Psalm 141:1–142:7

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.