Psalm 141-143
New King James Version
Prayer for Safekeeping from Wickedness
A Psalm of David.
141 Lord, I cry out to You;
Make haste to me!
Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.
2 Let my prayer be set before You (A)as incense,
(B)The lifting up of my hands as (C)the evening sacrifice.
3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my (D)mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice wicked works
With men who work iniquity;
(E)And do not let me eat of their delicacies.
5 (F)Let the righteous strike me;
It shall be a kindness.
And let him rebuke me;
It shall be as excellent oil;
Let my head not refuse it.
For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.
6 Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the [a]cliff,
And they hear my words, for they are sweet.
7 Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave,
As when one plows and breaks up the earth.
8 But (G)my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord;
In You I take refuge;
[b]Do not leave my soul destitute.
9 Keep me from (H)the snares they have laid for me,
And from the traps of the workers of iniquity.
10 (I)Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
While I escape safely.
A Plea for Relief from Persecutors
A (J)Contemplation[c] of David. A Prayer (K)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 [d]was (L)overwhelmed within me,
Then You knew my path.
In the way in which I walk
They have secretly (M)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 [e]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 (N)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,
(O)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 [f]darkness,
Like those who have long been dead.
4 (P)Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;
My heart within me is distressed.
5 (Q)I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your works;
I [g]muse on the work of Your hands.
6 I spread out my hands to You;
(R)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,
(S)Lest I [h]be like those who [i]go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness (T)in the morning,
For in You do I trust;
(U)Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For (V)I lift up my soul to You.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;
[j]In You I take shelter.
10 (W)Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
(X)Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in (Y)the land of uprightness.
11 (Z)Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake!
For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
12 In Your mercy (AA)cut[k] off my enemies,
And destroy all those who afflict my soul;
For I am Your servant.
Footnotes
- Psalm 141:6 rock
- Psalm 141:8 Lit. Do not make my soul bare
- 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
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.