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Psalm 141-143
English Standard Version
Psalm 141-143
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.
My Soul Thirsts for You
A Psalm of David.
143 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
(AJ)give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your (AK)faithfulness answer me, in your (AL)righteousness!
2 (AM)Enter not into judgment with your servant,
for no one living is righteous (AN)before you.
3 For the enemy has pursued my soul;
(AO)he has crushed my life to the ground;
(AP)he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit (AQ)faints within me;
my heart within me is appalled.
5 (AR)I remember the days of old;
(AS)I meditate on all that you have done;
I ponder the work of your hands.
6 (AT)I stretch out my hands to you;
(AU)my soul thirsts for you like (AV)a parched land. Selah
7 (AW)Answer me quickly, O Lord!
(AX)My spirit fails!
(AY)Hide not your face from me,
(AZ)lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
8 (BA)Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I (BB)trust.
(BC)Make me know the way I should go,
(BD)for to you I lift up my soul.
9 (BE)Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
I have fled to you for refuge.[e]
10 (BF)Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God!
(BG)Let your good Spirit (BH)lead me
on (BI)level ground!
11 (BJ)For your name's sake, O Lord, (BK)preserve my life!
In your righteousness (BL)bring my soul out of trouble!
12 And in your steadfast love you will (BM)cut off my enemies,
and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
for I am your (BN)servant.
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
- Psalm 143:9 One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts To you I have covered
Psalm 141-143
New International Version
Psalm 141-143
New International Version
Psalm 141
A psalm of David.
1 I call to you, Lord, come quickly(A) to me;
hear me(B) when I call to you.
2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;(C)
may the lifting up of my hands(D) be like the evening sacrifice.(E)
3 Set a guard over my mouth,(F) Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.(G)
4 Do not let my heart(H) be drawn to what is evil
so that I take part in wicked deeds(I)
along with those who are evildoers;
do not let me eat their delicacies.(J)
5 Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
let him rebuke me(K)—that is oil on my head.(L)
My head will not refuse it,
for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.
6 Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,(M)
and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
7 They will say, “As one plows(N) and breaks up the earth,(O)
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth(P) of the grave.”
8 But my eyes are fixed(Q) on you, Sovereign Lord;
in you I take refuge(R)—do not give me over to death.
9 Keep me safe(S) from the traps set by evildoers,(T)
from the snares(U) they have laid for me.
10 Let the wicked fall(V) into their own nets,
while I pass by in safety.(W)
Psalm 142[a]
A maskil[b] of David. When he was in the cave.(X) A prayer.
1 I cry aloud(Y) to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.(Z)
2 I pour out before him my complaint;(AA)
before him I tell my trouble.(AB)
3 When my spirit grows faint(AC) within me,
it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk
people have hidden a snare for me.
4 Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;(AD)
no one cares(AE) for my life.
6 Listen to my cry,(AI)
for I am in desperate need;(AJ)
rescue me(AK) from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong(AL) for me.
7 Set me free from my prison,(AM)
that I may praise your name.(AN)
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of your goodness to me.(AO)
Psalm 143
A psalm of David.
1 Lord, hear my prayer,(AP)
listen to my cry for mercy;(AQ)
in your faithfulness(AR) and righteousness(AS)
come to my relief.
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous(AT) before you.
3 The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness(AU)
like those long dead.(AV)
4 So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.(AW)
5 I remember(AX) the days of long ago;
I meditate(AY) on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
6 I spread out my hands(AZ) to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land.[c]
7 Answer me quickly,(BA) Lord;
my spirit fails.(BB)
Do not hide your face(BC) from me
or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,(BD)
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way(BE) I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.(BF)
9 Rescue me(BG) from my enemies,(BH) Lord,
for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me(BI) to do your will,
for you are my God;(BJ)
may your good Spirit
lead(BK) me on level ground.(BL)
Footnotes
- Psalm 142:1 In Hebrew texts 142:1-7 is numbered 142:2-8.
- Psalm 142:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 143:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.