Psalm 140–142

Psalm 140

PRAYER FOR RESCUE

For the choir director. A psalm of David.

¹Rescue me, Lord, from evil men.

Keep me safe from violent men^c

²who plan evil in their hearts.

They stir up wars all day long.^d

³They make their tongues

as sharp as a snake’s bite;

viper’s venom is under their lips.^e

Selah

⁴Protect me, Lord,

from the power of the wicked.^f

Keep me safe from violent men

who plan to make me stumble.^Fg

⁵The proud hide a trap with ropes for me;

they spread a net along the path

and set snares for me.^h

Selah

⁶I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”

Listen, Lord, to my cry for help.ⁱ

⁷Lord, my Lord, my strong Savior,

you shield my head on the day of battle.^j

⁸Lord, do not grant the desires of the wicked;

do not let them achieve their goals.

Otherwise, they will become proud.^k

Selah

⁹When those who surround me rise up,^A

may the trouble their lips cause overwhelm them.^l

¹⁰Let hot coals fall on them.

Let them be thrown into the fire,

into the abyss, never again to rise.^m

¹¹Do not let a slanderer stay in the land.

Let evil relentlessly^B hunt down a violent man.ⁿ

¹²I^C know that the Lord upholds

the just cause of the poor,

justice for the needy.^o

¹³Surely the righteous will praise your name;

the upright will live in your presence.^p

Psalm 141

PROTECTION FROM SIN AND SINNERS

A psalm of David.

¹Lord, I call on you; hurry to help me.

Listen to my voice when I call on you.^q

²May my prayer be set before you as incense,^r

the raising of my hands as the evening offering.^s

³Lord, set up a guard for my mouth;

keep watch at the door of my lips.^t

⁴Do not let my heart turn to any evil thing

or perform wicked acts with evildoers.

Do not let me feast on their delicacies.^u

⁵Let the righteous one strike me—

it is an act of faithful love;

let him rebuke me—

it is oil for my head;

let me^D not refuse it.^v

Even now my prayer is against

the evil acts of the wicked.^Ew

⁶When their rulers^F will be thrown off

the sides of a cliff,

the people^G will listen to my words,

for they are pleasing.^x

⁷As when one plows and breaks up the soil,

turning up rocks,

so our^H bones have been scattered

at the mouth of Sheol.^y

⁸But my eyes look to you, Lord, my Lord.

I seek refuge in you; do not let me die.^Iz

⁹Protect me from the trap they have set for me,

and from the snares of evildoers.^aa

¹⁰Let the wicked fall into their own nets,

while I pass by safely.^ab

Psalm 142

A CRY OF DISTRESS

A Maskil of David. When he was in the cave.^ac A prayer.

¹I cry aloud to the Lord;^ad

I plead aloud to the Lord for mercy.^ae

²I pour out my complaint before him;

I reveal my trouble to him.^af

³Although my spirit is weak within me,

you know my way.^a

Along this path I travel

they have hidden a trap for me.^b

⁴Look to the right and see:^A

no one stands up for me;

there is no refuge for me;

no one cares about me.^c

⁵I cry to you, Lord;

I say, “You are my shelter,

my portion in the land of the living.”^d

⁶Listen to my cry,

for I am very weak.^e

Rescue me from those who pursue me,

for they are too strong for me.^f

⁷Free me from prison

so that I can praise your name.

The righteous will gather around me

because you deal generously with me.^g