Psalm 138–145

Psalm 138

A Psalm of David.

I will give thee thanks with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing psalms of thee. I will bow down toward the temple of thy holiness, and celebrate thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. In the day when I called thou answeredst me; thou didst encourage me with strength in my soul. All the kings of the earth shall celebrate thee, Jehovah, when they have heard the words of thy mouth; And they shall sing in the ways of Jehovah, for great is the glory of Jehovah.

⁶For Jehovah is high; but he looketh upon the lowly, and the proud he knoweth afar off. ⁷Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou wilt stretch forth thy hand against the anger of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. ⁸Jehovah will perfect what concerneth me: thy loving-kindness, O Jehovah, endureth for ever; forsake not the works of thine own hands.

Psalm 139

To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

Jehovah, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off; Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways; For there is not yet a word on my tongue, but lo, O Jehovah, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thy hand upon me. O knowledge too wonderful for me! it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

⁷Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? and whither flee from thy presence? ⁸If I ascend up into the heavens thou art there; or if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there; ⁹If I take the wings of the dawn and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, ¹⁰Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. ¹¹And if I say, Surely darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night; ¹²Even darkness hideth not from thee, and the night shineth as the day: the darkness is as the light. ¹³For thou hast possessed my reins; thou didst cover me in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴I will praise thee, for I am fearfully, wonderfully made. Marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. ¹⁵My bones were not hidden from thee when I was made in secret, curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth. ¹⁶Thine eyes did see my unformed substance, and in thy book all my members were written; during many days were they fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

¹⁷But how precious are thy thoughts unto me, O •God! how great is the sum of them! ¹⁸If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I awake, I am still with thee. ¹⁹Oh that thou wouldest slay the wicked, O †God! And ye men of blood, depart from me. ²⁰For they speak of thee wickedly, they take thy name in vain, thine enemies. ²¹Do not I hate them, O Jehovah, that hate thee? and do not I loathe them that rise up against thee? ²²I hate them with perfect hatred; I account them mine enemies. ²³Search me, O •God, and know my heart; prove me, and know my thoughts; ²⁴And see if there be any grievous way in me; and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 140

To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

Free me, O Jehovah, from the evil man; preserve me from the violent man: Who devise mischiefs in their heart; every day are they banded together for war. They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah. Keep me, O Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked man, preserve me from the violent man, who devise to overthrow my steps. The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the way-side; they have set traps for me. Selah. I have said unto Jehovah, Thou art my •God: give ear, O Jehovah, to the voice of my supplications. Jehovah, the Lord, is the strength of my salvation: thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

⁸Grant not, O Jehovah, the desire of the wicked; further not his device: they would exalt themselves. Selah. ⁹As for the head of those that encompass me, let the mischief of their own lips cover them. ¹⁰Let burning coals fall on them; let them be cast into the fire; into deep waters, that they rise not up again. ¹¹Let not the man of evil tongue be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the man of violence to his ruin. ¹²I know that Jehovah will maintain the cause of the afflicted one, the right of the needy. ¹³Yea, the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name; the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

Psalm 141

A Psalm of David.

Jehovah, I have called upon thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I call unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening oblation. Set a watch, O Jehovah, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise deeds of wickedness with men that are workers of iniquity; and let me not eat of their dainties.

⁵Let the righteous smite me, it is kindness; and let him reprove me, it is an excellent oil which my head shall not refuse: for yet my prayer also is for them in their calamities. ⁶When their judges are thrown down from the rocks, they shall hear my words, for they are sweet. ⁷Our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth. ⁸For unto thee, Jehovah, Lord, are mine eyes; in thee do I trust: leave not my soul destitute. ⁹Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, and from the traps of the workers of iniquity. ¹⁰Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal pass over.

Psalm 142

An instruction of David; when he was in the cave: a prayer.

I cry unto Jehovah with my voice: with my voice unto Jehovah do I make supplication. I pour out my plaint before him; I shew before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they hidden a snare for me.

⁴Look on the right hand and see; there is no man that knoweth me: refuge hath failed me; no man careth for my soul. ⁵I cried unto thee, Jehovah; I said, Thou art my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. ⁶Attend unto my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I. ⁷Bring my soul out of prison, that I may celebrate thy name. The righteous shall surround me, because thou dealest bountifully with me.

Psalm 143

A Psalm of David.

Jehovah, hear my prayer; give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, in thy righteousness. And enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight no man living shall be justified. For the enemy persecuteth my soul: he hath crushed my life down to the earth; he hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead. And my spirit is overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate. I remember the days of old: I meditate on all thy doing; I muse on the work of thy hands. I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul, as a parched land, thirsteth after thee. Selah.

⁷Answer me speedily, O Jehovah; my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, or I shall be like unto them that go down into the pit. ⁸Cause me to hear thy loving-kindness in the morning, for in thee do I confide; make me to know the way wherein I should walk, for unto thee do I lift up my soul. ⁹Deliver me, O Jehovah, from mine enemies: unto thee do I flee for refuge. ¹⁰Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: let thy good Spirit lead me in a plain country. ¹¹Revive me, O Jehovah, for thy name’s sake; in thy righteousness bring my soul out of trouble; ¹²And in thy loving-kindness cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that oppress my soul: for I am thy servant.

Psalm 144

A Psalm of David.

Blessed be Jehovah my rock, who teacheth my hands to war, my fingers to fight; My mercy and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I trust, who subdueth my people under me! Jehovah, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him, the son of man, that thou takest thought of him? Man is like to vanity; his days are as a shadow that passeth away. Jehovah, bow thy heavens, and come down; touch the mountains, that they smoke; Cast forth lightnings, and scatter them; send forth thine arrows, and discomfit them: Stretch out thy hands from above; rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of aliens, Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

⁹O God, I will sing a new song unto thee; with the ten-stringed lute will I sing psalms unto thee: ¹⁰Who givest salvation unto kings; who rescuest David thy servant from the hurtful sword. ¹¹Rescue me, and deliver me from the hand of aliens, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood. ¹²That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; our daughters as corner-columns, sculptured after the fashion of a palace: ¹³Our granaries full, affording all manner of store; our sheep bringing forth thousands, ten thousands in our pastures; ¹⁴Our kine laden with young; no breaking in and no going forth, and no outcry in our streets. ¹⁵Blessed the people that is in such a case! Blessed the people whose God is Jehovah!

Psalm 145

A Psalm of praise. Of David.

I will extol thee, my God, O King, and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee, and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is Jehovah, and exceedingly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall laud thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious splendour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And they shall tell of the might of thy terrible acts; and thy great deeds will I declare. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. Jehovah is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great loving-kindness. Jehovah is good to all; and his tender mercies are over all his works.…