Psalm 120-143

New American Standard Bible

Prayer for Rescue from the Treacherous.

A Song of ^[a]Ascents.

120 ^(A)I cried to the Lord in my trouble,
And He answered me.
²Rescue my soul, Lord, from ^(B)lying lips,
From a ^(C)deceitful tongue.
³What will He give to you, and what more will He do to you,
You ^(D)deceitful tongue?
⁴^(E)Sharp arrows of the warrior,
With the burning ^(F)coals of the broom tree!

⁵Woe to me, for I reside in ^(G)Meshech,
For I have settled among the ^(H)tents of ^(I)Kedar!
⁶Too long has my soul had its dwelling
With those who ^(J)hate peace.
⁷I ^(K)am for peace, but when I speak,
They are ^(L)for war.

The Lord, the Keeper of Israel.

A Song of Ascents.

121 I will ^(M)raise my eyes to ^(N)the mountains;
From where will my help come?
²My ^(O)help comes from the Lord,
Who ^(P)made heaven and earth.
³He will not ^(Q)allow your foot to slip;
He who ^(R)watches over you will not slumber.
⁴Behold, He who watches over Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵The Lord is your ^[b]^(S)protector;
The Lord is your ^(T)shade on your right hand.
⁶The ^(U)sun will not ^[c]beat down on you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
⁷The Lord will ^[d]^(V)protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
⁸The Lord will ^[e]^(W)guard your going out and your coming in
^(X)From this time and forever.

Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.

A Song of Ascents, of David.

122 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let’s ^(Y)go to the house of the Lord.”
²Our feet are standing
Within your ^(Z)gates, Jerusalem,
³Jerusalem, that has been ^(AA)built
As a city that is ^(AB)firmly joined together;
⁴To which the tribes ^(AC)go up, the tribes of ^[f]the Lord—
^[g]An ordinance for Israel—
To give thanks to the name of the Lord.
⁵For ^(AD)thrones were set there for judgment,
The thrones of the house of David.

⁶Pray for the ^(AE)peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who ^(AF)love you.
⁷May peace be within your ^(AG)walls,
And prosperity within your ^(AH)palaces.”
⁸For the sake of my ^(AI)brothers and my friends,
I will now say, “^(AJ)May peace be within you.”
⁹For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will ^(AK)seek your good.

Prayer for the Lord’s Help.

A Song of Ascents.

123 To You I have ^(AL)raised my eyes,
You who ^(AM)are enthroned in the heavens!
²Behold, as the eyes of ^(AN)servants look to the hand of their master,
As the eyes of a female servant to the hand of her mistress,
So our ^(AO)eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He is gracious to us.

³^(AP)Be gracious to us, Lord, be gracious to us,
For we have had much more than enough of ^(AQ)contempt.
⁴Our soul has had much more than enough
Of the ^(AR)scoffing of ^(AS)those who are at ease,
And with the ^(AT)contempt of the proud.

Praise for Rescue from Enemies.

A Song of Ascents, of David.

124 “^(AU)Had it not been the Lord who was on our side,”
^(AV)Let Israel say,
²“Had it not been the Lord who was on our side
When people rose up against us,
³Then they would have ^(AW)swallowed us alive,
When their ^(AX)anger was kindled against us;
⁴Then the ^(AY)waters would have flooded over us,
The stream would have ^[h]swept over our souls;
⁵Then the ^(AZ)raging waters would have ^[i]swept over our souls.”

⁶Blessed be the Lord,
Who has not given us ^[j]to be ^(BA)torn by their teeth.
⁷Our souls have ^(BB)escaped ^(BC)like a bird from the trapper’s ^(BD)snare;
The snare is broken and we have escaped.
⁸Our ^(BE)help is in the name of the Lord,
Who ^(BF)made heaven and earth.

The Lord Surrounds His People.

A Song of Ascents.

125 Those who trust in the Lord
Are like Mount Zion, which ^(BG)cannot be moved but ^(BH)remains forever.
²As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So ^(BI)the Lord surrounds His people
^(BJ)From this time and forever.
³For the ^(BK)scepter of wickedness will not rest upon the ^[k]land of the righteous,
So that the righteous ^(BL)will not extend their hands to do wrong.

⁴^(BM)Do good, Lord, to those who are good
And to those who are ^(BN)upright in their hearts.
⁵But as for those who ^(BO)turn aside to their ^(BP)crooked ways,
The Lord will lead them away with those who ^(BQ)practice injustice.
^(BR)Peace be upon Israel.

