Beginning
Prayer for Protection against the Wicked.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
140 (A)Rescue me, O Lord, from evil men;
Preserve me from (B)violent men
2 Who (C)devise evil things in their hearts;
They (D)continually stir up wars.
3 They (E)sharpen their tongues as a serpent;
(F)Poison of a viper is under their lips. [a]Selah.
4 (G)Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
(H)Preserve me from violent men
Who have [b]purposed to [c](I)trip up my feet.
5 The proud have (J)hidden a trap for me, and cords;
They have spread a (K)net by the [d]wayside;
They have set (L)snares for me. Selah.
6 I (M)said to the Lord, “You are my God;
(N)Give ear, O Lord, to the (O)voice of my supplications.
7 “O [e]God the Lord, (P)the strength of my salvation,
You have (Q)covered my head in the day of [f]battle.
8 “Do not grant, O Lord, the (R)desires of the wicked;
Do not promote (S)his evil device, that they not be exalted. Selah.
9 “As for the head of those who surround me,
May the (T)mischief of their lips cover them.
10 “May (U)burning coals fall upon them;
May they be (V)cast into the fire,
Into [g]deep pits from which they (W)cannot rise.
11 “May a [h]slanderer not be established in the earth;
(X)May evil hunt the violent man [i]speedily.”
12 I know that the Lord will (Y)maintain the cause of the afflicted
And (Z)justice for the poor.
13 Surely the (AA)righteous will give thanks to Your name;
The (AB)upright will dwell in Your presence.
An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection.
A Psalm of David.
141 O Lord, I call upon You; (AC)hasten to me!
(AD)Give ear to my voice when I call to You!
2 May my prayer be [j]counted as (AE)incense before You;
The (AF)lifting up of my hands as the (AG)evening offering.
3 Set a (AH)guard, O Lord, [k]over my mouth;
Keep watch over the (AI)door of my lips.
4 (AJ)Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds [l]of wickedness
With men who (AK)do iniquity;
And (AL)do not let me eat of their delicacies.
5 Let the (AM)righteous smite me [m]in kindness and reprove me;
It is (AN)oil upon the head;
Do not let my head refuse it,
[n]For still my prayer (AO)is [o]against their wicked deeds.
6 Their judges are (AP)thrown down by the sides of the rock,
And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one (AQ)plows and breaks open the earth,
Our (AR)bones have been scattered at the (AS)mouth of [p]Sheol.
8 For my (AT)eyes are toward You, O [q]God, the Lord;
In You I (AU)take refuge; (AV)do not [r]leave me defenseless.
9 Keep me from the [s](AW)jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the (AX)snares of those who do iniquity.
10 Let the wicked (AY)fall into their own nets,
While I pass by [t](AZ)safely.
Prayer for Help in Trouble.
[u]Maskil of David, when he was [v]in the cave. A Prayer.
142 I (BA)cry aloud with my voice to the Lord;
I (BB)make supplication with my voice to the Lord.
2 I (BC)pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my (BD)trouble before Him.
3 When (BE)my spirit [w]was overwhelmed within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have (BF)hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see;
For there is (BG)no one who regards me;
[x]There is no (BH)escape for me;
(BI)No one cares for my soul.
5 I cried out to You, O Lord;
I said, “You are (BJ)my refuge,
My (BK)portion in the (BL)land of the living.
6 “(BM)Give heed to my cry,
For I am (BN)brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are too (BO)strong for me.
7 “(BP)Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will (BQ)deal bountifully with me.”
Prayer for Deliverance and Guidance.
A Psalm of David.
143 Hear my prayer, O Lord,
(BR)Give ear to my supplications!
Answer me in Your (BS)faithfulness, in Your (BT)righteousness!
2 And (BU)do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For in Your sight (BV)no man living is righteous.
3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life (BW)to the ground;
He (BX)has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.
4 Therefore (BY)my spirit [y]is overwhelmed within me;
My heart is [z](BZ)appalled within me.
5 I (CA)remember the days of old;
I (CB)meditate on all Your doings;
I (CC)muse on the work of Your hands.
