Font Size
Psalm 141-144
New Life Version
Psalm 141-144
New Life Version
An Evening Prayer
141 I call upon You, O Lord. Hurry to me! Hear my voice when I call to You! 2 May my prayer be like special perfume before You. May the lifting up of my hands be like the evening gift given on the altar in worship. 3 O Lord, put a watch over my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips. 4 Do not let my heart turn to any sinful thing, to do wrong with men who sin. And do not let me eat their fine food.
5 Let those who are right with God punish me and speak strong words to me in kindness. It is oil upon my head. Do not let my head turn away from it. Yet my prayer is always against the sinful works of those who sin. 6 When their rulers are thrown down from high rocks, they will hear my words, for they are true. 7 Our bones have been spread around the mouth of the grave like the broken ground behind the plow.
8 For my eyes are toward You, O God the Lord. In You I have a safe place. Do not leave me without help. 9 Keep me from the trap they have set for me. Keep me from the nets of those who do wrong. 10 Let the sinful fall into their own nets, while I pass by and am safe.
A Prayer for Help
142 I cry with a loud voice to the Lord. I pray with my voice to the Lord. 2 I talk and complain to Him. I tell Him all my trouble. 3 When my spirit had grown weak within me, You knew my path. They have hidden a trap for me in the way where I walk. 4 Look to the right and see. For there is no one who thinks about me. There is no place for me to go to be safe. No one cares about my soul.
5 I cried out to You, O Lord. I said, “You are my safe place, my share in the land of the living. 6 Listen to my cry, for I am brought down. Save me from those who make it hard for me. For they are too strong for me. 7 Bring my soul out of prison, so that I may give thanks to Your name. Those who are right and good will gather around me. For You will give much to me.”
A Prayer for Help
143 Hear my prayer, O Lord. Listen when I ask for help. Answer me because You are faithful and right. 2 Do not find Your servant guilty, for no man living is right and good in Your eyes. 3 For the one who hates me has made it hard for my soul. He has crushed my life to the ground. He has made me live in dark places, like those who have been dead for a long time. 4 So my spirit grows weak within me. My heart within me is afraid.
5 I remember the days long ago. I think about all You have done. I think about the work of Your hands. 6 I put out my hands to You. My soul is thirsty for You like a dry land.
7 Hurry to answer me, O Lord! My spirit is becoming weak! Do not hide Your face from me, or I will become like those who go down to the grave. 8 Let me hear Your loving-kindness in the morning, for I trust in You. Teach me the way I should go for I lift up my soul to You. 9 O Lord, take me away from those who hate me. I run to You to be safe.
10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Let Your good Spirit lead me on a straight path. 11 Give me new life, O Lord, because of Your name. Bring me out of trouble because You are right and good. 12 In Your loving-kindness cut off those who hate me. Destroy all those who make it hard for my soul, for I am Your servant.
A Song of Thanks
144 Praise and thanks be to the Lord, my rock. He makes my hands ready for war, and my fingers for battle. 2 He is my loving-kindness and my walls of strength, my strong place and the One Who sets me free, my safe-covering and the One in Whom I trust. He brings my people under my rule. 3 O Lord, what is man that You think of him, the son of man that You remember him? 4 Man is like a breath. His days are like a passing shadow. 5 O Lord, divide Your heavens and come down. Touch the mountains so they will smoke. 6 Send out lightning and divide them. Send out Your arrows and trouble them. 7 Put out Your hand from above. Take me out of trouble and away from the many waters, from the power of those from other lands. 8 Their mouths speak lies. And their right hand is a right hand that is false.
9 I will sing a new song to You, O God. I will sing praises to You on a harp of ten strings. 10 You save kings. You take Your servant David away from the sharp sword. 11 Take me out of trouble and away from the power of those from other lands. Their mouths speak lies. And their right hand is a right hand that is false.
12 May our young sons be like plants that are full-grown. And may our daughters be like the corner pieces of a great house. 13 May our store-houses be full of all kinds of food. And may our sheep grow by the thousands and ten thousands in our fields. 14 Let our cattle give birth without trouble and without loss. And may there be no cry of trouble in our streets. 15 Happy are the people who have all this. Yes, happy are the people whose God is the Lord!
Psalm 141-144
New International Version
Psalm 141-144
New International Version
Psalm 141
A psalm of David.
1 I call to you, Lord, come quickly(A) to me;
hear me(B) when I call to you.
