Psalm 142–144

Psalm 142a

A maskilb of David. When he was in the cave.q A prayer.

1 I cry aloudr to the Lord;

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

2 I pour out before him my complaint;t

before him I tell my trouble.u

3 When my spirit grows faintv within me,

it is you who watch over my way.

In the path where I walk

people have hidden a snare for me.

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

no one is concerned for me.

I have no refuge;w

no one caresx for my life.

5 I cry to you, Lord;

I say, “You are my refuge,y

my portionz in the land of the living.”a

6 Listen to my cry,b

for I am in desperate need;c

rescue med from those who pursue me,

for they are too stronge for me.

7 Set 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

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

1 Lord, hear my prayer,i

listen to my cry for mercy;j

in your faithfulnessk and righteousnessl

come to my relief.

2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,

for no one living is righteousm before you.

3 The enemy pursues me,

he crushes me to the ground;

he makes me dwell in the darknessn

like those long dead.o

4 So my spirit grows faint within me;

my heart within me is dismayed.p

5 I rememberq the days of long ago;

I meditater on all your works

and consider what your hands have done.

6 I spread out my handss to you;

I thirst for you like a parched land.a

7 Answer me quickly,t Lord;

my spirit fails.u

Do not hide your facev from me

or I will be like those who go down to the pit.

8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,w

for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the wayx I should go,

for to you I entrust my life.y

9 Rescue mez from my enemies,a Lord,

for I hide myself in you.

10 Teach meb to do your will,

for you are my God;c

may your good Spirit

leadd me on level ground.e

11 For your name’s sake,f Lord, preserve my life;g

in your righteousness,h bring me out of trouble.

12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;i

destroy all my foes,j

for I am your servant.k

Psalm 144

Of David.

1 Praise be to the Lord my Rock,l

who trains my hands for war,

my fingers for battle.

2 He is my loving God and my fortress,m

my strongholdn and my deliverer,

my shield,o in whom I take refuge,

who subdues peoplesa p under me.

3 Lord, what are human beingsq that you care for them,

mere mortals that you think of them?

4 They are like a breath;r

their days are like a fleeting shadow.s

5 Part your heavens,t Lord, and come down;u

touch the mountains, so that they smoke.v

6 Send forth lightningw and scatterx the enemy;

shoot your arrowsy and rout them.

7 Reach down your hand from on high;z

deliver me and rescue mea

from the mighty waters,b

from the hands of foreignersc

8 whose mouths are full of lies,d

whose right handse are deceitful.f

9 I will sing a new songg to you, my God;

on the ten-stringed lyreh I will make music to you,

10 to the One who gives victory to kings,i

who delivers his servant David.j

From the deadly swordk 11 deliver me;

rescue mel from the hands of foreignersm

whose mouths are full of lies,n

whose right hands are deceitful.o

12 Then our sons in their youth

will be like well-nurtured plants,p

and our daughters will be like pillarsq

carved to adorn a palace.

13 Our barns will be filledr

with every kind of provision.

Our sheep will increase by thousands,

by tens of thousands in our fields;

14 our oxens will draw heavy loads.b

There will be no breaching of walls,t

no going into captivity,

no cry of distress in our streets.u

15 Blessed is the peoplev of whom this is true;

blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.