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,
²who plan evil things in their heart
    and ^(C)stir up wars continually.
³They make ^(D)their tongue sharp as ^(E)a serpent's,
    and ^(F)under their lips is the ^(G)venom of asps. Selah

⁴Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
    preserve me from ^(H)violent men,
    who have planned to trip up my feet.
⁵The 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!
⁷O 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

⁹As for the head of those who surround me,
    let ^(Q)the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
¹⁰Let ^(R)burning coals fall upon them!
    Let them be cast into fire,
    into miry pits, no more to rise!
¹¹Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
    let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!

¹²I know that the Lord will ^(S)maintain the cause of the afflicted,
and ^(T)will execute justice for the needy.
¹³Surely ^(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.

Psalm 140

New International Version

Psalm 140^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹Rescue me,^(A) Lord, from evildoers;
    protect me from the violent,^(B)
²who devise evil plans^(C) in their hearts
    and stir up war^(D) every day.
³They make their tongues as sharp as^(E) a serpent’s;
    the poison of vipers^(F) is on their lips.^[b]

⁴Keep me safe,^(G) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;^(H)
    protect me from the violent,
    who devise ways to trip my feet.
⁵The 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.

⁶I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”^(L)
    Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.^(M)
⁷Sovereign Lord,^(N) my strong deliverer,
    you shield my head in the day of battle.
⁸Do not grant the wicked^(O) their desires, Lord;
    do not let their plans succeed.

⁹Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
    may the mischief of their lips engulf them.^(P)
¹⁰May burning coals fall on them;
    may they be thrown into the fire,^(Q)
    into miry pits, never to rise.
¹¹May slanderers not be established in the land;
    may disaster hunt down the violent.^(R)

¹²I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor^(S)
and upholds the cause^(T) of the needy.^(U)
¹³Surely the righteous will praise your name,^(V)
and the upright will live^(W) in your presence.^(X)

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.

English Standard Version (ESV)

Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 140

English Standard Version

Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil Men

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

Footnotes

Cross references

Tehillim 140

Orthodox Jewish Bible

Psalm 140

New International Version

Psalm 140^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 140 English Standard Version

Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil Men

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

Footnotes

Cross references

Tehillim 140 Orthodox Jewish Bible

Psalm 140 New International Version

Psalm 140[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 140

English Standard Version

Tehillim 140

Orthodox Jewish Bible

Psalm 140

New International Version

Psalm 140^[a]