Psalm 140–142

PSALM 140

Rescue Me, O Yahweh, from Evil Men

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

^1aRescue me, O Yahweh, from evil men;

Guard me from ^bviolent men

²Who ^athink up evil things in their hearts;

They ^bcontinually stir up wars.

³They ^asharpen their tongues as a serpent;

^bPoison of an asp is under their lips. ¹Selah.

^4aKeep me, O Yahweh, from the hands of the wicked;

^bGuard me from violent men

Who ¹give thought to ^2ctrip up my steps.

⁵The proud have ^ahidden a trap for me, and cords;

They have spread a ^bnet by the ¹wayside;

They have set ^csnares for me. Selah.

⁶I ^asaid to Yahweh, “You are my God;

^bGive ear, O Yahweh, to the ^cvoice of my supplications.

⁷“O Yahweh, O Lord, ^athe strength of my salvation,

You have ^bcovered my head in the day of ¹battle.

⁸“Do not grant, O Yahweh, the ^adesires of the wicked;

Do not promote ^bhis evil ¹scheme, that they not be exalted. Selah.

⁹“As for the head of those who surround me,

May the ^atrouble from their lips cover them.

¹⁰“May ^aburning coals be shaken out upon them;

May He ^bcause them to fall into the fire,

Into ¹bottomless pits from which they ^ccan never rise.

¹¹“May a ¹slanderer not be established in the earth;

^aMay evil hunt the violent man ²speedily.”

¹²I know that Yahweh will ^amaintain the cause for the afflicted

And ^bjudgment for the needy.

¹³Surely the ^arighteous will give thanks to Your name;

The ^bupright will abide in Your presence.

PSALM 141

My Prayer as Incense Before You

A Psalm of David.

¹O Yahweh, I call upon You; ^ahasten to me!

^bGive ear to my voice when I call to You!

²May my prayer be established as ^aincense before You;

The ^blifting up of my hands as the ^cevening offering.

³Set a ^aguard, O Yahweh, ¹over my mouth;

Keep watch over the ^bdoor of my lips.

^4aDo not incline my heart to any evil thing,

To practice deeds in wickedness

With men who are ^bworkers of iniquity;

And ^cdo not let me eat of their delicacies.

⁵Let the ^arighteous smite me in lovingkindness and reprove me;

It is ^boil upon the head;

Let not my head refuse it,

¹For still my prayer ^cis ²against their evil deeds.

⁶Their judges are ^athrown down by the sides of the cliff,

And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.

⁷As when one ^aplows and splits open the earth,

Our ^bbones have been scattered at the ^cmouth of Sheol.

⁸For my ^aeyes are toward You, O Yahweh, O Lord;

In You I ^btake refuge; ^cdo not pour out my soul to death.

⁹Keep me from the ^1ajaws of the trap which they have set for me,

And from the ^bsnares of workers of iniquity.

¹⁰Let the wicked ^afall into their own nets,

As for myself—meanwhile, ^bI am passing by.

PSALM 142

Give Heed to My Cry

A ^†Maskil of David. When he was ^•in the cave. A Prayer.

¹With my voice to Yahweh, I ^acry aloud;

With my voice to Yahweh, I ^bmake supplication.

²I ^apour out my complaint before Him;

I declare my ^bdistress before Him.

³When ^amy spirit ¹was faint within me,

You knew my path.

In the way where I walk

They have ^bhidden a trap for me.

⁴Look to the right and see;

That there is ^ano one who regards me;

^bA way of escape has been destroyed from me;

^cNo one cares for my soul.

⁵I cried out to You, O Yahweh;

I said, “You are ^amy refuge,

My ^bportion in the ^cland of the living.

⁶“^aGive heed to my cry of lamentation,

For I am ^bbrought very low;

Deliver me from my persecutors,

For they are too ^cstrong for me.

⁷“^aBring my soul out of prison,

To give thanks to Your name;

The righteous will encircle me,

For You will ^bdeal bountifully with me.”