Psalm 140–142

Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil Men

140To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

^1yDeliver me, O Lord, from evil men;

preserve me from ^zviolent men,

²who plan evil things in their heart

and ^astir up wars continually.

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

and ^dunder their lips is the ^evenom of asps. Selah

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

preserve me from ^zviolent men,

who have planned to trip up my feet.

⁵The 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

⁶ⁱI say to the Lord, You are my God;

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

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

you have covered my head in the day of battle.

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

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

⁹As for the head of those who surround me,

let ⁿthe mischief of their lips overwhelm them!

¹⁰Let ^oburning coals fall upon them!

Let them be cast into fire,

into miry pits, no more to rise!

¹¹Let not the slanderer be established in the land;

let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!

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

and ^qwill execute justice for the needy.

¹³Surely ^rthe righteous shall give thanks to your name;

^sthe upright shall dwell in your presence.

Give Ear to My Voice

141A Psalm of David.

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

Give ear to my voice when I call to you!

²Let ^umy prayer be counted as incense before you,

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

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

^ykeep watch over the door of my lips!

^4zDo 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!

^5cLet 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.

⁶When their judges are ^ethrown over the cliff,¹

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

⁷As when one plows and breaks up the earth,

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

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

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

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

and from the snares of evildoers!

¹⁰Let the wicked ^jfall into their own nets,

while I pass by safely.

You Are My Refuge

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

¹With my voice I ^lcry out to the Lord;

with my voice I ^mplead for mercy to the Lord.

²I ⁿpour out my complaint before him;

I tell my trouble before him.

³When my spirit ^ofaints within me,

you know my way!

In the path where I walk

they have ^phidden a trap for me.

^4qLook to the ^rright and see:

^sthere is none who takes notice of me;

^tno refuge remains to me;

no one cares for my soul.

⁵I cry to you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my ^urefuge,

my ^vportion in ^wthe land of the living.”

^6xAttend to my cry,

for ^yI am brought very low!

Deliver me from my persecutors,

^zfor they are too strong for me!

^7aBring me out of prison,

that I may give thanks to your name!

The righteous will surround me,

for you will ^bdeal bountifully with me.