Psalm 19

Living Bible

19 The heavens are telling the glory of God; they are a marvelous display of his craftsmanship. ²Day and night they keep on telling about God. ^3-4Without a sound or word, silent in the skies, their message reaches out to all the world. The sun lives in the heavens where God placed it ⁵and moves out across the skies as radiant as a bridegroom^[a] going to his wedding, or as joyous as an athlete looking forward to a race! ⁶The sun crosses the heavens from end to end, and nothing can hide from its heat.

^7-8God’s laws are perfect. They protect us, make us wise, and give us joy and light. ⁹God’s laws are pure, eternal, just.^[b] ¹⁰They are more desirable than gold. They are sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb. ¹¹For they warn us away from harm and give success to those who obey them.

¹²But how can I ever know what sins are lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. ¹³And keep me from deliberate wrongs; help me to stop doing them. Only then can I be free of guilt and innocent of some great crime.

¹⁴May my spoken words and unspoken thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer.

Footnotes

Psalm 19:5 as radiant as a bridegroom, literally, “like a bridegroom.” going to his wedding, implied; literally, “going forth from his chamber.”
Psalm 19:9 God’s laws are pure, eternal, just, or “The rules governing the worship of the Lord are pure and need never be changed.”