Thanksgiving for Return from Captivity.

A Song of Ascents.

126 When the Lord ^(BS)brought back ^[l]the captives of Zion,
We were ^(BT)like those who dream.
²Then our ^(BU)mouth was filled with laughter
And our ^(BV)tongue with joyful shouting;
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has ^(BW)done great things for them.”
³The Lord has done great things for us;
We are ^(BX)joyful.

⁴Restore our fortunes, Lord,
As the ^[m]^(BY)streams in the ^[n]South.
⁵Those who sow in ^(BZ)tears shall harvest with ^(CA)joyful shouting.
⁶One who goes here and there weeping, carrying his bag of seed,
Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Prosperity Comes from the Lord.

A Song of Ascents, of Solomon.

127 Unless the Lord ^(CB)builds a house,
They who build it labor in vain;
Unless the Lord ^(CC)guards a city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
²It is futile for you to rise up early,
To ^[o]stay up late,
To ^(CD)eat the bread of painful labor;
This is how He gives to His ^(CE)beloved ^(CF)sleep.

³Behold, ^(CG)children are a ^[p]gift of the Lord,
The ^(CH)fruit of the womb is a reward.
⁴Like arrows in the hand of a ^(CI)warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
⁵^(CJ)Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
^(CK)They will not be ashamed
When they ^(CL)speak with their enemies ^(CM)in the gate.

Blessedness of the Fear of the Lord.

A Song of Ascents.

128 ^(CN)Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
Who ^(CO)walks in His ways.
²When you ^(CP)eat the ^(CQ)fruit of the labor of your hands,
You will be happy and ^(CR)it will go well for you.
³Your wife will be like a ^(CS)fruitful vine
^[q]Within your house,
Your children like ^(CT)olive plants
Around your table.
⁴Behold, for so shall a man
Who fears the Lord be blessed.

⁵^(CU)The Lord bless you ^(CV)from Zion,
And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
⁶Indeed, may you see your ^(CW)children’s children.
^(CX)Peace be upon Israel!

Prayer for the Overthrow of Zion’s Enemies.

A Song of Ascents.

129 “^[r]Many times they have ^(CY)attacked me from my ^(CZ)youth up,”
^(DA)Let Israel say,
²“^[s]Many times they have attacked me from my youth up;
Yet they have ^(DB)not prevailed against me.
³The plowers plowed upon my back;
They lengthened their furrows.”
⁴The Lord ^(DC)is righteous;
He has cut up the ^(DD)ropes of the wicked.

⁵May all who ^(DE)hate Zion
Be ^(DF)put to shame and turned backward;
⁶May they be like ^(DG)grass upon the housetops,
Which withers before it ^[t]grows up;
⁷With which the harvester does not fill his ^[u]hand,
Or the binder of sheaves his ^[v]^(DH)arms;
⁸Nor do those who pass by say,
“The ^(DI)blessing of the Lord be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the Lord.”

Hope in the Lord’s Forgiving Love.

A Song of Ascents.

130 Out of the ^(DJ)depths I have cried to You, Lord.
²Lord, ^(DK)hear my voice!
Let ^(DL)Your ears be attentive
To the ^(DM)sound of my pleadings.
³If You, ^[w]Lord, were to keep account of guilty deeds,
Lord, who could ^(DN)stand?
⁴But there is ^(DO)forgiveness with You,
So that You may be ^[x]^(DP)revered.

⁵I wait for the Lord, my ^(DQ)soul waits,
And I ^[y]wait ^(DR)for His word.
⁶My soul waits in hope for the Lord
More than the watchmen ^(DS)for the morning;
Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning.
⁷Israel, ^(DT)wait for the Lord;
For with the Lord there is ^(DU)mercy,
And with Him is ^(DV)abundant redemption.
⁸And He will ^(DW)redeem Israel
From all his guilty deeds.

Childlike Trust in the Lord.

A Song of Ascents, of David.

131 Lord, my heart is not ^(DX)proud, nor my eyes ^(DY)arrogant;
Nor do I ^[z]involve myself in ^(DZ)great matters,
Or in things ^(EA)too ^[aa]difficult for me.
²I have certainly ^(EB)soothed and quieted my soul;
Like a weaned ^(EC)child resting ^[ab]against his mother,
My soul ^[ac]within me is like a weaned child.
³Israel, ^(ED)wait for the Lord
^(EE)From this time on and forever.

