Psalm 141-150

Christian Standard Bible

³ Lord, set up a guard for my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips.^(D)
4 Do not let my heart turn to any evil thing
or perform wicked acts with evildoers.
Do not let me feast on their delicacies.^(E)
5 Let the righteous one strike me—
it is an act of faithful love;
let him rebuke me—
it is oil for my head;
let me^[a] not refuse it.^(F)
Even now my prayer is against
the evil acts of the wicked.^[b](G)
6 When their rulers^[c] will be thrown off
the sides of a cliff,
the people^[d] will listen to my words,
for they are pleasing.^(H)

⁷ As when one plows and breaks up the soil,
turning up rocks,
so our^[e] bones have been scattered
at the mouth of Sheol.^(I)

⁸ But my eyes look to you, Lord, my Lord.
I seek refuge in you; do not let me die.^[f](J)
9 Protect me from the trap they have set for me,
and from the snares of evildoers.^(K)
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by safely.^(L)

⁵ I cry to you, Lord;
I say, “You are my shelter,
my portion in the land of the living.”^(T)
6 Listen to my cry,
for I am very weak.^(U)
Rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.^(V)
7 Free me from prison
so that I can praise your name.
The righteous will gather around me
because you deal generously with me.^(W)

³ For the enemy has pursued me,
crushing me to the ground,
making me live in darkness
like those long dead.^(AA)
4 My spirit is weak within me;
my heart is overcome with dismay.^(AB)

⁵ I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all you have done;
I reflect on the work of your hands.^(AC)
6 I spread out my hands to you;
I am like parched land before you.^(AD)Selah

⁷ Answer me quickly, Lord;
my spirit fails.^(AE)
Don’t hide your face from me,
or I will be like those
going down to the Pit.^(AF)
8 Let me experience
your faithful love in the morning,
for I trust in you.^(AG)
Reveal to me the way I should go
because I appeal to you.^(AH)
9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord;
I come to you for protection.^[h](AI)
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.^(AJ)
May your gracious Spirit
lead me on level ground.^(AK)

¹¹ For your name’s sake, Lord,
let me live.
In your righteousness deliver me from trouble,^(AL)
12 and in your faithful love destroy my enemies.
Wipe out all those who attack me,
for I am your servant.^(AM)

³ Lord, what is a human that you care for him,
a son of man^[j] that you think of him?^(AS)
4 A human is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow.^(AT)

⁵ Lord, part your heavens and come down.^(AU)
Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.^(AV)
6 Flash your lightning and scatter the foe;^[k]
shoot your arrows and rout them.^(AW)
7 Reach down^[l] from on high;^(AX)
rescue me from deep water, and set me free
from the grasp of foreigners^(AY)
8 whose mouths speak lies,
whose right hands are deceptive.^(AZ)

⁹ God, I will sing a new song to you;
I will play on a ten-stringed harp for you^(BA)—
¹⁰ the one who gives victory to kings,
who frees his servant David
from the deadly sword.^(BB)
11 Set me free and rescue me
from foreigners^(BC)
whose mouths speak lies,
whose right hands are deceptive.^(BD)

¹² Then our sons will be like plants
nurtured in their youth,
our daughters, like corner pillars
that are carved in the palace style.^(BE)
13 Our storehouses will be full,
supplying all kinds of produce;^(BF)
our flocks will increase by thousands
and tens of thousands in our open fields.^(BG)
14 Our cattle will be well fed.^[m]
There will be no breach in the walls,
no going into captivity,^[n]
and no cry of lament in our public squares.^(BH)
15 Happy are the people with such blessings.
Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.^(BI)

³ The Lord is great and is highly praised;^(BL)
his greatness is unsearchable.^(BM)
4 One generation will declare your works to the next
and will proclaim your mighty acts.^(BN)
5 I^[p] will speak of your splendor and glorious majesty
and^[q] your wondrous works.^(BO)
6 They will proclaim the power of your awe-inspiring acts,
and I will declare your greatness.^[r](BP)
7 They will give a testimony of your great goodness
and will joyfully sing of your righteousness.^(BQ)

⁸ The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and great in faithful love.^(BR)
9 The Lord is good to everyone;^(BS)
his compassion rests on all he has made.^(BT)
10 All you have made will thank you, Lord;
the^[s] faithful will bless you.^(BU)
11 They will speak of the glory of your kingdom
and will declare your might,^(BV)
12 informing all people of your mighty acts
and of the glorious splendor of your^[t] kingdom.^(BW)
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom;
your rule is for all generations.^(BX)
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and gracious in all his actions.^[u](BY)

