Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil Men

140 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1  yDeliver me, O Lord, from evil men;

preserve me from zviolent men,

2  who plan evil things in their heart

and astir up wars continually.

3  They make btheir tongue sharp as ca serpent’s,

and dunder their lips is the evenom of asps. Selah

4  Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;

preserve me from zviolent men,

who have planned to trip up my feet.

5  The arrogant have fhidden a trap for me,

and with cords they have spread ga net;1

beside the way they have set hsnares for me. Selah

6  iI say to the Lord, You are my God;

give ear to jthe voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!

7  O Lord, my Lord, kthe strength of my salvation,

you have covered my head in the day of battle.

8  lGrant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;

do not further their2 evil plot, or mthey will be exalted! Selah

9  As for the head of those who surround me,

let nthe mischief of their lips overwhelm them!

10  Let oburning coals fall upon them!

Let them be cast into fire,

into miry pits, no more to rise!

11  Let not the slanderer be established in the land;

let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!

12  I know that the Lord will pmaintain the cause of the afflicted,

and qwill execute justice for the needy.

13  Surely rthe righteous shall give thanks to your name;

sthe upright shall dwell in your presence.

Give Ear to My Voice

141 A Psalm of David.

1  O Lord, I call upon you; thasten to me!

Give ear to my voice when I call to you!

2  Let umy prayer be counted as incense before you,

and vthe lifting up of my hands as wthe evening sacrifice!

3  xSet a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

ykeep watch over the door of my lips!

4  zDo not let my heart incline to any evil,

to busy myself with wicked deeds

in company with men who awork iniquity,

and blet me not eat of their delicacies!

5  cLet a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;

let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;

let my head not refuse it.

Yet dmy prayer is continually against their evil deeds.

6  When their judges are ethrown over the cliff,1

then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.

7  As when one plows and breaks up the earth,

so shall our bones fbe scattered at the mouth of Sheol.2

8  But gmy eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;

hin you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!3

9  Keep me from ithe trap that they have laid for me

and from the snares of evildoers!

10  Let the wicked jfall into their own nets,

while I pass by safely.

You Are My Refuge

142 A Maskil1 of David, when he was in kthe cave. A Prayer.

1  With my voice I lcry out to the Lord;

with my voice I mplead for mercy to the Lord.

2  I npour out my complaint before him;

I tell my trouble before him.

3  When my spirit ofaints within me,

you know my way!

In the path where I walk

they have phidden a trap for me.

4  qLook to the rright and see:

sthere is none who takes notice of me;

tno refuge remains to me;

no one cares for my soul.

5  I cry to you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my urefuge,

my vportion in wthe land of the living.”

6  xAttend to my cry,

for yI am brought very low!

Deliver me from my persecutors,

zfor they are too strong for me!

7  aBring me out of prison,

that I may give thanks to your name!

The righteous will surround me,

for you will bdeal bountifully with me.