Psalm 140-141
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 140
Prayer for Rescue
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.
1 Rescue me, Lord, from evil men.
Keep me safe from violent men(A)
2 who plan evil in their hearts.
They stir up wars all day long.(B)
3 They make their tongues
as sharp as a snake’s bite;
viper’s venom is under their lips.(C)
4 Protect me, Lord,
from the clutches of the wicked.(D)
Keep me safe from violent men
who plan to make me stumble.[a](E)
5 The proud hide a trap with ropes for me;
they spread a net along the path
and set snares for me.(F)
6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
Listen, Lord, to my cry for help.(G)
7 Lord God, my strong Savior,
You shield my head on the day of battle.(H)
8 Lord, do not grant the desires of the wicked;
do not let them achieve their goals.
Otherwise, they will become proud.(I)
9 When those who surround me rise up,[b]
may the trouble their lips cause overwhelm them.(J)
10 Let hot coals fall on them.
Let them be thrown into the fire,
into the abyss, never again to rise.(K)
11 Do not let a slanderer stay in the land.
Let evil relentlessly[c] hunt down a violent man.(L)
12 I[d] know that the Lord upholds
the just cause of the poor,
justice for the needy.(M)
13 Surely the righteous will praise Your name;
the upright will live in Your presence.(N)
Psalm 141
Protection from Sin and Sinners
A Davidic psalm.
1 Lord, I call on You; hurry to help me.
Listen to my voice when I call on You.(O)
2 May my prayer be set before You as incense,(P)
the raising of my hands as the evening offering.(Q)
3 Lord, set up a guard for my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips.(R)
4 Do not let my heart turn to any evil thing
or perform wicked acts
with men who commit sin.
Do not let me feast on their delicacies.(S)
5 Let the righteous one strike me—
it is an act of faithful love;
let him rebuke me—
it is oil for my head;
let me[e] not refuse it.(T)
Even now my prayer is against
the evil acts of the wicked.[f](U)
6 When their rulers[g] will be thrown off
the sides of a cliff,
the people[h] will listen to my words,
for they are pleasing.(V)
7 As when one plows and breaks up the soil,
turning up rocks,
so our[i] bones have been scattered
at the mouth of Sheol.(W)
8 But my eyes look to You, Lord God.
I seek refuge in You; do not let me die.[j](X)
9 Protect me from[k] the trap they have set for me,
and from the snares of evildoers.(Y)
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by safely.(Z)
Footnotes
- Psalm 140:4 Lit to trip up my steps
- Psalm 140:9 Lit Head of those who surround me
- Psalm 140:11 Hb obscure
- Psalm 140:12 Alt Hb tradition reads You
- Psalm 141:5 Lit my head
- Psalm 141:5 Lit of them
- Psalm 141:6 Or judges
- Psalm 141:6 Lit cliff, and they
- Psalm 141:7 DSS reads my; some LXX mss, Syr read their
- Psalm 141:8 Or not pour out my life
- Psalm 141:9 Lit from the hands of
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