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Psalm 142-144
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 142-144
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 142
A Cry of Distress
A Davidic Maskil. When he was in the cave.(A) A prayer.
1 I cry aloud to the Lord;(B)
I plead aloud to the Lord for mercy.(C)
2 I pour out my complaint before Him;
I reveal my trouble to Him.(D)
3 Although my spirit is weak within me,
You know my way.(E)
Along this path I travel
they have hidden a trap for me.(F)
4 Look to the right and see:[a]
no one stands up for me;
there is no refuge for me;
no one cares about me.(G)
5 I cry to You, Lord;
I say, “You are my shelter,
my portion in the land of the living.”(H)
6 Listen to my cry,
for I am very weak.(I)
Rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.(J)
7 Free me from prison
so that I can praise Your name.
The righteous will gather around me
because You deal generously with me.(K)
Psalm 143
A Cry for Help
A Davidic psalm.
1 Lord, hear my prayer.
In Your faithfulness listen to my plea,
and in Your righteousness answer me.(L)
2 Do not bring Your servant into judgment,(M)
for no one alive is righteous in Your sight.(N)
3 For the enemy has pursued me,
crushing me to the ground,
making me live in darkness
like those long dead.(O)
4 My spirit is weak within me;
my heart is overcome with dismay.(P)
5 I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all You have done;
I reflect on the work of Your hands.(Q)
6 I spread out my hands to You;
I am like parched land before You.(R)
7 Answer me quickly, Lord;
my spirit fails.(S)
Don’t hide Your face from me,
or I will be like those
going down to the Pit.(T)
8 Let me experience
Your faithful love in the morning,
for I trust in You.(U)
Reveal to me the way I should go
because I long for You.(V)
9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord;
I come to You for protection.[b](W)
10 Teach me to do Your will,
for You are my God.(X)
May Your gracious Spirit
lead me on level ground.(Y)
11 Because of Your name, Yahweh,
let me live.
In Your righteousness deliver me from trouble,(Z)
12 and in Your faithful love destroy my enemies.
Wipe out all those who attack me,
for I am Your servant.(AA)
Psalm 144
A King’s Prayer
Davidic.
1 May the Lord, my rock, be praised,(AB)
who trains my hands for battle
and my fingers for warfare.(AC)
2 He is my faithful love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer.
He is my shield,(AD) and I take refuge in Him;(AE)
He subdues my people[c] under me.(AF)
3 Lord, what is man, that You care for him,
the son of man, that You think of him?(AG)
4 Man is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow.(AH)
5 Lord, part Your heavens and come down.(AI)
Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.(AJ)
6 Flash Your lightning and scatter the foe;[d]
shoot Your arrows and rout them.(AK)
7 Reach down[e] from heaven;(AL)
rescue me from deep water, and set me free
from the grasp of foreigners(AM)
8 whose mouths speak lies,
whose right hands are deceptive.(AN)
9 God, I will sing a new song to You;
I will play on a ten-stringed harp for You(AO)—
10 the One who gives victory to kings,
who frees His servant David
from the deadly sword.(AP)
11 Set me free and rescue me
from the grasp of foreigners(AQ)
whose mouths speak lies,
whose right hands are deceptive.(AR)
12 Then our sons will be like plants
nurtured in their youth,
our daughters, like corner pillars
that are carved in the palace style.(AS)
13 Our storehouses will be full,
supplying all kinds of produce;(AT)
our flocks will increase by thousands
and tens of thousands in our open fields.(AU)
14 Our cattle will be well fed.[f]
There will be no breach in the walls,
no going into captivity,[g]
and no cry of lament in our public squares.(AV)
15 Happy are the people with such blessings.
Happy are the people whose God is Yahweh.(AW)
Footnotes
- Psalm 142:4 DSS, LXX, Syr, Vg, Tg read I look to the right and I see
- Psalm 143:9 One Hb ms, LXX; some Hb mss read I cover myself to You
- Psalm 144:2 Some Hb mss, DSS, Aq, Syr, Tg, Jer read subdues peoples; 2Sm 22:48; Ps 18:47
- Psalm 144:6 Lit scatter them
- Psalm 144:7 Lit down Your hands
- Psalm 144:14 Or will bear heavy loads, or will be pregnant
- Psalm 144:14 Or be no plague, no miscarriage
Psalm 142-144
New International Version
Psalm 142-144
New International Version
Psalm 142[a]
A maskil[b] of David. When he was in the cave.(A) A prayer.
1 I cry aloud(B) to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.(C)
2 I pour out before him my complaint;(D)
before him I tell my trouble.(E)
3 When my spirit grows faint(F) 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;(G)
no one cares(H) for my life.
6 Listen to my cry,(L)
for I am in desperate need;(M)
rescue me(N) from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong(O) for me.
7 Set me free from my prison,(P)
that I may praise your name.(Q)
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of your goodness to me.(R)
Psalm 143
A psalm of David.
1 Lord, hear my prayer,(S)
listen to my cry for mercy;(T)
in your faithfulness(U) and righteousness(V)
come to my relief.
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous(W) before you.
3 The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness(X)
like those long dead.(Y)
4 So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.(Z)
5 I remember(AA) the days of long ago;
I meditate(AB) on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
6 I spread out my hands(AC) to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land.[c]
7 Answer me quickly,(AD) Lord;
my spirit fails.(AE)
Do not hide your face(AF) 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,(AG)
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way(AH) I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.(AI)
9 Rescue me(AJ) from my enemies,(AK) Lord,
for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me(AL) to do your will,
for you are my God;(AM)
may your good Spirit
lead(AN) me on level ground.(AO)
11 For your name’s sake,(AP) Lord, preserve my life;(AQ)
in your righteousness,(AR) bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;(AS)
destroy all my foes,(AT)
for I am your servant.(AU)
Psalm 144
Of David.
1 Praise be to the Lord my Rock,(AV)
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.
2 He is my loving God and my fortress,(AW)
my stronghold(AX) and my deliverer,
my shield,(AY) in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples[d](AZ) under me.
3 Lord, what are human beings(BA) that you care for them,
mere mortals that you think of them?
4 They are like a breath;(BB)
their days are like a fleeting shadow.(BC)
5 Part your heavens,(BD) Lord, and come down;(BE)
touch the mountains, so that they smoke.(BF)
6 Send forth lightning(BG) and scatter(BH) the enemy;
shoot your arrows(BI) and rout them.
7 Reach down your hand from on high;(BJ)
deliver me and rescue me(BK)
from the mighty waters,(BL)
from the hands of foreigners(BM)
8 whose mouths are full of lies,(BN)
whose right hands(BO) are deceitful.(BP)
9 I will sing a new song(BQ) to you, my God;
on the ten-stringed lyre(BR) I will make music to you,
10 to the One who gives victory to kings,(BS)
who delivers his servant David.(BT)
From the deadly sword(BU) 11 deliver me;
rescue me(BV) from the hands of foreigners(BW)
whose mouths are full of lies,(BX)
whose right hands are deceitful.(BY)
12 Then our sons in their youth
will be like well-nurtured plants,(BZ)
and our daughters will be like pillars(CA)
carved to adorn a palace.
13 Our barns will be filled(CB)
with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
by tens of thousands in our fields;
14 our oxen(CC) will draw heavy loads.[e]
There will be no breaching of walls,(CD)
no going into captivity,
no cry of distress in our streets.(CE)
15 Blessed is the people(CF) 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
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
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