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Psalm 142-144
New American Standard Bible
Psalm 142-144
New American Standard Bible
Prayer for Help in Trouble.
[a]Maskil of David, when he was [b]in the cave. A Prayer.
142 I (A)cry out with my voice to the Lord;
With my voice I (B)implore the Lord for compassion.
2 I (C)pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my (D)trouble before Him.
3 When (E)my spirit felt weak within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have (F)hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see;
For there is (G)no one who regards me favorably;
[c]There is no (H)escape for me;
(I)No one cares for my soul.
5 I cried out to You, Lord;
I said, “You are (J)my refuge,
My (K)portion in the (L)land of the living.
6 (M)Give Your attention to my cry,
For I have been (N)brought very low;
Rescue me from my persecutors,
For they are too (O)strong for me.
7 (P)Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will (Q)look after me.”
Prayer for Help and Guidance.
A Psalm of David.
143 Hear my prayer, Lord,
(R)Listen to my pleadings!
Answer me in Your (S)faithfulness, in Your (T)righteousness!
2 And (U)do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For (V)no person living is righteous in Your sight.
3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life (W)to the ground;
He (X)has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.
4 Therefore (Y)my spirit [d]feels weak within me;
My heart is [e](Z)appalled within me.
5 I (AA)remember the days of old;
I (AB)meditate on all Your accomplishments;
I (AC)reflect on the work of Your hands.
6 I (AD)spread out my hands to You;
My (AE)soul longs for You, like a weary land. Selah
7 (AF)Answer me quickly, Lord, my (AG)spirit fails;
(AH)Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will be the same as (AI)those who go down to the pit.
8 Let me hear Your (AJ)faithfulness (AK)in the morning,
For I trust (AL)in You;
Teach me the (AM)way in which I should walk;
For to You I (AN)lift up my soul.
9 (AO)Save me, Lord, from my enemies;
[f]I take refuge in You.
10 (AP)Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let (AQ)Your good Spirit (AR)lead me on level [g]ground.
11 (AS)For the sake of Your name, Lord, (AT)revive me.
(AU)In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And in Your faithfulness, [h](AV)destroy my enemies,
And (AW)eliminate all those who attack my soul,
For (AX)I am Your servant.
Prayer for Rescue and Prosperity.
A Psalm of David.
144 Blessed be the Lord, (AY)my rock,
Who (AZ)trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle;
2 My faithfulness and (BA)my fortress,
My (BB)stronghold and my savior,
My (BC)shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who (BD)subdues [i]my people under me.
3 Lord, (BE)what is man, that You look after him?
Or a son of man, that You think of him?
4 (BF)Man is like the breath;
His (BG)days are like a passing shadow.
5 (BH)Bend down Your heavens, Lord, and (BI)come down;
(BJ)Touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
6 Flash forth (BK)lightning and scatter them;
Send out Your (BL)arrows and confuse them.
7 Reach out with Your hand (BM)from on high;
Rescue me and (BN)save me from great waters,
From the hand of (BO)foreigners
8 Whose mouths (BP)speak deceit,
And whose (BQ)right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 God, I will sing a (BR)new song to You;
On a (BS)harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 Who (BT)gives salvation to kings,
Who (BU)rescues His servant David from the evil sword.
11 Rescue me and save me from the hand of (BV)foreigners,
Whose mouth (BW)speaks deceit
And whose (BX)right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 When our sons in their youth are like (BY)growing plants,
And our daughters like (BZ)corner pillars [j]fashioned for a palace,
13 Our (CA)granaries are full, providing every kind of produce,
And our flocks deliver thousands and ten thousands in our [k]fields;
14 May our (CB)cattle [l]be bred
Without [m](CC)mishap and without [n](CD)loss,
May there be no (CE)outcry in our streets!
15 Blessed are the people who are so situated;
(CF)Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
Footnotes
- Psalm 142 Title Possibly Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
- Psalm 142 Title 1 Sam 22:1; 24:3
- Psalm 142:4 Lit Escape has perished from me
- Psalm 143:4 Or faints within
- Psalm 143:4 Or desolate
- Psalm 143:9 Lit To You have I hidden
- Psalm 143:10 Lit land
- Psalm 143:12 Or silence
- Psalm 144:2 Another reading is peoples
- Psalm 144:12 Lit cut after the pattern of
- Psalm 144:13 Lit outside
- Psalm 144:14 Lit be laden
- Psalm 144:14 Lit breach
- Psalm 144:14 Lit going out; i.e., miscarriage
Psalm 142-144
New International Version
Psalm 142-144
New International Version
Psalm 142[a]
A maskil[b] of David. When he was in the cave.(A) A prayer.