¹⁴ The Lord helps all who fall;
he raises up all who are oppressed.^[v](BZ)
15 All eyes look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.^(CA)
16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.^(CB)

¹⁷ The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all his acts.^(CC)
18 The Lord is near all who call out to him,
all who call out to him with integrity.^(CD)
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry for help and saves them.^(CE)
20 The Lord guards all those who love him,
but he destroys all the wicked.^(CF)
21 My mouth will declare the Lord’s praise;
let every living thing
bless his holy name forever and ever.^(CG)

³ Do not trust in nobles,
in a son of man,^[w] who cannot save.^(CJ)
4 When his breath^[x] leaves him,
he returns to the ground;
on that day his plans die.^(CK)

⁵ Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,^(CL)
6 the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea and everything in them.^(CM)
He remains faithful forever,^(CN)
7 executing justice for the exploited
and giving food to the hungry.^(CO)
The Lord frees prisoners.^(CP)
8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.^(CQ)
The Lord raises up those who are oppressed.^[y](CR)
The Lord loves the righteous.^(CS)
9 The Lord protects resident aliens
and helps the fatherless and the widow,^(CT)
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.^(CU)

¹⁰ The Lord reigns forever;
Zion, your God reigns for all generations.^(CV)
Hallelujah!

² The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem;^(CX)
he gathers Israel’s exiled people.^(CY)
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and bandages their wounds.^(CZ)
4 He counts the number of the stars;
he gives names to all of them.^(DA)
5 Our Lord is great, vast in power;
his understanding is infinite.^[z](DB)
6 The Lord helps the oppressed
but brings the wicked to the ground.^(DC)

⁷ Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
play the lyre to our God,^(DD)
8 who covers the sky with clouds,
prepares rain for the earth,
and causes grass to grow on the hills.^(DE)
9 He provides the animals with their food,
and the young ravens what they cry for.^(DF)

¹⁰ He is not impressed by the strength of a horse;
he does not value the power of a warrior.^[aa](DG)
11 The Lord values those who fear him,
those who put their hope in his faithful love.^(DH)

¹² Exalt the Lord, Jerusalem;
praise your God, Zion!^(DI)
13 For he strengthens the bars of your city gates
and blesses your children within you.^(DJ)
14 He endows your territory with prosperity;^[ab](DK)
he satisfies you with the finest wheat.^(DL)

¹⁵ He sends his command throughout the earth;
his word runs swiftly.^(DM)
16 He spreads snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes;^(DN)
17 he throws his hailstones like crumbs.
Who can withstand his cold?^(DO)
18 He sends his word and melts them;
he unleashes his winds,^[ac] and the water flows.^(DP)

¹⁹ He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and judgments to Israel.^(DQ)
20 He has not done this for every nation;
they do not know his judgments.^(DR)
Hallelujah!

⁷ Praise the Lord from the earth,
all sea monsters and ocean depths,^(DY)
8 lightning^[ad] and hail, snow and cloud,
stormy wind that executes his command,^(DZ)
9 mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,^(EA)
10 wild animals and all cattle,
creatures that crawl and flying birds,^(EB)
11 kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all judges of the earth,^(EC)
12 young men as well as young women,
old and young together.^(ED)
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted.
His majesty covers heaven and earth.^(EE)
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
resulting in praise to all his faithful ones,
to the Israelites, the people close to him.^(EF)
Hallelujah!

⁶ Let the exaltation of God be in their mouths^[ae]
and a double-edged sword in their hands,^(EN)
7 inflicting vengeance on the nations
and punishment on the peoples,^(EO)
8 binding their kings with chains
and their dignitaries with iron shackles,^(EP)
9 carrying out the judgment decreed against them.
This honor is for all his faithful people.^(EQ)
Hallelujah!

³ Praise him with the blast of a ram’s horn;^(EU)
praise him with harp and lyre.^(EV)
4 Praise him with tambourine and dance;^(EW)
praise him with strings and flute.^(EX)
5 Praise him with resounding cymbals;
praise him with clashing cymbals.^(EY)

⁶ Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.^(EZ)
Hallelujah!