Translations
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Surely goodness and covenant-love shall pursue me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of YHWH for length of days.
Surely goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of Yahweh forever.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Footnotes
Yirdefuni (יִרְדְּפוּנִי), 'shall pursue me,' uses the very root—radaf—for an enemy in hot pursuit. The psalmist flips the terror of the chase: it is not the foe but tov (goodness) and chesed that give relentless chase. Chesed (חֶסֶד) is the great covenant-loyalty word of the Hebrew Bible—steadfast love flowing from oath and relationship; 'lovingkindness' and 'mercy' are both too thin. F.O.G. renders 'covenant-love' to anchor its relational-obligatory root; F.O.G.M. uses 'unfailing love' for emotional and experiential warmth. Shavti (וְשַׁבְתִּי) is debated—from yashav (to dwell) or shuv (to return); manuscript weight and context favour 'dwell,' though the echo of yeshuvev ('restores') in verse 3 creates a beautiful symmetry of return. Both translations render 'dwell,' while F.O.G. preserves the literal le'orekh yamim ('for length of days') and F.O.G.M. renders 'forever' to draw out its eschatological, temple-dwelling resonance.