1 I cry aloud(B) to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.(C)
2 I pour out before him my complaint;(D)
before him I tell my trouble.(E)
3 When my spirit grows faint(F) within me,
it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk
people have hidden a snare for me.
4 Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;(G)
no one cares(H) for my life.
6 Listen to my cry,(L)
for I am in desperate need;(M)
rescue me(N) from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong(O) for me.
7 Set me free from my prison,(P)
that I may praise your name.(Q)
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of your goodness to me.(R)
Psalm 143
A psalm of David.
1 Lord, hear my prayer,(S)
listen to my cry for mercy;(T)
in your faithfulness(U) and righteousness(V)
come to my relief.
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous(W) before you.
3 The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness(X)
like those long dead.(Y)
4 So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.(Z)
5 I remember(AA) the days of long ago;
I meditate(AB) on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
6 I spread out my hands(AC) to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land.[c]
7 Answer me quickly,(AD) Lord;
my spirit fails.(AE)
Do not hide your face(AF) from me
or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,(AG)
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way(AH) I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.(AI)
9 Rescue me(AJ) from my enemies,(AK) Lord,
for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me(AL) to do your will,
for you are my God;(AM)
may your good Spirit
lead(AN) me on level ground.(AO)
11 For your name’s sake,(AP) Lord, preserve my life;(AQ)
in your righteousness,(AR) bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;(AS)
destroy all my foes,(AT)
for I am your servant.(AU)
Psalm 144
Of David.
1 Praise be to the Lord my Rock,(AV)
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.
2 He is my loving God and my fortress,(AW)
my stronghold(AX) and my deliverer,
my shield,(AY) in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples[d](AZ) under me.
3 Lord, what are human beings(BA) that you care for them,
mere mortals that you think of them?
4 They are like a breath;(BB)
their days are like a fleeting shadow.(BC)
5 Part your heavens,(BD) Lord, and come down;(BE)
touch the mountains, so that they smoke.(BF)
6 Send forth lightning(BG) and scatter(BH) the enemy;
shoot your arrows(BI) and rout them.
7 Reach down your hand from on high;(BJ)
deliver me and rescue me(BK)
from the mighty waters,(BL)
from the hands of foreigners(BM)
8 whose mouths are full of lies,(BN)
whose right hands(BO) are deceitful.(BP)
9 I will sing a new song(BQ) to you, my God;
on the ten-stringed lyre(BR) I will make music to you,
10 to the One who gives victory to kings,(BS)
who delivers his servant David.(BT)
From the deadly sword(BU) 11 deliver me;
rescue me(BV) from the hands of foreigners(BW)
whose mouths are full of lies,(BX)
whose right hands are deceitful.(BY)
12 Then our sons in their youth
will be like well-nurtured plants,(BZ)
and our daughters will be like pillars(CA)
carved to adorn a palace.
13 Our barns will be filled(CB)
with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
by tens of thousands in our fields;
14 our oxen(CC) will draw heavy loads.[e]
There will be no breaching of walls,(CD)
no going into captivity,
no cry of distress in our streets.(CE)
15 Blessed is the people(CF) of whom this is true;
blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.
Footnotes
- Psalm 142:1 In Hebrew texts 142:1-7 is numbered 142:2-8.
- Psalm 142:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 143:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 144:2 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Aquila, Jerome and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text subdues my people
- Psalm 144:14 Or our chieftains will be firmly established
Psalm 142-144
King James Version
Psalm 142-144
King James Version
142 I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication.
2 I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.
3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.
4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
5 I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.
6 Attend unto 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 praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.
143 Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.
6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.
7 Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.
144 Blessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
2 My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.
3 Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!
4 Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
5 Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6 Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.
7 Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;
8 Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.
10 It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.
11 Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:
12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:
13 That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:
14 That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.
15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.
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