Psalm 142–143

Psalm 142

A Cry of Distress

A Davidic Maskil. When he was in the cave. ^lA prayer.

¹I cry aloud to the Lord; ^m

I plead aloud to the Lord for mercy. ⁿ

²I pour out my complaint before Him;

I reveal my trouble to Him. ^o

³Although my spirit is weak within me,

You know my way. ^p

Along this path I travel

they have hidden a trap for me. ^q

⁴Look to the right and see: ^r

no one stands up for me;

there is no refuge for me;

no one cares about me. ^s

⁵I cry to You, Lord;

I say, “You are my shelter,

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

⁶Listen to my cry,

for I am very weak. ^u

Rescue me from those who pursue me,

for they are too strong for me. ^v

⁷Free me from prison

so that I can praise Your name.

The righteous will gather around me

because You deal generously with me. ^w

Psalm 143

A Cry for Help

A Davidic psalm.

¹Lord, hear my prayer.

In Your faithfulness listen to my plea,

and in Your righteousness answer me. ^x

²Do not bring Your servant into judgment, ^y

for no one alive is righteous in Your sight. ^z

³For the enemy has pursued me,

crushing me to the ground,

making me live in darkness

like those long dead. ^a

⁴My spirit is weak within me;

my heart is overcome with dismay. ^b

⁵I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all You have done;

I reflect on the work of Your hands. ^c

⁶I spread out my hands to You;

I am like parched land before You. ^dSelah

⁷Answer me quickly, Lord;

my spirit fails. ^e

Don’t hide Your face from me,

or I will be like those

going down to the Pit. ^f

⁸Let me experience

Your faithful love in the morning,

for I trust in You. ^g

Reveal to me the way I should go

because I long for You. ^h

⁹Rescue me from my enemies, Lord;

I come to You for protection. ^ij

¹⁰Teach me to do Your will,

for You are my God. ^k

May Your gracious Spirit

lead me on level ground. ^l

¹¹Because of Your name, Yahweh,

let me live.

In Your righteousness deliver me from trouble, ^m

¹²and in Your faithful love destroy my enemies.

Wipe out all those who attack me,

for I am Your servant. ⁿ