Prayer for the Lord’s Blessing upon the Sanctuary.

A Song of Ascents.

132 Remember, Lord, in David’s behalf,
All ^(EF)his affliction;
²How he swore to the Lord
And vowed to ^(EG)the Mighty One of Jacob,
³“I certainly will not ^[ad]enter ^(EH)my house,
Nor ^[ae]lie on my bed;
⁴I will not ^(EI)give sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids,
⁵Until I find a ^(EJ)place for the Lord,
^[af]A dwelling place for ^(EK)the Mighty One of Jacob.”

⁶Behold, we heard about it in ^(EL)Ephrathah,
We found it in the ^(EM)field of ^[ag]Jaar.
⁷Let’s go into His ^[ah]^(EN)dwelling place;
Let’s ^(EO)worship at His ^(EP)footstool.
⁸^(EQ)Arise, Lord, to Your ^(ER)resting place,
You and the ark of Your ^(ES)strength.
⁹May Your priests be ^(ET)clothed with righteousness,
And may Your ^(EU)godly ones sing for joy.

¹⁰For the sake of Your servant David,
Do not turn away the face of Your ^(EV)anointed.
¹¹The Lord has ^(EW)sworn to David
A truth from which He will not turn back:
“I will set upon your throne one ^(EX)from the fruit of your body.
¹²If your sons will keep My covenant
And My testimony which I will teach them,
Their sons also will ^(EY)sit upon your throne forever.”

¹³For the Lord has ^(EZ)chosen Zion;
He has ^(FA)desired it as His dwelling place.
¹⁴“This is My ^(FB)resting place forever;
Here I will ^(FC)dwell, for I have desired it.
¹⁵I will abundantly ^(FD)bless her food;
I will ^(FE)satisfy her needy with bread.
¹⁶I will also clothe her ^(FF)priests with salvation,
And her ^(FG)godly ones will sing aloud for joy.
¹⁷I will make the ^(FH)horn of David spring forth there;
I have prepared a ^(FI)lamp for My anointed.
¹⁸I will ^(FJ)clothe his enemies with shame,
But upon himself his ^(FK)crown will gleam.”

The Excellency of Brotherly Unity.

A Song of Ascents, of David.

133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For ^(FL)brothers to live together in unity!
²It is like the precious ^(FM)oil on the head,
Running down upon the beard,
As on Aaron’s beard,
The oil which ran down upon the ^(FN)edge of his robes.
³It is like the ^(FO)dew of ^(FP)Hermon
Coming down upon the ^(FQ)mountains of Zion;
For the Lord ^(FR)commanded the blessing there—^(FS)life forever.

Greetings of Night Watchers.

A Song of Ascents.

134 Behold, ^(FT)bless the Lord, all you ^(FU)servants of the Lord,
Who ^[ai]^(FV)serve ^(FW)by night in the house of the Lord!
²^(FX)Lift up your hands to the ^(FY)sanctuary
And bless the Lord.
³May the Lord ^(FZ)bless you from Zion,
He who ^(GA)made heaven and earth.

Praise the Lord’s Wonderful Works. Futility of Idols.

135 ^[aj]^(GB)Praise ^[ak]the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, you ^(GC)servants of the Lord,
²You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the ^(GD)courtyards of the house of our God!
³^[al]Praise ^[am]the Lord, for ^(GE)the Lord is good;
^(GF)Sing praises to His name, ^(GG)for it is lovely.
⁴For ^[an]the Lord has ^(GH)chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel as His ^(GI)own possession.

⁵For I know that ^(GJ)the Lord is great
And that our Lord is ^(GK)above all gods.
⁶^(GL)Whatever the Lord pleases, He does,
In heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all the ocean depths.
⁷^[ao]He ^(GM)causes the ^[ap]mist to ascend from the ends of the earth,
^[aq]He ^(GN)makes lightning for the rain;
^[ar]He ^(GO)brings forth the wind from His treasuries.

