Psalm 140:1–13

Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;

preserve me from violent men,

who plan evil things in their heart

and stir up wars continually.

They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s,

and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah

Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;

preserve me from violent men,

who have planned to trip up my feet.

The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,

and with cords they have spread a net;

beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah

I say to the Lord, You are my God;

give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!

O Lord, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,

you have covered my head in the day of battle.

Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;

do not further their evil plot, or they will be exalted! Selah

As for the head of those who surround me,

let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!

Let burning coals fall upon them!

Let them be cast into fire,

into miry pits, no more to rise!

Let not the slanderer be established in the land;

let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!

I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted,

and will execute justice for the needy.

Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;

the upright shall dwell in your presence.

Rescue me, Lord, from evildoers;

protect me from the violent,

who devise evil plans in their hearts

and stir up war every day.

They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s;

the poison of vipers is on their lips.

Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;

protect me from the violent,

who devise ways to trip my feet.

The arrogant have hidden a snare for me;

they have spread out the cords of their net

and have set traps for me along my path.

I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”

Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.

Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer,

you shield my head in the day of battle.

Do not grant the wicked their desires, Lord;

do not let their plans succeed.

Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;

may the mischief of their lips engulf them.

May burning coals fall on them;

may they be thrown into the fire,

into miry pits, never to rise.

May slanderers not be established in the land;

may disaster hunt down the violent.

I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor

and upholds the cause of the needy.

Surely the righteous will praise your name,

and the upright will live in your presence.

Rescue me, Lord, from evil men.

Keep me safe from violent men

who plan evil in their hearts.

They stir up wars all day long.

They make their tongues

as sharp as a snake’s bite;

viper’s venom is under their lips.

Selah

Protect me, Lord,

from the power of the wicked.

Keep me safe from violent men

who plan to make me stumble.

The proud hide a trap with ropes for me;

they spread a net along the path

and set snares for me.

Selah

I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”

Listen, Lord, to my cry for help.

Lord, my Lord, my strong Savior,

you shield my head on the day of battle.

Lord, do not grant the desires of the wicked;

do not let them achieve their goals.

Otherwise, they will become proud.

Selah

When those who surround me rise up,

may the trouble their lips cause overwhelm them.

Let hot coals fall on them.

Let them be thrown into the fire,

into the abyss, never again to rise.

Do not let a slanderer stay in the land.

Let evil relentlessly hunt down a violent man.

I know that the Lord upholds

the just cause of the poor,

justice for the needy.

Surely the righteous will praise your name;

the upright will live in your presence.

O Lord, rescue me from evil people.

Protect me from those who are violent,

those who plot evil in their hearts

and stir up trouble all day long.

Their tongues sting like a snake;

the venom of a viper drips from their lips.

Interlude

O Lord, keep me out of the hands of the wicked.

Protect me from those who are violent,

for they are plotting against me.

The proud have set a trap to catch me;

they have stretched out a net;

they have placed traps all along the way.

Interlude

I said to the Lord, “You are my God!”

Listen, O Lord, to my cries for mercy!

O Sovereign Lord, the strong one who rescued me,

you protected me on the day of battle.

Lord, do not let evil people have their way.

Do not let their evil schemes succeed,

or they will become proud.

Interlude

Let my enemies be destroyed

by the very evil they have planned for me.

Let burning coals fall down on their heads.

Let them be thrown into the fire

or into watery pits from which they can’t escape.

Don’t let liars prosper here in our land.

Cause great disasters to fall on the violent.

But I know the Lord will help those they persecute;

he will give justice to the poor.

Surely righteous people are praising your name;

the godly will live in your presence.

Rescue me, O Yahweh, from evil men.

Preserve me from violent men,

who plan evil things in their heart.

They stir up wars continually.

They sharpen their tongue as sharp as a snake’s;

the venom of a viper is under their lips. Selah

Protect me, O Yahweh, from the hands of the wicked.

Preserve me from violent men,

who have planned to make me stumble.

The proud have hidden a trap for me, and cords.

They have spread out a net along the side of the path.

They have set snares for me. Selah

I say to Yahweh, “You are my God.”

Listen, O Yahweh, to the voice of my supplications.

O Yahweh, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,

you have covered my head in the day of battle.

Do not grant, O Yahweh, the desires of the wicked.

Do not allow them to attain their plan, lest they be exalted. Selah

With respect to the head of those who surround me,

may the harm of their lips cover them.

Let burning coals fall on them;

let them be dropped into the fire,

into bottomless pits from which they cannot rise.

Do not let a slanderer be established in the land;

as for the man of violence, let evil hunt him quickly.

I know that Yahweh will maintain the cause of the afflicted,

and justice for the needy.

Surely the righteous will give thanks to your name;

the upright will dwell in your presence.

Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man:

Preserve me from the violent man;

Which imagine mischiefs in their heart;

Continually are they gathered together for war.

They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent;

Adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.

Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;

Preserve me from the violent man;

Who have purposed to overthrow my goings.

The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords;

They have spread a net by the wayside;

They have set gins for me. Selah.

I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God:

Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.

O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation,

Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked:

Further not his wicked device;

Lest they exalt themselves. Selah.

As for the head of those that compass me about,

Let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

Let burning coals fall upon them:

Let them be cast into the fire;

Into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth:

Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted,

And the right of the poor.

Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name:

The upright shall dwell in thy presence.