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Psalm 140-142
New Life Version
Psalm 140-142
New Life Version
A Prayer for Help
140 O Lord, take me away from sinful men. Keep me safe from men who want to hurt others. 2 They make sinful plans in their hearts. They always start wars. 3 They make their tongues sharp like a snake’s. And the poison of a snake is under their lips.
4 O Lord, keep me from the hands of the sinful. Keep me safe from men who want to hurt others and have planned to trip my feet. 5 The proud have hidden a trap for me. With ropes they have spread a net. They have set traps for me beside the road. 6 I said to the Lord, “You are my God. Listen to the voice of my prayers, O Lord. 7 O God the Lord, the strength that saves me, You have covered my head in the day of battle. 8 O Lord, do not give the sinful what they want. Do not let their plans work, or they will be honored.
9 “As for those who gather around me, may the wrong-doing of their lips come upon their heads. 10 May burning coals fall upon them. May they be thrown into the fire, into deep holes, and rise no more. 11 Do not let the man whose talking hurts people stand in the land. May trouble hurry to catch and destroy the man who wants to hurt others.”
12 I know that the Lord will stand by those who suffer and do what is right for the poor. 13 For sure those who are right and good will give thanks to Your name. Those who are right will live with You.
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.”
Psalm 140-142
New International Version
Psalm 140-142
New International Version
Psalm 140[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Rescue me,(A) Lord, from evildoers;
protect me from the violent,(B)
2 who devise evil plans(C) in their hearts
and stir up war(D) every day.
3 They make their tongues as sharp as(E) a serpent’s;
the poison of vipers(F) is on their lips.[b]
4 Keep me safe,(G) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;(H)
protect me from the violent,
who devise ways to trip my feet.
5 The arrogant have hidden a snare(I) for me;
they have spread out the cords of their net(J)
and have set traps(K) for me along my path.
6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”(L)
Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.(M)
7 Sovereign Lord,(N) my strong deliverer,
you shield my head in the day of battle.
8 Do not grant the wicked(O) their desires, Lord;
do not let their plans succeed.
9 Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
may the mischief of their lips engulf them.(P)
10 May burning coals fall on them;
may they be thrown into the fire,(Q)
into miry pits, never to rise.
11 May slanderers not be established in the land;
may disaster hunt down the violent.(R)
12 I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor(S)
and upholds the cause(T) of the needy.(U)
13 Surely the righteous will praise your name,(V)
and the upright will live(W) in your presence.(X)
Psalm 141
A psalm of David.
1 I call to you, Lord, come quickly(Y) to me;
hear me(Z) when I call to you.
2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;(AA)
may the lifting up of my hands(AB) be like the evening sacrifice.(AC)
3 Set a guard over my mouth,(AD) Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.(AE)
4 Do not let my heart(AF) be drawn to what is evil
so that I take part in wicked deeds(AG)
along with those who are evildoers;
do not let me eat their delicacies.(AH)
5 Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
let him rebuke me(AI)—that is oil on my head.(AJ)
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,(AK)
and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
7 They will say, “As one plows(AL) and breaks up the earth,(AM)
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth(AN) of the grave.”
8 But my eyes are fixed(AO) on you, Sovereign Lord;
in you I take refuge(AP)—do not give me over to death.
9 Keep me safe(AQ) from the traps set by evildoers,(AR)
from the snares(AS) they have laid for me.
10 Let the wicked fall(AT) into their own nets,
while I pass by in safety.(AU)
Psalm 142[c]
A maskil[d] of David. When he was in the cave.(AV) A prayer.
1 I cry aloud(AW) to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.(AX)
2 I pour out before him my complaint;(AY)
before him I tell my trouble.(AZ)
Footnotes
- Psalm 140:1 In Hebrew texts 140:1-13 is numbered 140:2-14.
- Psalm 140:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 8.
- 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 140-142
King James Version
Psalm 140-142
King James Version
140 Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;
2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.
3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.
4 Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.
5 The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.
6 I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.
7 O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.
9 As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
10 Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.
11 Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.
141 Lord, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.
2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
5 Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.
6 When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.
7 Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.
8 But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.
9 Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.
142 I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication.
2 I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.
3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.
4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
5 I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.
6 Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I.
7 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.
New Life Version (NLV)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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