⁸^[as]He ^(GP)struck the firstborn of Egypt,
^[at]Both human firstborn and animal.
⁹^[au]He sent ^(GQ)signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
Upon ^(GR)Pharaoh and all his servants.
¹⁰^[av]^(GS)He ^(GT)struck many nations
And brought death to mighty kings,
¹¹^(GU)Sihon, king of the Amorites,
^(GV)Og, king of Bashan,
And ^(GW)all the kingdoms of Canaan;
¹²And He ^(GX)gave their land as an inheritance,
An inheritance to His people Israel.
¹³Your ^(GY)name, Lord, is everlasting,
The mention of You, Lord, is ^[aw]throughout all generations.
¹⁴For the Lord will ^(GZ)judge His people
And ^(HA)will have compassion on His servants.
¹⁵The ^(HB)idols of the nations are nothing but silver and gold,
The work of human hands.
¹⁶They have mouths, but they do not speak;
They have eyes, but they do not see;
¹⁷They have ears, but they do not hear,
Nor is there any breath at all in their mouths.
¹⁸Those who make them will become like them,
Yes, everyone who trusts in them.

¹⁹House of ^(HC)Israel, bless the Lord;
House of Aaron, bless the Lord;
²⁰House of Levi, bless the Lord;
You ^(HD)who ^[ax]revere the Lord, bless the Lord.
²¹Blessed be the Lord ^(HE)from Zion,
Who ^(HF)dwells in Jerusalem.
^[ay]Praise ^[az]the Lord!

Thanks for the Lord’s Goodness to Israel.

136 ^(HG)Give thanks to the Lord, for ^(HH)He is good,
For ^(HI)His ^[ba]faithfulness is everlasting.
²Give thanks to the ^(HJ)God of gods,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
³Give thanks to the ^(HK)Lord of lords,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
⁴To Him who ^(HL)alone does great ^[bb]wonders,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
⁵To Him who ^(HM)made the heavens ^[bc]^(HN)with skill,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
⁶To Him who ^(HO)spread out the earth above the waters,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
⁷To Him who ^(HP)made the great lights,
For His faithfulness is everlasting:
⁸The ^(HQ)sun to rule ^[bd]by day,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
⁹The ^(HR)moon and stars to rule ^[be]by night,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.

¹⁰To Him who ^(HS)struck ^[bf]the Egyptians, that is, their firstborn,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
¹¹And ^(HT)brought Israel out from their midst,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
¹²With a ^(HU)strong hand and an ^(HV)outstretched arm,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
¹³To Him who ^(HW)divided the ^[bg]Red Sea in parts,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
¹⁴And ^(HX)allowed Israel to pass through the midst of it,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
¹⁵But ^(HY)He ^[bh]overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the ^[bi]Red Sea,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
¹⁶To Him who ^(HZ)led His people through the wilderness,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
¹⁷To Him who ^(IA)struck great kings,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
¹⁸And ^(IB)brought death to ^[bj]mighty kings,
For His faithfulness is everlasting:
¹⁹^(IC)Sihon, king of the Amorites,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
²⁰And ^(ID)Og, king of Bashan,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
²¹And ^(IE)gave their land as an inheritance,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
²²An inheritance to His ^(IF)servant Israel,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.

²³Who ^(IG)remembered us in our lowliness,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
²⁴And has ^(IH)rescued us from our enemies,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
²⁵Who ^(II)gives food to all flesh,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
²⁶Give thanks to the ^(IJ)God of heaven,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.

An Experience of the Captivity.

137 By the ^(IK)rivers of Babylon,
There we sat down and ^(IL)wept,
When we remembered Zion.
²Upon the ^[bk]^(IM)willows in the midst of it
We ^(IN)hung our ^[bl]harps.
³For there our captors ^[bm]^(IO)demanded of us ^[bn]songs,
And ^(IP)our tormentors, jubilation, saying,
“Sing for us one of the songs of Zion!”

⁴How can we sing ^(IQ)the Lord’s song
In a foreign land?
⁵If I ^(IR)forget you, Jerusalem,
May my right hand ^[bo]forget its skill.
⁶May my ^(IS)tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
If I do not remember you,
If I do not ^[bp]^(IT)exalt Jerusalem
Above my chief joy.

⁷Remember, Lord, against the sons of ^(IU)Edom
The day of Jerusalem,
Those who said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare
^(IV)To its foundation!”
⁸Daughter of Babylon, you ^[bq]^(IW)devastated one,
Blessed will be one who ^(IX)repays you
With ^[br]the retribution with which you have repaid us.
⁹Blessed will be one who seizes and ^(IY)dashes your children
Against the rock.

Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Favor.

A Psalm of David.

