Psalm 140–142

Psalm 140

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹Lord, save me from sinful men.

Keep me safe from those who want to hurt me.

²They make evil plans in their hearts.

They are always starting fights.

³Their tongues are as deadly as the tongue of a serpent.

The words from their lips are like the poison of a snake. Selah

⁴Lord, keep me out of the hands of sinful people.

Keep me safe from men who want to hurt me.

They plan to trip me up and make me fall.

⁵Proud people have hidden their traps to catch me.

They have spread out their nets.

They have set traps for me along my path. Selah

⁶Lord, I say to you, “You are my God.”

Lord, hear my cry for your favor.

⁷Lord and King, you save me because you are strong.

You are like a shield that keeps me safe in the day of battle.

⁸Lord, don’t give sinners what they want.

Don’t let their plans succeed.

If you do, they will become proud. Selah

⁹Those who are all around me have caused me trouble

by what their lips have said.

Let that trouble fall on their own heads.

¹⁰Let burning coals fall on people like that.

May they be thrown into the fire.

May they be thrown into muddy pits and never get out.

¹¹Don’t let men who tell lies about me settle down in the land.

May trouble hunt down those who want to hurt me.

¹²I know that the Lord makes sure that poor people are treated fairly.

He stands up for those who are in need.

¹³I’m sure that those who do right will praise your name.

Those who are honest will live with you.

Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

¹Lord, I call out to you. Come quickly to help me.

Listen to me when I call out to you.

²May my prayer come to you like the sweet smell of incense.

When I lift up my hands in prayer, may it be like the evening sacrifice.

³Lord, guard my mouth.

Keep watch over the door of my lips.

⁴Don’t let my heart be drawn to what is evil.

Don’t let me join men who do evil.

They don’t do what is right.

Don’t let me join them and eat their fancy food.

⁵If a person who does what is right were to strike me, it would be an act of kindness.

If that person were to correct me, it would be like pouring olive oil on my head.

I wouldn’t say no to it.

But I always pray against the things that sinful people do.

⁶When their rulers are thrown down from the rocky cliffs,

those evil people will realize that my words were true.

⁷They will say, “As clumps of dirt are left from plowing up the ground,

so our bones will be scattered near an open grave.”

⁸But Lord and King, I keep looking to you.

I go to you for safety. Don’t let me die.

⁹Keep me from the traps of those who do evil.

Save me from the traps they have set for me.

¹⁰Let evil people fall into their own nets.

But let me go safely on my way.

Psalm 142

A prayer of David when he was in the cave. A maskil.

¹I call out to the Lord.

I pray to him for his favor.

²I pour out my problem to him.

I tell him about my trouble.

³When I grow weak,

you know what I’m going through.

In the path where I walk,

people have hidden a trap to catch me.

⁴Look around me, and you will see

that no one is concerned about me.

I have no place of safety.

No one cares whether I live or die.

⁵Lord, I cry out to you.

I say, “You are my place of safety.

You are everything I need in this life.”

⁶Listen to my cry.

I am in great need.

Save me from those who are chasing me.

They are too strong for me.

⁷My troubles are like a prison.

Set me free so I can praise your name.

Then those who do what is right will gather around me

because you have been good to me.