Psalm 142-144

New King James Version

A Plea for Relief from Persecutors

A ^(A)Contemplation^[a] of David. A Prayer ^(B)when he was in the cave.

142 I cry out to the Lord with my voice;
With my voice to the Lord I make my supplication.
²I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare before Him my trouble.

³When my spirit ^[b]was ^(C)overwhelmed within me,
Then You knew my path.
In the way in which I walk
They have secretly ^(D)set a snare for me.
⁴Look on my right hand and see,
For there is no one who acknowledges me;
Refuge has failed me;
No one cares for my soul.

⁵I cried out to You, O Lord:
I said, “You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.
⁶^[c]Attend to my cry,
For I am brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are stronger than I.
⁷Bring my soul out of prison,
That I may ^(E)praise Your name;
The righteous shall surround me,
For You shall deal bountifully with me.”

An Earnest Appeal for Guidance and Deliverance

A Psalm of David.

143 Hear my prayer, O Lord,
Give ear to my supplications!
In Your faithfulness answer me,
And in Your righteousness.
²Do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
^(F)For in Your sight no one living is righteous.

³For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in ^[d]darkness,
Like those who have long been dead.
⁴^(G)Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;
My heart within me is distressed.

⁵^(H)I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your works;
I ^[e]muse on the work of Your hands.
⁶I spread out my hands to You;
^(I)My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah

⁷Answer me speedily, O Lord;
My spirit fails!
Do not hide Your face from me,
^(J)Lest I ^[f]be like those who ^[g]go down into the pit.
⁸Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness ^(K)in the morning,
For in You do I trust;
^(L)Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For ^(M)I lift up my soul to You.

⁹Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;
^[h]In You I take shelter.
¹⁰^(N)Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
^(O)Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in ^(P)the land of uprightness.

¹¹^(Q)Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake!
For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
¹²In Your mercy ^(R)cut^[i] off my enemies,
And destroy all those who afflict my soul;
For I am Your servant.

A Song to the Lord Who Preserves and Prospers His People

A Psalm of David.

144 Blessed be the Lord my Rock,
^(S)Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle—
²My lovingkindness and my fortress,
My high tower and my deliverer,
My shield and the One in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues ^[j]my people under me.

³^(T)Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?
⁴^(U)Man is like a breath;
^(V)His days are like a passing shadow.

⁵^(W)Bow down Your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
^(X)Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
⁶^(Y)Flash forth lightning and scatter them;
Shoot out Your arrows and destroy them.
⁷Stretch out Your hand from above;
Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters,
From the hand of foreigners,
⁸Whose mouth ^(Z)speaks ^[k]lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

⁹I will ^(AA)sing a new song to You, O God;
On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
¹⁰The One who gives ^[l]salvation to kings,
^(AB)Who delivers David His servant
From the deadly sword.

¹¹Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners,
Whose mouth speaks lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood—
¹²That our sons may be ^(AC)as plants grown up in their youth;
That our daughters may be as ^[m]pillars,
Sculptured in palace style;
¹³That our barns may be full,
Supplying all kinds of produce;
That our sheep may bring forth thousands
And ten thousands in our fields;
¹⁴That our oxen may be well laden;
That there be no ^[n]breaking in or going out;
That there be no outcry in our streets.
¹⁵^(AD)Happy are the people who are in such a state;
Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!