Mazmur 25:4-14

25:4 Make me understand your ways, O Lord!

Teach me your paths! ¹ 

25:5 Guide me into your truth ²  and teach me.

For you are the God who delivers me;

on you I rely all day long.

25:6 Remember ³  your compassionate and faithful deeds, O Lord,

for you have always acted in this manner. ⁴ 

25:7 Do not hold against me ⁵  the sins of my youth ⁶  or my rebellious acts!

Because you are faithful to me, extend to me your favor, O Lord! ⁷ 

25:8 The Lord is both kind and fair; ⁸ 

that is why he teaches sinners the right way to live. ⁹ 

25:9 May he show ¹⁰  the humble what is right! ¹¹ 

May he teach ¹²  the humble his way!

25:10 The Lord always proves faithful and reliable ¹³ 

to those who follow the demands of his covenant. ¹⁴ 

25:11 For the sake of your reputation, ¹⁵  O Lord,

forgive my sin, because it is great. ¹⁶ 

25:12 The Lord shows his faithful followers

the way they should live. ¹⁷ 

25:13 They experience his favor; ¹⁸ 

their descendants ¹⁹  inherit the land. ²⁰ 

25:14 The Lord’s loyal followers receive his guidance, ²¹ 

and he reveals his covenantal demands to them. ²² 

[25:4]  ¹ sn Teach me your paths. In this context the Lord’s “ways” and “paths” refer to the moral principles which the Lord prescribes for his followers. See vv. 8-10.

[25:5]  ² sn The Lord’s commandments are referred to as truth here because they are a trustworthy and accurate expression of the divine will.

[25:6]  ³ tn That is, “remember” with the intention of repeating.

[25:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “for from antiquity [are] they.”

[25:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “do not remember,” with the intention of punishing.

[25:7]  ⁶ sn That is, the sins characteristic of youths, who lack moral discretion and wisdom.

[25:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “according to your faithfulness, remember me, you, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.”

[25:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “good and just.”

[25:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “teaches sinners in the way.”

[25:9]  ¹⁰ tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive; the psalmist expresses his prayer.

[25:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “may he guide the humble into justice.” The Hebrew term עֲנָוִים (’anavim, “humble”) usually refers to the oppressed, but in this context, where the psalmist confesses his sin and asks for moral guidance, it apparently refers to sinners who humble themselves before God and seek deliverance from their sinful condition.

[25:9]  ¹² tn The prefixed verbal form is interpreted as a jussive (it stands parallel to the jussive form, “may he guide”).

[25:10]  ¹³ tn Heb “all the paths of the Lord are faithful and trustworthy.” The Lord’s “paths” refer here to his characteristic actions.

[25:10]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “to the ones who keep his covenant and his testimonies.”

[25:11]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “name.” By forgiving the sinful psalmist, the Lord’s reputation as a merciful God will be enhanced.

[25:11]  ¹⁶ sn Forgive my sin, because it is great. The psalmist readily admits his desperate need for forgiveness.

[25:12]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Who is this man, the one who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose.” The singular (note “man”) is representative here (see v. 14, where the plural is used), and has thus been translated as a plural (“followers…they”).

[25:13]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “his life in goodness dwells.” The singular is representative (see v. 14).

[25:13]  ¹⁹ tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”

[25:13]  ²⁰ tn Or “earth.”

[25:14]  ²¹ tn Heb “the advice of the Lord belongs to those who fear him.”

[25:14]  ²² tn Heb “and his covenant, to make them know.”