2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;(C)
may the lifting up of my hands(D) be like the evening sacrifice.(E)
3 Set a guard over my mouth,(F) Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.(G)
4 Do not let my heart(H) be drawn to what is evil
so that I take part in wicked deeds(I)
along with those who are evildoers;
do not let me eat their delicacies.(J)
5 Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
let him rebuke me(K)—that is oil on my head.(L)
My head will not refuse it,
for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.
6 Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,(M)
and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
7 They will say, “As one plows(N) and breaks up the earth,(O)
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth(P) of the grave.”
8 But my eyes are fixed(Q) on you, Sovereign Lord;
in you I take refuge(R)—do not give me over to death.
9 Keep me safe(S) from the traps set by evildoers,(T)
from the snares(U) they have laid for me.
10 Let the wicked fall(V) into their own nets,
while I pass by in safety.(W)
Psalm 142[a]
A maskil[b] of David. When he was in the cave.(X) A prayer.
1 I cry aloud(Y) to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.(Z)
2 I pour out before him my complaint;(AA)
before him I tell my trouble.(AB)
3 When my spirit grows faint(AC) 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;(AD)
no one cares(AE) for my life.
6 Listen to my cry,(AI)
for I am in desperate need;(AJ)
rescue me(AK) from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong(AL) for me.
7 Set me free from my prison,(AM)
that I may praise your name.(AN)
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of your goodness to me.(AO)
Psalm 143
A psalm of David.
1 Lord, hear my prayer,(AP)
listen to my cry for mercy;(AQ)
in your faithfulness(AR) and righteousness(AS)
come to my relief.
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous(AT) before you.
3 The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness(AU)
like those long dead.(AV)
4 So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.(AW)
5 I remember(AX) the days of long ago;
I meditate(AY) on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
6 I spread out my hands(AZ) to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land.[c]
7 Answer me quickly,(BA) Lord;
my spirit fails.(BB)
Do not hide your face(BC) 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,(BD)
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way(BE) I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.(BF)
9 Rescue me(BG) from my enemies,(BH) Lord,
for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me(BI) to do your will,
for you are my God;(BJ)
may your good Spirit
lead(BK) me on level ground.(BL)
11 For your name’s sake,(BM) Lord, preserve my life;(BN)
in your righteousness,(BO) bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;(BP)
destroy all my foes,(BQ)
for I am your servant.(BR)
Psalm 144
Of David.
1 Praise be to the Lord my Rock,(BS)
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.
2 He is my loving God and my fortress,(BT)
my stronghold(BU) and my deliverer,
my shield,(BV) in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples[d](BW) under me.
3 Lord, what are human beings(BX) that you care for them,
mere mortals that you think of them?
4 They are like a breath;(BY)
their days are like a fleeting shadow.(BZ)
5 Part your heavens,(CA) Lord, and come down;(CB)
touch the mountains, so that they smoke.(CC)
6 Send forth lightning(CD) and scatter(CE) the enemy;
shoot your arrows(CF) and rout them.
7 Reach down your hand from on high;(CG)
deliver me and rescue me(CH)
from the mighty waters,(CI)
from the hands of foreigners(CJ)
8 whose mouths are full of lies,(CK)
whose right hands(CL) are deceitful.(CM)
9 I will sing a new song(CN) to you, my God;
on the ten-stringed lyre(CO) I will make music to you,
10 to the One who gives victory to kings,(CP)
who delivers his servant David.(CQ)
From the deadly sword(CR) 11 deliver me;
rescue me(CS) from the hands of foreigners(CT)
whose mouths are full of lies,(CU)
whose right hands are deceitful.(CV)
12 Then our sons in their youth
will be like well-nurtured plants,(CW)
and our daughters will be like pillars(CX)
carved to adorn a palace.
13 Our barns will be filled(CY)
with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
by tens of thousands in our fields;
14 our oxen(CZ) will draw heavy loads.[e]
There will be no breaching of walls,(DA)
no going into captivity,
no cry of distress in our streets.(DB)
15 Blessed is the people(DC) of whom this is true;
blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.
Footnotes
- Psalm 142:1 In Hebrew texts 142:1-7 is numbered 142:2-8.
- Psalm 142:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 143:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 144:2 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Aquila, Jerome and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text subdues my people
- Psalm 144:14 Or our chieftains will be firmly established
New Life Version (NLV)
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.