Psalm 141-142
English Standard Version
Give Ear to My Voice
A Psalm of David.
141 O Lord, I call upon you; (A)hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let (B)my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and (C)the lifting up of my hands as (D)the evening sacrifice!
3 (E)Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
(F)keep watch over the door of my lips!
4 (G)Do not let my heart incline to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who (H)work iniquity,
and (I)let me not eat of their delicacies!
5 (J)Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
let my head not refuse it.
Yet (K)my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
6 When their judges are (L)thrown over the cliff,[a]
then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
so shall our bones (M)be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.[b]
8 But (N)my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;
(O)in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless![c]
9 Keep me from (P)the trap that they have laid for me
and from the snares of evildoers!
10 Let the wicked (Q)fall into their own nets,
while I pass by safely.
You Are My Refuge
A Maskil[d] of David, when he was in (R)the cave. A Prayer.
142 With my voice I (S)cry out to the Lord;
with my voice I (T)plead for mercy to the Lord.
2 I (U)pour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.
3 When my spirit (V)faints within me,
you know my way!
In the path where I walk
they have (W)hidden a trap for me.
4 (X)Look to the (Y)right and see:
(Z)there is none who takes notice of me;
(AA)no refuge remains to me;
no one cares for my soul.
5 I cry to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my (AB)refuge,
my (AC)portion in (AD)the land of the living.”
6 (AE)Attend to my cry,
for (AF)I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
(AG)for they are too strong for me!
7 (AH)Bring me out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
for you will (AI)deal bountifully with me.
Footnotes
- Psalm 141:6 Or When their judges fall into the hands of the Rock
- Psalm 141:7 The meaning of the Hebrew in verses 6, 7 is uncertain
- Psalm 141:8 Hebrew refuge; do not pour out my life!
- Psalm 142:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.