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My Prayer as Incense Before You

A Psalm of David.

141 O Yahweh, I call upon You; (A)hasten to me!
(B)Give ear to my voice when I call to You!
May my prayer be established as (C)incense before You;
The (D)lifting up of my hands as the (E)evening offering.
Set a (F)guard, O Yahweh, [a]over my mouth;
Keep watch over the (G)door of my lips.
(H)Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds in wickedness
With men who are (I)workers of iniquity;
And (J)do not let me eat of their delicacies.

Let the (K)righteous smite me in lovingkindness and reprove me;
It is (L)oil upon the head;
Let not my head refuse it,
[b]For still my prayer (M)is [c]against their evil deeds.
Their judges are (N)thrown down by the sides of the cliff,
And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.
As when one (O)plows and splits open the earth,
Our (P)bones have been scattered at the (Q)mouth of Sheol.

For my (R)eyes are toward You, O Yahweh, O Lord;
In You I (S)take refuge; (T)do not pour out my soul to death.
Keep me from the [d](U)jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the (V)snares of workers of iniquity.
10 Let the wicked (W)fall into their own nets,
As for myself—meanwhile, (X)I am passing by.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 141:3 Lit to
  2. Psalm 141:5 Lit And my prayer
  3. Psalm 141:5 Or in spite of their calamities
  4. Psalm 141:9 Lit hands

A Davidic Song

A Prayer for Maturity

141 Lord, I call to you,
    be quick to listen to me when I cry out!
Let my prayer be like incense offered before you,
    and my uplifted hands like the evening sacrifice.

Lord, set a guard over my mouth;
    keep watch over the door to my lips.
Don’t let my heart turn toward evil
    or involve itself in wicked activities
with men who practice iniquity.
    Let me not feast on their delicacies.

Let one who is righteous strike me;
    It is an act of gracious love.
Let him rebuke me,
    because it is oil for my head;
    do not let my head refuse it.
My prayers continuously will be
    against their wicked activities.
When their judges are thrown off the cliff,
    the people[a] will hear my words,
        for they are appropriate.

Just as one plows and breaks up the earth,
    our[b] bones are scattered
        near the entrance to the place of the dead.[c]
Nevertheless, my eyes are on you, Lord God,
    as I seek protection in you.
        Don’t leave me defenseless!
Protect me from the trap laid for me
    and from the snares of those who practice evil.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
    while I come through.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 141:6 Lit. they
  2. Psalm 141:7 So MT LXX; DSS 11QPsa reads my; Syr reads their
  3. Psalm 141:7 Lit. to Sheol; i.e. the realm of the dead