An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection.

A Psalm of David.

141 O Lord, I call upon You; (A)hasten to me!
(B)Give ear to my voice when I call to You!
May my prayer be [a]counted as (C)incense before You;
The (D)lifting up of my hands as the (E)evening offering.
Set a (F)guard, O Lord, [b]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 [c]of wickedness
With men who (I)do iniquity;
And (J)do not let me eat of their delicacies.

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

For my (R)eyes are toward You, O [h]God, the Lord;
In You I (S)take refuge; (T)do not [i]leave me defenseless.
Keep me from the [j](U)jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the (V)snares of those who do iniquity.
10 Let the wicked (W)fall into their own nets,
While I pass by [k](X)safely.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 141:2 Lit fixed
  2. Psalm 141:3 Lit to
  3. Psalm 141:4 Lit in
  4. Psalm 141:5 Or lovingly
  5. Psalm 141:5 Lit And my prayer
  6. Psalm 141:5 Or in spite of their calamities
  7. Psalm 141:7 I.e. the nether world
  8. Psalm 141:8 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  9. Psalm 141:8 Lit pour out my soul
  10. Psalm 141:9 Lit hands of the trap
  11. Psalm 141:10 Lit altogether

A psalm by David.

141 O Lord, I cry out to you, “Come quickly.”
Open your ears to me when I cry out to you.
Let my prayer be accepted
as sweet-smelling incense in your presence.
Let the lifting up of my hands in prayer be accepted
as an evening sacrifice.

O Lord, set a guard at my mouth.
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
Do not let me be persuaded to do anything evil
or to become involved with wickedness,
with people who are troublemakers.
Do not let me taste their delicacies.

A righteous person may strike me or correct me out of kindness.
It is like lotion for my head.
My head will not refuse it,
because my prayer is directed against evil deeds.
When their judges are thrown off a cliff,
they will listen to what I have to say.
It will sound pleasant ⌞to them⌟.
As someone plows and breaks up the ground,
so our bones will be planted at the mouth of the grave.

My eyes look to you, Lord Almighty.
I have taken refuge in you.
Do not leave me defenseless.
Keep me away from the trap they set for me
and from the traps set by troublemakers.
10 Let wicked people fall into their own nets,
while I escape unharmed.