138 ^(IZ)I will give You thanks with all my heart;
I will sing Your praises before the ^(JA)gods.
²I will bow down ^(JB)toward Your holy temple
And ^(JC)give thanks to Your name for Your mercy and Your ^[bs]truth;
For You have ^(JD)made Your ^[bt]word great ^[bu]according to all Your name.
³On the day I ^(JE)called, You answered me;
You made me bold with ^(JF)strength in my soul.

⁴^(JG)All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, Lord,
When they have heard the words of Your mouth.
⁵And they will ^(JH)sing of the ways of the Lord,
For ^(JI)great is the glory of the Lord.
⁶For ^(JJ)the Lord is exalted,
Yet He ^(JK)looks after the lowly,
But He knows the ^(JL)haughty from afar.

⁷Though I ^(JM)walk in the midst of trouble, You will ^[bv]^(JN)revive me;
You will ^(JO)reach out with Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will ^(JP)save me.
⁸The Lord will ^(JQ)accomplish what concerns me;
Your ^(JR)faithfulness, Lord, is everlasting;
^(JS)Do not abandon the ^(JT)works of Your hands.

God’s Omnipresence and Omniscience.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

139 Lord, You have ^(JU)searched me and known me.
²You ^(JV)know ^[bw]when I sit down and ^[bx]when I get up;
You ^(JW)understand my thought from far away.
³You ^[by]^(JX)scrutinize my ^[bz]path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴^[ca]Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, Lord, You ^(JY)know it all.
⁵You have ^(JZ)encircled me behind and in front,
And ^(KA)placed Your hand upon me.
⁶Such ^(KB)knowledge is ^(KC)too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot comprehend it.

⁷^(KD)Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
⁸^(KE)If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in ^[cb]Sheol, behold, ^(KF)You are there.
⁹If I take up the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
¹⁰Even there Your hand will ^(KG)lead me,
And Your right hand will take hold of me.
¹¹If I say, “Surely the ^(KH)darkness will ^[cc]overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
¹²Even ^(KI)darkness is not dark ^[cd]to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
^(KJ)Darkness and light are alike to You.

¹³For You ^(KK)created my innermost parts;
You ^(KL)wove me in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴I will give thanks to You, because ^[ce]I am awesomely and wonderfully made;
^(KM)Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵My ^[cf]^(KN)frame was not hidden from You
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully formed in the ^(KO)depths of the earth;
¹⁶Your ^(KP)eyes have seen my formless substance;
And in ^(KQ)Your book were written
All the ^(KR)days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

¹⁷How precious also are Your ^(KS)thoughts for me, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸Were I to count them, they would ^(KT)outnumber the sand.
When ^(KU)I awake, I am still with You.

¹⁹If only You would ^(KV)put the wicked to death, God;
^(KW)Leave me, ^(KX)you men of bloodshed.
²⁰For they ^(KY)speak ^[cg]against You wickedly,
And Your enemies ^[ch]^(KZ)take Your name in vain.
²¹Do I not ^(LA)hate those who hate You, Lord?
And do I not ^(LB)loathe those who rise up against You?
²²I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.

²³^(LC)Search me, God, and know my heart;
^(LD)Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts;
²⁴And see if there is any ^[ci]^(LE)hurtful way in me,
And ^(LF)lead me in the ^(LG)everlasting way.

Prayer for Protection against the Wicked.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

140 ^(LH)Rescue me, Lord, from evil people;
Protect me from ^(LI)violent men
²Who ^(LJ)devise evil things in their hearts;
They ^(LK)continually stir up wars.
³They ^(LL)sharpen their tongues like a snake;
^(LM)The venom of a viper is under their lips. Selah

⁴^(LN)Keep me, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
^(LO)Protect me from violent men
Who ^[cj]intend to ^[ck]^(LP)trip up my feet.
⁵The proud have ^(LQ)hidden a trap for me, and snares;
They have spread a ^(LR)net at the ^[cl]wayside;
They have set ^(LS)snares for me. Selah

⁶I ^(LT)said to the Lord, “You are my God;
^(LU)Listen, Lord, to the ^(LV)sound of my pleadings.
⁷^[cm]God the Lord, ^(LW)the strength of my salvation,
You have ^(LX)covered my head on the day of ^[cn]battle.
⁸Do not grant, Lord, the ^(LY)desires of the wicked;
Do not bring about ^(LZ)his evil planning, so that they are not exalted. Selah

⁹“As for the head of those who surround me,
May the ^(MA)harm of their lips cover them.
¹⁰May ^(MB)burning coals fall upon them;
May they be ^(MC)cast into the fire,
Into bottomless pits from which they ^(MD)cannot rise.
¹¹May a ^[co]slanderer not endure on the earth;
^(ME)May evil hunt a violent person ^[cp]violently.”

