Psalm 142–143

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.”

PSALM 143

My Soul Reaches for You

A Psalm of David.

¹O Yahweh, hear my prayer,

^aGive ear to my supplications!

Answer me in Your ^bfaithfulness, in Your ^crighteousness!

²And ^ado not enter into judgment with Your slave,

For ^bno one living is righteous in Your sight.

³For the enemy has pursued my soul;

He has crushed my life ^ato the ground;

He ^bhas made me inhabit dark places, like those who have long been dead.

⁴Therefore ^amy spirit was faint within me;

My heart was ^1bappalled within me.

⁵I ^aremember the days of old;

I ^bmeditate on all You have done;

I ^cmuse on the work of Your hands.

⁶I ^astretch out my hands to You;

My ^bsoul reaches for You like a weary land. ¹Selah.

^7aAnswer me quickly, O Yahweh, my ^bspirit wastes away;

^cDo not hide Your face from me,

Or I will become like ^dthose who go down to the pit.

⁸Cause me to hear Your ^alovingkindness ^bin the morning;

For I trust ^cin You;

Cause me to know the ^dway in which I should walk;

For to You I ^elift up my soul.

^9aDeliver me from my enemies, O Yahweh,

I have concealed myself in You.

^10aTeach me to do Your will,

For You are my God;

Let ^bYour good Spirit ^clead me on level ¹ground.

^11aFor the sake of Your name, O Yahweh, ^brevive me.

^cIn Your righteousness bring my soul out of distress.

¹²And in Your lovingkindness, ^1acut off my enemies

And cause all those who assail my soul to ^bperish,

For ^cI am Your slave.