Psalm 140
English Standard Version
Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil Men
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
140 (A)Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
preserve me from (B)violent men,
2 who plan evil things in their heart
and (C)stir up wars continually.
3 They make (D)their tongue sharp as (E)a serpent's,
and (F)under their lips is the (G)venom of asps. Selah
4 Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
preserve me from (H)violent men,
who have planned to trip up my feet.
5 The arrogant have (I)hidden a trap for me,
and with cords they have spread (J)a net;[a]
beside the way they have set (K)snares for me. Selah
6 (L)I say to the Lord, You are my God;
give ear to (M)the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!
7 O Lord, my Lord, (N)the strength of my salvation,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8 (O)Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their[b] evil plot, or (P)they will be exalted! Selah
9 As for the head of those who surround me,
let (Q)the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
10 Let (R)burning coals fall upon them!
Let them be cast into fire,
into miry pits, no more to rise!
11 Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!
12 I know that the Lord will (S)maintain the cause of the afflicted,
and (T)will execute justice for the needy.
13 Surely (U)the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
(V)the upright shall dwell in your presence.
Footnotes
- Psalm 140:5 Or they have spread cords as a net
- Psalm 140:8 Hebrew his
Tehillim 140
Orthodox Jewish Bible
140 (For the one directing. Mizmor of Dovid). Deliver me, Hashem, from adam rah; preserve me from ish chamasim (violent men);
2 (3) Which plan ra’ot (evils) in their lev; kol yom they incite milchamot (wars).
3 (4) They have sharpened their leshonot like a nachash; the venom of a spider is under their sfatayim (lips). Selah.
4 (5) Be shomer over me, Hashem, and keep me from the hands of the rashah; protect me from ish chamasim, whose scheme is to cause my steps to trip.
5 (6) The ge’im (proud, arrogant ones [of inordinate ambition]) have hid a pach for me, and chavalim (cords, ropes); they have spread a reshet (net) close by the path; they have set mokshim (traps) for me. Selah.
6 (7) I said unto Hashem, Thou art Eli; hear the kol tachanunai (voice of my supplications), Hashem.
7 (8) Hashem Adonoi, Oz Yeshuati (strength of my (salvation), Thou hast covered my rosh in the Yom Neshek (Day of Arms, Day of Battle).
8 (9) Grant not, Hashem, the desires of the rashah; let not his plot succeed; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.
9 (10) As for the rosh of those that surround me, let the amal (trouble) of their own sfatayim (lips) cover them.
10 (11) Let burning coals fall upon them; let them be cast into the eish; into mahamorot (watery pits), that they rise not up again.
11 (12) Let not an ish lashon (idle talker, slanderer) be established in ha’aretz; rah shall hunt down the ish chamas to overthrow him.
12 (13) I know that Hashem will maintain the din oni (cause of the poor), and the mishpat evyonim (the right of the needy).
13 (14) Surely the tzaddikim shall give thanks unto Thy Shem; the upright shall dwell in Thy presence.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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