An Earnest Appeal for Guidance and Deliverance

A Psalm of David.

143 Hear my prayer, O Lord,
Give ear to my supplications!
In Your faithfulness answer me,
And in Your righteousness.
Do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
(A)For in Your sight no one living is righteous.

For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in [a]darkness,
Like those who have long been dead.
(B)Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;
My heart within me is distressed.

(C)I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your works;
I [b]muse on the work of Your hands.
I spread out my hands to You;
(D)My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah

Answer me speedily, O Lord;
My spirit fails!
Do not hide Your face from me,
(E)Lest I [c]be like those who [d]go down into the pit.
Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness (F)in the morning,
For in You do I trust;
(G)Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For (H)I lift up my soul to You.

Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;
[e]In You I take shelter.
10 (I)Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
(J)Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in (K)the land of uprightness.

11 (L)Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake!
For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
12 In Your mercy (M)cut[f] off my enemies,
And destroy all those who afflict my soul;
For I am Your servant.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 143:3 dark places
  2. Psalm 143:5 ponder
  3. Psalm 143:7 become
  4. Psalm 143:7 Die
  5. Psalm 143:9 LXX, Vg. To You I flee
  6. Psalm 143:12 put an end to

143 (Mizmor of Dovid) Hear my tefillah, Hashem, give ear to my techinot (supplications); in Thy emunah answer me, and in Thy tzedakah.

And enter not into mishpat with Thy eved; for in Thy sight shall no man living be yitzadak (justified).

For the oyev (enemy) hath persecuted my nefesh; he hath struck down my life to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in places of choshech (darkness), like metei olam (those long dead).

Therefore is my ruach become faint within me; my lev within me is desolate.

I remember yamim mikedem (days of old), I meditate on all Thy works; I muse on the ma’aseh (work) of Thy hands.

I stretch forth my hands unto Thee; my nefesh thirsteth after Thee, like an eretz ayefah (a parched, thirsty land). Selah.

Hear me speedily, Hashem; my ruach faileth; hide not Thy face from me, lest I be like those that go down into the bor (pit).

Cause me to hear Thy chesed in the boker; for in Thee do I trust; cause me to know the Derech wherein I should walk; for I lift up my nefesh unto Thee.

Save me, Hashem, from mine oyevim (enemies); I flee unto Thee to hide me.

10 Teach me to do Retzonecha (Thy will); for Thou art Elohai; may Thy Ruach Tov lead me on level ground.

11 Revive me, Hashem, l’ma’an (for the sake of) Thy Shem (Name); in Thy tzedakah bring my nefesh out of tzoros.

12 And in Thy chesed silence mine enemies, and destroy all them that oppress my nefesh; for I am Thy eved.

143 Een psalm van David.

Here, luister naar mijn bidden,
hoor toch hoe ik smeek.
U bent trouw en rechtvaardig,
antwoord mij dan ook.
Oordeel uw dienaar niet,
want geen mens is in uw ogen rechtvaardig.
Mijn vijand achtervolgt mij.
Hij wil mij doden en mij het dodenrijk injagen,
de duisternis in.
Ik weet mij geen raad meer
en ben zo verschrikkelijk bang.
Ik denk aan vroeger
en aan wat U toen allemaal deed.
Alles wat U hebt gedaan en gemaakt,
trekt aan mijn geestesoog voorbij.
Ik strek mijn handen naar U uit.
Ik verlang naar U
zoals droog land naar water verlangt.
Geef mij snel antwoord, Here,
want ik houd het niet meer uit.
Verberg U niet voor mij,
want dan kan ik beter sterven.
Laat mij ʼs morgens vroeg al
uw goedheid en liefde ervaren.
Ik vertrouw U volkomen.
Laat mij weten welke weg ik moet inslaan.
Alles in mij richt zich op U.
Here, bevrijd mij van mijn tegenstanders,
ik vlucht naar U.
10 Leer mij te doen wat U van mij vraagt.
U bent mijn God, de goedheid Zelf.
Uw Geest leidt mij op een effen weg.
11 Here, laat mij leven tot eer van uw naam.
U bent rechtvaardig.
Haal mij uit deze ellende en moeilijkheden.
12 Betoon uw goedheid en liefde
en vernietig mijn tegenstanders.
Ik ben uw dienaar.
Slaat U ieder neer die mij naar het leven staat.

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

Lord, hear my prayer,(A)
    listen to my cry for mercy;(B)
in your faithfulness(C) and righteousness(D)
    come to my relief.
Do not bring your servant into judgment,
    for no one living is righteous(E) before you.
The enemy pursues me,
    he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness(F)
    like those long dead.(G)
So my spirit grows faint within me;
    my heart within me is dismayed.(H)
I remember(I) the days of long ago;
    I meditate(J) on all your works
    and consider what your hands have done.
I spread out my hands(K) to you;
    I thirst for you like a parched land.[a]

Answer me quickly,(L) Lord;
    my spirit fails.(M)
Do not hide your face(N) from me
    or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,(O)
    for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way(P) I should go,
    for to you I entrust my life.(Q)
Rescue me(R) from my enemies,(S) Lord,
    for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me(T) to do your will,
    for you are my God;(U)
may your good Spirit
    lead(V) me on level ground.(W)

11 For your name’s sake,(X) Lord, preserve my life;(Y)
    in your righteousness,(Z) bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;(AA)
    destroy all my foes,(AB)
    for I am your servant.(AC)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 143:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.