Book of Common Prayer

140 ⁽⁰⁾ For the leader. A psalm of David:

^2 (1) Rescue me, Adonai, from evil people,
protect me from violent people.
^3 (2) They plan evil things in their hearts —
they continually stir up bitter strife.
^4 (3) They have made their tongues as sharp as a snake’s;
viper’s venom is under their lips. (Selah)

^5 (4) Keep me, Adonai, from the hands of the wicked,
protect me from violent people
who are trying to trip me up.
^6 (5) The arrogant hide snares for me;
they spread nets by the side of the road,
hoping to trap me there. (Selah)

^7 (6) I said to Adonai, “You are my God;
listen, Adonai, to my plea for mercy.”
^8 (7) Adonai, Adonai, my saving strength,
my helmet shielding my head in battle,
^9 (8) Adonai, don’t grant the wicked their wishes;
make their plot fail, so they won’t grow proud. (Selah)
^10 (9) May the heads of those who surround me
be engulfed in the evil they spoke of, themselves.
^11 (10) May burning coals rain down on them,
may they be flung into the fire,
flung into deep pits,
never to rise again.
^12 (11) Let slanderers find no place in the land;
let the violent and evil be hunted relentlessly.

^13 (12) I know that Adonai gives justice to the poor
and maintains the rights of the needy.
^14 (13) The righteous will surely give thanks to your name;
the upright will live in your presence.

142 ⁽⁰⁾ A maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A prayer:

^2 (1) With my voice I cry to Adonai,
with my voice I plead to Adonai for mercy.
^3 (2) Before him I pour out my complaint,
before him I tell my trouble.
^4 (3) When my spirit faints within me,
you watch over my path.
By the road that I am walking
they have hidden a snare for me.
^5 (4) Look to my right, and see
that no one recognizes me.
I have no way of escape;
nobody cares for me.

^6 (5) I cried out to you, Adonai;
I said, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
^7 (6) Listen to my cry,
for I have been brought very low.

Rescue me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me.
^8 (7) Lead me out of prison,
so that I can give thanks to your name;
in me the righteous will be crowning themselves,
because you will have treated me generously.

141 ⁽⁰⁾ A psalm of David:

⁽¹⁾ Adonai, I have called you; come to me quickly!
Listen to my plea when I call to you.
² Let my prayer be like incense set before you,
my uplifted hands like an evening sacrifice.

³ Set a guard, Adonai, over my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips.
⁴ Don’t let my heart turn to anything evil
or allow me to act wickedly
with men who are evildoers;
keep me from eating their delicacies.

⁵ Let the righteous strike me, let him correct me;
it will be an act of love.
Let my head not refuse such choice oil,
for I will keep on praying about their wickedness.
⁶ When their rulers are thrown down from the cliff,
[the wicked] will hear that my words were fitting.
⁷ As when one plows and breaks the ground into clods,
our bones are strewn at the mouth of Sh’ol.

⁸ For my eyes, Adonai, Adonai, are on you;
in you I take refuge; don’t pour out my life.
⁹ Keep me from the trap they have set for me,
from the snares of evildoers.
¹⁰ Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by in safety.

143 ⁽⁰⁾ A psalm of David:

⁽¹⁾ Adonai, hear my prayer;
listen to my pleas for mercy.
In your faithfulness, answer me,
and in your righteousness.
² Don’t bring your servant to trial,
since in your sight no one alive
would be considered righteous.

³ For an enemy is pursuing me;
he has crushed my life into the ground
and left me to live in darkness,
like those who have been long dead.
⁴ My spirit faints within me;
my heart is appalled within me.

⁵ I remember the days of old,
reflecting on all your deeds,
thinking about the work of your hands.
⁶ I spread out my hands to you,
I long for you like a thirsty land. (Selah)

⁷ Answer me quickly, Adonai,
because my spirit is fainting.
Don’t hide your face from me,
or I’ll be like those who drop down into a pit.
⁸ Make me hear of your love in the morning,
because I rely on you.
Make me know the way I should walk,
because I entrust myself to you.
⁹ Adonai, rescue me from my enemies;
I have hidden myself with you.
¹⁰ Teach me to do your will,
because you are my God;
Let your good Spirit guide me
on ground that is level.
¹¹ For your name’s sake, Adonai, preserve my life;
in your righteousness, bring me out of distress.
¹² In your grace, cut off my enemies;
destroy all those harassing me;
because I am your servant.

“This is the speech of Bil‘am, son of B‘or;
the speech of the man whose eyes have been opened;
⁴ the speech of him who hears God’s words;
who sees what Shaddai sees,
who has fallen, yet has open eyes:

⁵ “How lovely are your tents, Ya‘akov;
your encampments, Isra’el!
⁶ They spread out like valleys,
like gardens by the riverside,
like succulent aloes planted by Adonai,
like cedar trees next to the water.

⁷ “Water will flow from their branches,
their seed will have water aplenty.
Their king will be higher than Agag
and his kingdom lifted high.
⁸ God, who brought them out of Egypt,
gives them the strength of a wild ox.
They will devour the nations opposing them,
break their bones, pierce them with their arrows.

⁹ “When they lie down they crouch like a lion,
or like a lioness — who dares to rouse it?
Blessed be all who bless you!
Cursed be all who curse you!”