Psalm 140-141

Easy-to-Read Version

To the director: A praise song of David.

140 Lord, save me from people who are evil.
    Protect me from those who are cruel,
²from those who plan to do evil
    and always cause trouble.
³Their words are as harmful as the fangs of a snake,
    as deadly as its venom. Selah

⁴Lord, save me from the wicked!
    Protect me from these cruel people who plan to hurt me.
⁵These proud people are trying to trap me.
    They spread nets to catch me;
    they set traps in my path. Selah

⁶Lord, you are my God.
    Lord, listen to my prayer.
⁷My Lord God, you are the powerful one who saves me.
    You protect my head in battle.
⁸Lord, don’t let the wicked have what they want.
    Don’t let their plans succeed. Selah

⁹My enemies are planning trouble for me.
    Lord, make that trouble fall on them.
¹⁰Pour burning coals on their heads.
    Throw them into the fire.
    Throw them into pits they can never escape.
¹¹Don’t let those cruel liars enjoy success here.
    Let disaster hunt them down.
¹²I know the Lord will provide justice for the poor
    and will defend the helpless.
¹³Those who do what is right will praise your name;
    those who are honest will live in your presence.

A praise song of David.

141 Lord, I call to you for help.
    Listen to me as I pray.
    Please hurry and help me!
²Accept my prayer like a gift of burning incense,
    the words I lift up like an evening sacrifice.

³Lord, help me control what I say.
    Don’t let me say anything bad.
⁴Take away any desire to do evil.
    Keep me from joining the wicked in doing wrong.
    Help me stay away from their feasts.
⁵If good people correct me,
    I will consider it a good thing.
If they criticize me,
    I will accept it like a warm welcome.^[a]
But my prayer will always be against the wicked and the evil they do.
⁶Let their judges be put to death.^[b]
    Then everyone will know that I told the truth.

⁷Like rocks in a field that a farmer has plowed,
    so our bones will be scattered in the grave.
⁸My Lord God, I look to you for help.
    I look to you for protection; don’t let me die.
⁹Those evil people are trying to trap me.
    Don’t let me fall into their traps.
¹⁰Let the wicked fall into their own traps,
    while I walk away unharmed.

Footnotes

Psalm 141:5 a warm welcome Or “like oil poured over my head.”
Psalm 141:6 Let their judges … to death Or “Let their judges be thrown from the cliffs.”