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Psalm 140-141
New American Standard Bible
Psalm 140-141
New American Standard Bible
Prayer for Protection against the Wicked.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
140 (A)Rescue me, Lord, from evil people;
Protect me from (B)violent men
2 Who (C)devise evil things in their hearts;
They (D)continually stir up wars.
3 They (E)sharpen their tongues like a snake;
(F)The venom of a viper is under their lips. Selah
4 (G)Keep me, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
(H)Protect me from violent men
Who [a]intend to [b](I)trip up my feet.
5 The proud have (J)hidden a trap for me, and snares;
They have spread a (K)net at the [c]wayside;
They have set (L)snares for me. Selah
6 I (M)said to the Lord, “You are my God;
(N)Listen, Lord, to the (O)sound of my pleadings.
7 [d]God the Lord, (P)the strength of my salvation,
You have (Q)covered my head on the day of [e]battle.
8 Do not grant, Lord, the (R)desires of the wicked;
Do not bring about (S)his evil planning, so that they are not exalted. Selah
9 “As for the head of those who surround me,
May the (T)harm of their lips cover them.
10 May (U)burning coals fall upon them;
May they be (V)cast into the fire,
Into bottomless pits from which they (W)cannot rise.
11 May a [f]slanderer not endure on the earth;
(X)May evil hunt a violent person [g]violently.”
12 I know that the Lord will (Y)maintain the cause of the afflicted,
And (Z)justice for the poor.
13 Certainly the (AA)righteous will give thanks to Your name;
The (AB)upright will dwell in Your presence.
An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection.
A Psalm of David.
141 Lord, I call upon You; (AC)hurry to me!
(AD)Listen to my voice when I call to You!
2 May my prayer be [h]counted as (AE)incense before You;
The (AF)raising of my hands as the (AG)evening offering.
3 Set a (AH)guard, Lord, [i]over my mouth;
Keep watch over the (AI)door of my lips.
4 (AJ)Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds [j]of wickedness
With people who (AK)do wrong;
And (AL)may I not taste their delicacies.
5 May the (AM)righteous strike me with mercy and discipline me;
It is (AN)oil for the head;
My head shall not refuse it,
For my prayer (AO)is still against their evil deeds.
6 Their judges are (AP)thrown down by the sides of the rock,
And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one (AQ)plows and breaks open the earth,
Our (AR)bones have been scattered at the (AS)mouth of [k]Sheol.
8 For my (AT)eyes are toward You, [l]God, the Lord;
In You I (AU)take refuge; (AV)do not [m]leave me defenseless.
9 Keep me from the [n](AW)jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the (AX)snares of those who do wrong.
10 May the wicked (AY)fall into their own nets,
While I pass by [o](AZ)safely.
Footnotes
- Psalm 140:4 Or devise
- Psalm 140:4 Lit push
- Psalm 140:5 Lit track
- Psalm 140:7 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Psalm 140:7 Lit weapons
- Psalm 140:11 Lit man of tongue
- Psalm 140:11 Lit blow upon blow
- Psalm 141:2 Lit fixed
- Psalm 141:3 Lit to
- Psalm 141:4 Lit in
- Psalm 141:7 I.e., the netherworld
- Psalm 141:8 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Psalm 141:8 Lit pour out my soul
- Psalm 141:9 Lit hands of the trap
- Psalm 141:10 Lit altogether
Psalm 140-141
New International Version
Psalm 140-141
New International Version
Psalm 140[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Rescue me,(A) Lord, from evildoers;
protect me from the violent,(B)
2 who devise evil plans(C) in their hearts
and stir up war(D) every day.
3 They make their tongues as sharp as(E) a serpent’s;
the poison of vipers(F) is on their lips.[b]
4 Keep me safe,(G) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;(H)
protect me from the violent,
who devise ways to trip my feet.
5 The 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.
6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”(L)
Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.(M)
7 Sovereign Lord,(N) my strong deliverer,
you shield my head in the day of battle.
8 Do not grant the wicked(O) their desires, Lord;
do not let their plans succeed.
9 Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
may the mischief of their lips engulf them.(P)
10 May burning coals fall on them;
may they be thrown into the fire,(Q)
into miry pits, never to rise.
11 May slanderers not be established in the land;
may disaster hunt down the violent.(R)
12 I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor(S)
and upholds the cause(T) of the needy.(U)
13 Surely the righteous will praise your name,(V)
and the upright will live(W) in your presence.(X)
Psalm 141
A psalm of David.
1 I call to you, Lord, come quickly(Y) to me;
hear me(Z) when I call to you.
2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;(AA)
may the lifting up of my hands(AB) be like the evening sacrifice.(AC)
3 Set a guard over my mouth,(AD) Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.(AE)
4 Do not let my heart(AF) be drawn to what is evil
so that I take part in wicked deeds(AG)
along with those who are evildoers;
do not let me eat their delicacies.(AH)
5 Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
let him rebuke me(AI)—that is oil on my head.(AJ)
My head will not refuse it,
for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.
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.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.