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Psalm 142-144
New King James Version
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.
2 I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare before Him my trouble.
3 When 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.
4 Look on my right hand and see,
For there is no one who acknowledges me;
Refuge has failed me;
No one cares for my soul.
5 I 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.
7 Bring 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.
2 Do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
(F)For in Your sight no one living is righteous.
3 For 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.
6 I spread out my hands to You;
(I)My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah
7 Answer 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.
8 Cause 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.
9 Deliver 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.
12 In 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—
2 My 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.
7 Stretch out Your hand from above;
Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters,
From the hand of foreigners,
8 Whose mouth (Z)speaks [k]lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will (AA)sing a new song to You, O God;
On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 The One who gives [l]salvation to kings,
(AB)Who delivers David His servant
From the deadly sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners,
Whose mouth speaks lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood—
12 That our sons may be (AC)as plants grown up in their youth;
That our daughters may be as [m]pillars,
Sculptured in palace style;
13 That our barns may be full,
Supplying all kinds of produce;
That our sheep may bring forth thousands
And ten thousands in our fields;
14 That 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!
Footnotes
- Psalm 142:1 Heb. Maschil
- Psalm 142:3 Lit. fainted
- Psalm 142:6 Give heed
- Psalm 143:3 dark places
- Psalm 143:5 ponder
- Psalm 143:7 become
- Psalm 143:7 Die
- Psalm 143:9 LXX, Vg. To You I flee
- Psalm 143:12 put an end to
- Psalm 144:2 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; Syr., Tg. the peoples (cf. 18:47)
- Psalm 144:8 empty or worthless
- Psalm 144:10 deliverance
- Psalm 144:12 corner pillars
- Psalm 144:14 Lit. breach
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
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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.