A Plea for Relief from Persecutors

A (A)Contemplation[a] of David. A Prayer (B)when he was in the cave.

142 I cry out to the Lord with my voice;
With my voice to the Lord I make my supplication.
I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare before Him my trouble.

When my spirit [b]was (C)overwhelmed within me,
Then You knew my path.
In the way in which I walk
They have secretly (D)set a snare for me.
Look on my right hand and see,
For there is no one who acknowledges me;
Refuge has failed me;
No one cares for my soul.

I cried out to You, O Lord:
I said, “You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.
[c]Attend to my cry,
For I am brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are stronger than I.
Bring my soul out of prison,
That I may (E)praise Your name;
The righteous shall surround me,
For You shall deal bountifully with me.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 142:1 Heb. Maschil
  2. Psalm 142:3 Lit. fainted
  3. Psalm 142:6 Give heed

142 I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication.

I poured out my complaint before Him; I laid before Him my trouble.

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then Thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.

I looked on my right hand and beheld, but there was no man that would know me. Refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

I cried unto Thee, O Lord; I said, “Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.

Attend unto my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I.

Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Thy name; the righteous shall compass me about, for Thou shalt deal bountifully with me.”

David’s Four Hundred Men(A)

22 David therefore departed from there and (B)escaped (C)to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. (D)And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was [a]discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about (E)four hundred men with him.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 22:2 Lit. bitter of soul

22 David therefore departed thence and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.

And every one who was in distress, and every one who was in debt, and every one who was discontented, gathered themselves unto him. And he became a captain over them, and there were with him about four hundred men.

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