Psalm 140–142

PSALM 140

Prayer for Protection against the Wicked.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

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

Preserve me from ^bviolent men

²Who ^adevise evil things in their hearts;

They ^bcontinually stir up wars.

³They ^asharpen their tongues as a serpent;

^bPoison of a viper is under their lips.

¹Selah.

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

^bPreserve me from violent men

Who have ¹purposed to ^2ctrip up my feet.

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 the Lord, “You are my God;

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

⁷“O ¹God the Lord, ^athe strength of my salvation,

You have ^bcovered my head in the day of ²battle.

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

Do not promote ^bhis evil device, that they not be exalted.

Selah.

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

May the ^amischief of their lips cover them.

¹⁰“May ^aburning coals fall upon them;

May they be ^bcast into the fire,

Into ¹deep pits from which they ^ccannot rise.

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

^aMay evil hunt the violent man ²speedily.”

¹²I know that the Lord will ^amaintain the cause of the afflicted

And ^bjustice for the poor.

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

The ^bupright will dwell in Your presence.

PSALM 141

An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection.

A Psalm of David.

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

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

²May my prayer be ¹counted as ^aincense before You;

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

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

Keep watch over the ^bdoor of my lips.

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

To practice deeds ¹of wickedness

With men who ^bdo iniquity;

And ^cdo not let me eat of their delicacies.

⁵Let the ^arighteous smite me ¹in kindness and reprove me;

It is ^boil upon the head;

Do not let my head refuse it,

²For still my prayer ^cis ³against their wicked deeds.

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

And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.

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

Our ^bbones have been scattered at the ^cmouth of ¹Sheol.

⁸For my ^aeyes are toward You, O ¹God, the Lord;

In You I ^btake refuge; ^cdo not ²leave me defenseless.

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

And from the ^bsnares of those who do iniquity.

¹⁰Let the wicked ^afall into their own nets,

While I pass by ^1bsafely.

PSALM 142

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

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

¹I ^acry aloud with my voice to the Lord;

I ^bmake supplication with my voice to the Lord.

²I ^apour out my complaint before Him;

I declare my ^btrouble before Him.

³When ^amy spirit ¹was overwhelmed 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;

For there is ^ano one who regards me;

¹There is no ^bescape for me;

^cNo one cares for my soul.

⁵I cried out to You, O Lord;

I said, “You are ^amy refuge,

My ^bportion in the ^cland of the living.

⁶“^aGive heed to my cry,

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,

So that I may give thanks to Your name;

The righteous will surround me,

For You will ^bdeal bountifully with me.”