts with longing for Your salvation; I hoped in Your word.
82. My eyes failed with longing for Your word, saying: “When will You comfort me?”
83. For I became like a wineskin in smoke, but I did not forget Your statutes.
84. How many are the days of Your servant? When will You judge those who persecute me?
85. The lawbreakers told me vanities, but they are not like Your law, Lord.
86. All Your commandments are truth; they persecuted me unjustly. Help me!
87. I nearly came to an end upon the earth, but I did not forsake Your commandments.
88. Give me life according to Your mercy, and I will keep the testimonies of my mouth.
89. Forever, Lord, Your word remains in heaven;
90. Your truth from generation to generation. You founded the earth, and it remains.
91. The day remains according to Your ordinance, for all things serve You.
92. If Your law had not been my meditation, I would then have perished in my affliction.
93. I will never forget Your statutes, for through them You gave me life, Lord.
94. I am Yours; save me, for I sought Your statutes.
95. Sinners waited for me to destroy me. I understood Your testimonies.
96. In every perfect thing I saw an end, but Your commandment is without end.
97. For I loved Your law, Lord; it is my meditation all day.
98. You made me wiser than my enemies by Your commandment, for it is mine forever.
99. I understood more than my teachers, for my meditation is on Your testimonies.
100. I understood more than the elders, for I sought Your commandments.
101. I restrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep Your words.
102. I did not turn aside from Your judgments, for You gave me a law.
103. How sweet Your words are to my tongue, sweeter than honey in my mouth!
104. Through Your commandments I became discerning; therefore I hated every way of injustice.
105. Your law is a lamp to my feet and a light to my paths.
106. I swore and resolved to keep the judgments of Your righteousness.
107. I was humbled to the utmost: Lord, give me life according to Your word.
108. Accept the willing offerings of my mouth, Lord, and teach me Your judgments.
109. My soul is always in Your hands, and I did not forget Your law.
110. Sinners set a snare for me, but I did not stray from Your commandments.
111. I inherited Your testimonies forever, for they are the joy of my heart.
112. I inclined my heart to carry out Your statutes forever, for a reward.
113. I hated the lawbreakers and loved Your law.
114. You are my helper and my supporter; I hoped in Your word.
115. Depart from me, you who act deceitfully, and I will examine the commandments of my God.
116. Defend me according to Your word, and give me life, and do not put my expectation to shame.
117. Help me, and I will be saved, and I will meditate on Your statutes always.
118. You despised all who depart from Your statutes, for their thought is unjust.
119. I considered all the sinners of the earth to be lawbreakers; therefore I always loved Your testimonies.
120. Pierce my flesh with fear of You, for I feared Your judgments.
121. I carried out judgment and justice; do not give me into the hands of those who wrong me.
122. Receive Your servant in goodness, that the proud may not slander me.
123. My eyes failed with longing for Your salvation and for the word of Your righteousness.
124. Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy, and teach me Your statutes.
125. I am Your servant; make me wise, and I will know Your testimonies.
126. It is time for the Lord to act, for people have corrupted Your law.
127. Therefore I loved Your commandments more than gold and topaz.
128. Therefore I directed myself toward all Your commandments; I hated every unjust way.
129. Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul examined them.
130. The revelation of Your words gives light and makes infants wise.
131. I opened my mouth and found, for I longed for Your commandments.
132. Look upon me and have mercy on me according to Your judgment toward those who love Your name.
133. Direct my steps according to Your word, and let no lawlessness rule over me.
134. Deliver me from people's slander, and I will keep Your commandments.
135. Show Your face to Your servant and teach me Your commandments.
136. Springs of water flowed down from my eyes because I did not keep Your law.
137. You are righteous, Lord, and righteous are Your judgments.
138. You commanded Your testimonies with justice and with all truth.
139. The zeal for Your house consumed me, for my enemies forgot Your words.
140. Your word is greatly refined by fire, and Your servant loved it.
141. I am young and despised, but I did not forget Your statutes.
142. Your righteousness is righteousness forever, and Your law is truth.
143. Afflictions and distress came upon me, but Your commandments are my meditation.
144. Your testimonies are righteous forever; make me wise, and I will live.
145. I cried with all my heart: Hear me, Lord! I will seek Your statutes.
146. I cried to You; save me, and I will keep Your testimonies.
147. At dawn I arose and cried; I hoped in Your words.
148. I opened my eyes early in the morning to meditate on Your words.
149. Hear my voice, Lord, according to Your mercy; give me life according to Your judgment.
150. Those who persecute me lawlessly drew near, but they departed from Your law.
151. You are near, Lord, and all Your commandments are truth.
152. From the beginning I knew from Your testimonies that You established them forever.
153. See my humility and bring me out, for I did not forget Your law.
154. Judge my cause and deliver me; according to Your word, make me alive.
155. Salvation is far from sinners, for they did not seek Your statutes.
156. Your compassion is abundant, Lord; give me life according to Your judgment.
157. Many are those who persecute and afflict me, but I did not turn aside from Your testimonies.
158. I saw those without understanding and was wasting away, for they did not keep Your words.
159. See that I loved Your commandments, Lord; give me life in Your mercy.
160. The beginning of Your words is truth, and all the judgments of Your righteousness are everlasting.
161. Leaders persecuted me without cause, but my heart feared Your words.
162. I will rejoice in Your words like one who found a great treasure.
163. I hated and despised injustice, but loved Your law.
164. Seven times a day I praised You for the judgments of Your righteousness.
165. Those who love Your law have great peace and do not stumble.
166. I awaited Your salvation, Lord, and loved Your commandments.
167. My soul kept Your testimonies and loved them greatly.
168. I kept Your commandments and Your testimonies, for all my ways are before You, Lord.
169. Let my prayer draw near before You, Lord; make me wise according to Your word.
170. Let my petition reach You, Lord; deliver me according to Your word.
171. Let my lips spread praise, for You taught me Your statutes.
172. My tongue will speak Your words, for all Your commandments are righteous.
173. Let Your hand deliver me, for I chose Your commandments.
174. I desired Your salvation, Lord, and Your law is my meditation.
175. My soul will live and praise You, and Your judgments will help me.
176. I wandered like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I did not forget Your commandments.
When Psalm 118 is read
- the longest psalm — the Alpha and Omega of the Law (the whole of Kathisma 17).
- At the end of each psalm, the tradition adds: "Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen."
Neighboring psalms
The numbering follows the Orthodox Psalter (Septuagint). The same psalm may have a different number in other Bible editions.