¹²I know that the Lord will ^(MF)maintain the cause of the afflicted,
And ^(MG)justice for the poor.
¹³Certainly the ^(MH)righteous will give thanks to Your name;
The ^(MI)upright will dwell in Your presence.

An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection.

A Psalm of David.

141 Lord, I call upon You; ^(MJ)hurry to me!
^(MK)Listen to my voice when I call to You!
²May my prayer be ^[cq]counted as ^(ML)incense before You;
The ^(MM)raising of my hands as the ^(MN)evening offering.
³Set a ^(MO)guard, Lord, ^[cr]over my mouth;
Keep watch over the ^(MP)door of my lips.
⁴^(MQ)Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds ^[cs]of wickedness
With people who ^(MR)do wrong;
And ^(MS)may I not taste their delicacies.

⁵May the ^(MT)righteous strike me with mercy and discipline me;
It is ^(MU)oil for the head;
My head shall not refuse it,
For my prayer ^(MV)is still against their evil deeds.
⁶Their judges are ^(MW)thrown down by the sides of the rock,
And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.
⁷As when one ^(MX)plows and breaks open the earth,
Our ^(MY)bones have been scattered at the ^(MZ)mouth of ^[ct]Sheol.

⁸For my ^(NA)eyes are toward You, ^[cu]God, the Lord;
In You I ^(NB)take refuge; ^(NC)do not ^[cv]leave me defenseless.
⁹Keep me from the ^[cw]^(ND)jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the ^(NE)snares of those who do wrong.
¹⁰May the wicked ^(NF)fall into their own nets,
While I pass by ^[cx]^(NG)safely.

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

^[cy]Maskil of David, when he was ^[cz]in the cave. A Prayer.

142 I ^(NH)cry out with my voice to the Lord;
With my voice I ^(NI)implore the Lord for compassion.
²I ^(NJ)pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my ^(NK)trouble before Him.
³When ^(NL)my spirit felt weak within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have ^(NM)hidden a trap for me.
⁴Look to the right and see;
For there is ^(NN)no one who regards me favorably;
^[da]There is no ^(NO)escape for me;
^(NP)No one cares for my soul.

⁵I cried out to You, Lord;
I said, “You are ^(NQ)my refuge,
My ^(NR)portion in the ^(NS)land of the living.
⁶^(NT)Give Your attention to my cry,
For I have been ^(NU)brought very low;
Rescue me from my persecutors,
For they are too ^(NV)strong for me.
⁷^(NW)Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will ^(NX)look after me.”

Prayer for Help and Guidance.

A Psalm of David.

143 Hear my prayer, Lord,
^(NY)Listen to my pleadings!
Answer me in Your ^(NZ)faithfulness, in Your ^(OA)righteousness!
²And ^(OB)do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For ^(OC)no person living is righteous in Your sight.
³For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life ^(OD)to the ground;
He ^(OE)has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.
⁴Therefore ^(OF)my spirit ^[db]feels weak within me;
My heart is ^[dc]^(OG)appalled within me.

⁵I ^(OH)remember the days of old;
I ^(OI)meditate on all Your accomplishments;
I ^(OJ)reflect on the work of Your hands.
⁶I ^(OK)spread out my hands to You;
My ^(OL)soul longs for You, like a weary land. Selah

⁷^(OM)Answer me quickly, Lord, my ^(ON)spirit fails;
^(OO)Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will be the same as ^(OP)those who go down to the pit.
⁸Let me hear Your ^(OQ)faithfulness ^(OR)in the morning,
For I trust ^(OS)in You;
Teach me the ^(OT)way in which I should walk;
For to You I ^(OU)lift up my soul.
⁹^(OV)Save me, Lord, from my enemies;
^[dd]I take refuge in You.

¹⁰^(OW)Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let ^(OX)Your good Spirit ^(OY)lead me on level ^[de]ground.
¹¹^(OZ)For the sake of Your name, Lord, ^(PA)revive me.
^(PB)In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
¹²And in Your faithfulness, ^[df]^(PC)destroy my enemies,
And ^(PD)eliminate all those who attack my soul,
For ^(PE)I am Your servant.