An instruction of David; when he was in the cave: a prayer.

142 I cry unto Jehovah with my voice: with my voice unto Jehovah do I make supplication.

² I pour out my plaint before him; I shew 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 hidden a snare for me.

⁴ Look on the right hand and see; there is no man that knoweth me: refuge hath failed me; no man careth for my soul.

⁵ I cried unto thee, Jehovah; I said, Thou art my refuge, 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 celebrate thy name. The righteous shall surround me, because thou dealest bountifully with me.

A Psalm of David.

143 Jehovah, hear my prayer; give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, in thy righteousness.

² And enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight no man living shall be justified.

³ For the enemy persecuteth my soul: he hath crushed my life down to the earth; he hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.

⁴ And my spirit is overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.

⁵ I remember the days of old: I meditate on all thy doing; I muse on the work of thy hands.

⁶ I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul, as a parched land, [thirsteth] after thee. Selah.

⁷ Answer me speedily, O Jehovah; my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, or I shall be like unto them that go down into the pit.

⁸ Cause me to hear thy loving-kindness in the morning, for in thee do I confide; make me to know the way wherein I should walk, for unto thee do I lift up my soul.

⁹ Deliver me, O Jehovah, from mine enemies: unto thee do I flee for refuge.

¹⁰ Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: let thy good Spirit lead me in a plain country.

¹¹ Revive me, O Jehovah, for thy name's sake; in thy righteousness bring my soul out of trouble;

¹² And in thy loving-kindness cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that oppress my soul: for I am thy servant.

[A Psalm] of David.

144 Blessed be Jehovah my rock, who teacheth my hands to war, my fingers to fight;

² My mercy and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I trust, who subdueth my people under me!

³ Jehovah, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him, the son of man, that thou takest thought of him?

⁴ Man is like to vanity; his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

⁵ Jehovah, bow thy heavens, and come down; touch the mountains, that they smoke;

⁶ Cast forth lightnings, and scatter them; send forth thine arrows, and discomfit them:

⁷ Stretch out thy hands from above; rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of aliens,

⁸ Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

⁹ O God, I will sing a new song unto thee; with the ten-stringed lute will I sing psalms unto thee:

¹⁰ Who givest salvation unto kings; who rescuest David thy servant from the hurtful sword.

¹¹ Rescue me, and deliver me from the hand of aliens, 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; our daughters as corner-columns, sculptured after the fashion of a palace:

¹³ Our granaries full, affording all manner of store; our sheep bringing forth thousands, ten thousands in our pastures;

¹⁴ Our kine laden [with young]; no breaking in and no going forth, and no outcry in our streets.

¹⁵ Blessed the people that is in such a case! Blessed the people whose God is Jehovah!