Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil Men

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

140 (A)Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
    preserve me from (B)violent men,
who plan evil things in their heart
    and (C)stir up wars continually.
They make (D)their tongue sharp as (E)a serpent's,
    and (F)under their lips is the (G)venom of asps. Selah

Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
    preserve me from (H)violent men,
    who have planned to trip up my feet.
The arrogant have (I)hidden a trap for me,
    and with cords they have spread (J)a net;[a]
    beside the way they have set (K)snares for me. Selah

(L)I say to the Lord, You are my God;
    give ear to (M)the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!
O Lord, my Lord, (N)the strength of my salvation,
    you have covered my head in the day of battle.
(O)Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
    do not further their[b] evil plot, or (P)they will be exalted! Selah

As for the head of those who surround me,
    let (Q)the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
10 Let (R)burning coals fall upon them!
    Let them be cast into fire,
    into miry pits, no more to rise!
11 Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
    let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!

12 I know that the Lord will (S)maintain the cause of the afflicted,
    and (T)will execute justice for the needy.
13 Surely (U)the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
    (V)the upright shall dwell in your presence.

Give Ear to My Voice

A Psalm of David.

141 O Lord, I call upon you; (W)hasten to me!
    Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
Let (X)my prayer be counted as incense before you,
    and (Y)the lifting up of my hands as (Z)the evening sacrifice!

(AA)Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
    (AB)keep watch over the door of my lips!
(AC)Do not let my heart incline to any evil,
    to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who (AD)work iniquity,
    and (AE)let me not eat of their delicacies!

(AF)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 (AG)my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
When their judges are (AH)thrown over the cliff,[c]
    then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
    so shall our bones (AI)be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.[d]

But (AJ)my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;
    (AK)in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless![e]
Keep me from (AL)the trap that they have laid for me
    and from the snares of evildoers!
10 Let the wicked (AM)fall into their own nets,
    while I pass by safely.

You Are My Refuge

A Maskil[f] of David, when he was in (AN)the cave. A Prayer.

142 With my voice I (AO)cry out to the Lord;
    with my voice I (AP)plead for mercy to the Lord.
I (AQ)pour out my complaint before him;
    I tell my trouble before him.

When my spirit (AR)faints within me,
    you know my way!
In the path where I walk
    they have (AS)hidden a trap for me.
(AT)Look to the (AU)right and see:
    (AV)there is none who takes notice of me;
(AW)no refuge remains to me;
    no one cares for my soul.

I cry to you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my (AX)refuge,
    my (AY)portion in (AZ)the land of the living.”
(BA)Attend to my cry,
    for (BB)I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
    (BC)for they are too strong for me!
(BD)Bring me out of prison,
    that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
    for you will (BE)deal bountifully with me.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 140:5 Or they have spread cords as a net
  2. Psalm 140:8 Hebrew his
  3. Psalm 141:6 Or When their judges fall into the hands of the Rock
  4. Psalm 141:7 The meaning of the Hebrew in verses 6, 7 is uncertain
  5. Psalm 141:8 Hebrew refuge; do not pour out my life!
  6. Psalm 142:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

Paul's Visions and His Thorn

12 I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and (A)revelations of the Lord. I know a man (B)in Christ who fourteen years ago was (C)caught up to (D)the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, (E)God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into (F)paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, (G)God knows— and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, (H)except of my weaknesses— though if I should wish to boast, (I)I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So (J)to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,[a] (K)a thorn was given me in the flesh, (L)a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. (M)Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, (N)“My grace is sufficient for you, for (O)my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that (P)the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 (Q)For the sake of Christ, then, (R)I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For (S)when I am weak, then I am strong.

Concern for the Corinthian Church

11 (T)I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was (U)not at all inferior to these super-apostles, (V)even though I am nothing. 12 (W)The signs of a true apostle were performed among you (X)with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. 13 For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that (Y)I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!

14 Here (Z)for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for (AA)I seek not what is yours but you. For (AB)children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but (AC)parents for their children. 15 (AD)I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If (AE)I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16 But granting that (AF)I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit. 17 Did I take advantage of you (AG)through any of those whom I sent to you? 18 (AH)I urged Titus to go, and sent (AI)the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?

19 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is (AJ)in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and (AK)all for your upbuilding, beloved. 20 For I fear that perhaps (AL)when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. 21 I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those (AM)who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, (AN)sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 12:7 Or hears from me, even because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited

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