Prayer for Help and Guidance.

A Psalm of David.

143 Hear my prayer, Lord,
(A)Listen to my pleadings!
Answer me in Your (B)faithfulness, in Your (C)righteousness!
And (D)do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For (E)no person living is righteous in Your sight.
For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life (F)to the ground;
He (G)has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.
Therefore (H)my spirit [a]feels weak within me;
My heart is [b](I)appalled within me.

I (J)remember the days of old;
I (K)meditate on all Your accomplishments;
I (L)reflect on the work of Your hands.
I (M)spread out my hands to You;
My (N)soul longs for You, like a weary land. Selah

(O)Answer me quickly, Lord, my (P)spirit fails;
(Q)Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will be the same as (R)those who go down to the pit.
Let me hear Your (S)faithfulness (T)in the morning,
For I trust (U)in You;
Teach me the (V)way in which I should walk;
For to You I (W)lift up my soul.
(X)Save me, Lord, from my enemies;
[c]I take refuge in You.

10 (Y)Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let (Z)Your good Spirit (AA)lead me on level [d]ground.
11 (AB)For the sake of Your name, Lord, (AC)revive me.
(AD)In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And in Your faithfulness, [e](AE)destroy my enemies,
And (AF)eliminate all those who attack my soul,
For (AG)I am Your servant.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 143:4 Or faints within
  2. Psalm 143:4 Or desolate
  3. Psalm 143:9 Lit To You have I hidden
  4. Psalm 143:10 Lit land
  5. Psalm 143:12 Or silence

143 (Ein Psalm Davids.) HERR, erhöre mein Gebet, vernimm mein Flehen um deiner Wahrheit willen, erhöre mich um deiner Gerechtigkeit willen

und gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knechte; denn vor dir ist kein Lebendiger gerecht.

Denn der Feind verfolgt meine Seele und schlägt mein Leben zu Boden; er legt mich ins Finstere wie die, so längst tot sind.

Und mein Geist ist in mir geängstet; mein Herz ist mir in meinem Leibe verzehrt.

Ich gedenke an die vorigen Zeiten; ich rede von allen deinen Taten und sage von den Werken deiner Hände.

Ich breite meine Hände aus zu dir; meine Seele dürstet nach dir wie ein dürres Land. (Sela.)

HERR, erhöre mich bald, mein Geist vergeht; verbirg dein Antlitz nicht von mir, daß ich nicht gleich werde denen, die in die Grube fahren.

Laß mich frühe hören deine Gnade; denn ich hoffe auf dich. Tue mir kund den Weg, darauf ich gehen soll; denn mich verlangt nach dir.

Errette mich, mein Gott, von meinen Feinden; zu dir habe ich Zuflucht.

10 Lehre mich tun nach deinem Wohlgefallen, denn du bist mein Gott; dein guter Geist führe mich auf ebener Bahn.

11 HERR, erquicke mich um deines Namens willen; führe meine Seele aus der Not um deiner Gerechtigkeit willen

12 und verstöre meine Feinde um deiner Güte willen und bringe alle um, die meine Seele ängsten; denn ich bin dein Knecht.

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.

143 Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.

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

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.

12 And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.