6 I (CD)stretch out my hands to You;
My (CE)soul longs for You, as a [aa]parched land. [ab]Selah.
7 (CF)Answer me quickly, O Lord, my (CG)spirit fails;
(CH)Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will become like (CI)those who go down to the pit.
8 Let me hear Your (CJ)lovingkindness (CK)in the morning;
For I trust (CL)in You;
Teach me the (CM)way in which I should walk;
For to You I (CN)lift up my soul.
9 (CO)Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;
[ac]I take refuge in You.
10 (CP)Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let (CQ)Your good Spirit (CR)lead me on level [ad]ground.
11 (CS)For the sake of Your name, O Lord, (CT)revive me.
(CU)In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And in Your lovingkindness, [ae](CV)cut off my enemies
And (CW)destroy all those who afflict my soul,
For (CX)I am Your servant.
Prayer for Rescue and Prosperity.
A Psalm of David.
144 Blessed be the Lord, (CY)my rock,
Who (CZ)trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle;
2 My lovingkindness and (DA)my fortress,
My (DB)stronghold and my deliverer,
My (DC)shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who (DD)subdues [af]my people under me.
3 O Lord, (DE)what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that You think of him?
4 (DF)Man is like a mere breath;
His (DG)days are like a passing shadow.
5 (DH)Bow Your heavens, O Lord, and (DI)come down;
(DJ)Touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
6 Flash forth (DK)lightning and scatter them;
Send out Your (DL)arrows and confuse them.
7 Stretch forth Your hand (DM)from on high;
Rescue me and (DN)deliver me out of great waters,
Out of the hand of (DO)aliens
8 Whose mouths (DP)speak deceit,
And whose (DQ)right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing a (DR)new song to You, O God;
Upon a (DS)harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 Who (DT)gives salvation to kings,
Who (DU)rescues David His servant from the evil sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me out of the hand of (DV)aliens,
Whose mouth (DW)speaks deceit
And whose (DX)right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 Let our sons in their youth be as (DY)grown-up plants,
And our daughters as (DZ)corner pillars [ag]fashioned as for a palace;
13 Let our (EA)garners be full, furnishing every kind of produce,
And our flocks bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our [ah]fields;
14 Let our (EB)cattle [ai]bear
Without [aj](EC)mishap and without [ak](ED)loss,
Let there be no (EE)outcry in our streets!
15 How blessed are the people who are so situated;
How (EF)blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
The Lord Extolled for His Goodness.
A Psalm of Praise, of David.
145 I will (EG)extol You, (EH)my God, O King,
And I will (EI)bless Your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless You,
And I will (EJ)praise Your name forever and ever.
3 (EK)Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised,
And His (EL)greatness is unsearchable.
4 One (EM)generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
5 On the (EN)glorious [al]splendor of Your majesty
And (EO)on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
6 Men shall speak of the [am]power of Your (EP)awesome acts,
And I will (EQ)tell of Your greatness.
7 They shall [an]eagerly utter the memory of Your (ER)abundant goodness
And will (ES)shout joyfully of Your righteousness.
8 The Lord is (ET)gracious and merciful;
Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.
9 The Lord is (EU)good to all,
And His (EV)mercies are over all His works.
10 (EW)All Your works shall give thanks to You, O Lord,
And Your (EX)godly ones shall bless You.
11 They shall speak of the (EY)glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power;
12 To (EZ)make known to the sons of men [ao]Your mighty acts
And the (FA)glory of the majesty of [ap]Your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is [aq]an (FB)everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
14 The Lord (FC)sustains all who fall
And (FD)raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all [ar]look to You,
And You (FE)give them their food in due time.
16 You (FF)open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is (FG)righteous in all His ways
And kind in all His deeds.
18 The Lord is (FH)near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him (FI)in truth.
19 He will (FJ)fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He will also (FK)hear their cry and will save them.
20 The Lord (FL)keeps all who love Him,
But all the (FM)wicked He will destroy.
21 My (FN)mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
And (FO)all flesh will (FP)bless His holy name forever and ever.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.