Prayer for Protection against the Wicked.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

140 (A)Rescue me, Lord, from evil people;
Protect me from (B)violent men
Who (C)devise evil things in their hearts;
They (D)continually stir up wars.
They (E)sharpen their tongues like a snake;
(F)The venom of a viper is under their lips. Selah

(G)Keep me, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
(H)Protect me from violent men
Who [a]intend to [b](I)trip up my feet.
The proud have (J)hidden a trap for me, and snares;
They have spread a (K)net at the [c]wayside;
They have set (L)snares for me. Selah

I (M)said to the Lord, “You are my God;
(N)Listen, Lord, to the (O)sound of my pleadings.
[d]God the Lord, (P)the strength of my salvation,
You have (Q)covered my head on the day of [e]battle.
Do not grant, Lord, the (R)desires of the wicked;
Do not bring about (S)his evil planning, so that they are not exalted. Selah

“As for the head of those who surround me,
May the (T)harm of their lips cover them.
10 May (U)burning coals fall upon them;
May they be (V)cast into the fire,
Into bottomless pits from which they (W)cannot rise.
11 May a [f]slanderer not endure on the earth;
(X)May evil hunt a violent person [g]violently.”

12 I know that the Lord will (Y)maintain the cause of the afflicted,
And (Z)justice for the poor.
13 Certainly the (AA)righteous will give thanks to Your name;
The (AB)upright will dwell in Your presence.

An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection.

A Psalm of David.

141 Lord, I call upon You; (AC)hurry to me!
(AD)Listen to my voice when I call to You!
May my prayer be [h]counted as (AE)incense before You;
The (AF)raising of my hands as the (AG)evening offering.
Set a (AH)guard, Lord, [i]over my mouth;
Keep watch over the (AI)door of my lips.
(AJ)Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds [j]of wickedness
With people who (AK)do wrong;
And (AL)may I not taste their delicacies.

May the (AM)righteous strike me with mercy and discipline me;
It is (AN)oil for the head;
My head shall not refuse it,
For my prayer (AO)is still against their evil deeds.
Their judges are (AP)thrown down by the sides of the rock,
And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.
As when one (AQ)plows and breaks open the earth,
Our (AR)bones have been scattered at the (AS)mouth of [k]Sheol.

For my (AT)eyes are toward You, [l]God, the Lord;
In You I (AU)take refuge; (AV)do not [m]leave me defenseless.
Keep me from the [n](AW)jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the (AX)snares of those who do wrong.
10 May the wicked (AY)fall into their own nets,
While I pass by [o](AZ)safely.

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

[p]Maskil of David, when he was [q]in the cave. A Prayer.

142 I (BA)cry out with my voice to the Lord;
With my voice I (BB)implore the Lord for compassion.
I (BC)pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my (BD)trouble before Him.
When (BE)my spirit felt weak within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have (BF)hidden a trap for me.
Look to the right and see;
For there is (BG)no one who regards me favorably;
[r]There is no (BH)escape for me;
(BI)No one cares for my soul.

I cried out to You, Lord;
I said, “You are (BJ)my refuge,
My (BK)portion in the (BL)land of the living.
(BM)Give Your attention to my cry,
For I have been (BN)brought very low;
Rescue me from my persecutors,
For they are too (BO)strong for me.
(BP)Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will (BQ)look after me.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 140:4 Or devise
  2. Psalm 140:4 Lit push
  3. Psalm 140:5 Lit track
  4. Psalm 140:7 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  5. Psalm 140:7 Lit weapons
  6. Psalm 140:11 Lit man of tongue
  7. Psalm 140:11 Lit blow upon blow
  8. Psalm 141:2 Lit fixed
  9. Psalm 141:3 Lit to
  10. Psalm 141:4 Lit in
  11. Psalm 141:7 I.e., the netherworld
  12. Psalm 141:8 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  13. Psalm 141:8 Lit pour out my soul
  14. Psalm 141:9 Lit hands of the trap
  15. Psalm 141:10 Lit altogether
  16. Psalm 142 Title Possibly Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
  17. Psalm 142 Title 1 Sam 22:1; 24:3
  18. Psalm 142:4 Lit Escape has perished from me

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