Psalm 140–142

Psalm 140^a

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹Rescue me,^v Lord, from evildoers;

protect me from the violent,^w

²who devise evil plans^x in their hearts

and stir up war^y every day.

³They make their tongues as sharp as^z a serpent’s;

the poison of vipers^a is on their lips.^b

⁴Keep me safe,^b Lord, from the hands of the wicked;^c

protect me from the violent,

who devise ways to trip my feet.

⁵The arrogant have hidden a snare^d for me;

they have spread out the cords of their net^e

and have set traps^f for me along my path.

⁶I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”^g

Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.^h

⁷Sovereign Lord,ⁱ my strong deliverer,

you shield my head in the day of battle.

⁸Do not grant the wicked^j their desires, Lord;

do not let their plans succeed.

⁹Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;

may the mischief of their lips engulf them.^k

¹⁰May burning coals fall on them;

may they be thrown into the fire,^l

into miry pits, never to rise.

¹¹May slanderers not be established in the land;

may disaster hunt down the violent.^m

¹²I know that the Lord secures justice for the poorⁿ

and upholds the cause^o of the needy.^p

¹³Surely the righteous will praise your name,^q

and the upright will live^r in your presence.^s

Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

¹I call to you, Lord, come quickly^t to me;

hear me^u when I call to you.

²May my prayer be set before you like incense;^v

may the lifting up of my hands^w be like the evening sacrifice.^x

³Set a guard over my mouth,^y Lord;

keep watch over the door of my lips.^z

⁴Do not let my heart^a be drawn to what is evil

so that I take part in wicked deeds^b

along with those who are evildoers;

do not let me eat their delicacies.^c

⁵Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;

let him rebuke me^d—that is oil on my head.^e

My head will not refuse it,

for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.

⁶Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,^f

and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.

⁷They will say, “As one plows^g and breaks up the earth,^h

so our bones have been scattered at the mouthⁱ of the grave.”

⁸But my eyes are fixed^j on you, Sovereign Lord;

in you I take refuge^k—do not give me over to death.

⁹Keep me safe^l from the traps set by evildoers,^m

from the snaresⁿ they have laid for me.

¹⁰Let the wicked fall^o into their own nets,

while I pass by in safety.^p

Psalm 142^a

A maskil^b of David. When he was in the cave.^q A prayer.

¹I cry aloud^r to the Lord;

I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.^s

²I pour out before him my complaint;^t

before him I tell my trouble.^u

³When my spirit grows faint^v within me,

it is you who watch over my way.

In the path where I walk

people have hidden a snare for me.

⁴Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;

no one is concerned for me.

I have no refuge;^w

no one cares^x for my life.

⁵I cry to you, Lord;

I say, “You are my refuge,^y

my portion^z in the land of the living.”^a

⁶Listen to my cry,^b

for I am in desperate need;^c

rescue me^d from those who pursue me,

for they are too strong^e for me.

⁷Set me free from my prison,^f

that I may praise your name.^g

Then the righteous will gather about me

because of your goodness to me.^h