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Psalm 140

For the music leader. A psalm of David.

140 Rescue me from evil people, Lord!
    Guard me from violent people
    who plot evil things in their hearts,
    who pick fights every single day!
They sharpen their tongues like a snake’s;
    spider poison[a] is on their lips. Selah

Protect me from the power of the wicked, Lord!
    Guard me from violent people
        who plot to trip me up!
Arrogant people have laid a trap for me with ropes.
    They’ve spread out a net alongside the road.
    They’ve set snares for me. Selah

I tell the Lord, “You are my God!
    Listen to my request for mercy, Lord!”
My Lord God, my strong saving help—
    you’ve protected my head on the day of battle.
Lord, don’t give the wicked what they want!
    Don’t allow their plans to succeed,
    or they’ll exalt themselves even more![b] Selah

Let the heads of the people surrounding me
    be covered with the trouble their own lips caused![c]
10 Let burning coals fall on them!
    Let them fall into deep pits and never get out again!
11 Let no slanderer be safe in the land.
    Let calamity hunt down violent people—and quickly![d]

12 I know that the Lord will take up the case of the poor
    and will do what is right for the needy.
13 Yes, the righteous will give thanks to your name,
    and those who do right will live in your presence.

Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

141 I cry out to you, Lord: Come to me—quickly!
    Listen to my voice when I cry out to you!
Let my prayer stand before you like incense;
    let my uplifted hands be like the evening offering.

Set a guard over my mouth, Lord;
    keep close watch over the door that is my lips.
Don’t let my heart turn aside to evil things
        so that I don’t do wicked things with evildoers,
        so I don’t taste their delicacies.

Instead, let the righteous discipline me;
    let the faithful correct me!
Let my head never reject that kind of fine oil,
    because my prayers are always against the deeds of the wicked.[e]
Their leaders will fall from jagged cliffs,
    but my words will be heard because they are pleasing.[f]
Our bones[g] have been scattered at the mouth of the grave,[h]
    just like when the ground is broken up and plowed.[i]

But my eyes are on you, my Lord God.
    I take refuge in you; don’t let me die!
Protect me from the trap they’ve set for me;
    protect me from the snares of the evildoers.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets—all together!—
    but let me make it through safely.

Psalm 142

A maskil[j] of David, when he was in the cave. A prayer.

142 I cry out loud for help from the Lord.
    I beg out loud for mercy from the Lord.
I pour out my concerns before God;
    I announce my distress to him.
When my spirit is weak inside me, you still know my way.
    But they’ve hidden a trap for me in the path I’m taking.
Look right beside me: See?
    No one pays attention to me.
There’s no escape for me.
    No one cares about my life.

I cry to you, Lord, for help.
    “You are my refuge,” I say.
    “You are all I have in the land of the living.”
Pay close attention to my shouting,
    because I’ve been brought down so low!
Deliver me from my oppressors
    because they’re stronger than me.
Get me out of this prison
    so I can give thanks to your name.
Then the righteous will gather all around me
    because of your good deeds to me.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 140:3 LXX snake poison
  2. Psalm 140:8 Heb uncertain
  3. Psalm 140:9 Heb uncertain
  4. Psalm 140:11 Heb uncertain
  5. Psalm 141:5 Heb uncertain
  6. Psalm 141:6 Heb uncertain
  7. Psalm 141:7 LXX manuscripts, Syr their bones; DSS (11QPsa) my bones
  8. Psalm 141:7 Heb Sheol
  9. Psalm 141:7 Heb uncertain
  10. Psalm 142:1 Perhaps instruction

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