Chronological
For the director of music. A miktam of David after the Philistines had captured him in Gath. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oak Trees.”
56 Help me, God. Men are chasing me.
All day long they keep attacking me.
2 My enemies chase me all day long.
Many proud people are attacking me.
3 When I’m afraid,
I put my trust in you.
4 I trust in God. I praise his word.
I trust in God. I am not afraid.
What can mere people do to me?
5 All day long they twist my words.
They are always making plans to destroy me.
6 They get together and hide.
They watch my steps.
They hope to kill me.
7 Because they are so evil, make sure you don’t let them escape.
God, bring down the nations in your anger.
8 Make a record of my sadness.
List my tears in your book.
Aren’t you making a record of them?
9 My enemies will turn back
when I call out to you for help.
Then I will know that God is on my side.
10 I trust in God. I praise his word.
I trust in the Lord. I praise his word.
11 I trust in God. I am not afraid.
What can mere people do to me?
12 God, I have made promises to you.
I will bring my thank offerings to you.
13 You have saved me from the darkness of death.
You have kept me from tripping and falling.
Now I can live with you
in the light of life.
A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord.
120 I call out to the Lord when I’m in trouble,
and he answers me.
2 Lord, save me from people whose lips tell lies.
Save me from people whose tongues don’t tell the truth.
3 What will the Lord do to you, you lying tongue?
And what more will he do?
4 He will punish you with the sharp arrows of a soldier.
He will punish you with burning coals from a desert bush.
5 How terrible it is for me to live in the tents of the people of Meshek!
How terrible to live in the tents of the people of Kedar!
6 I have lived too long
among those who hate peace.
7 I want peace.
But when I speak, they want war.
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
140 Lord, save me from sinful people.
Keep me safe from those who want to hurt me.
2 They make evil plans in their hearts.
They are always starting fights.
3 Their tongues are as deadly as the tongue of a serpent.
The words from their lips are like the poison of a snake.
4 Lord, keep me safe from the hands of sinful people.
Protect me from those who want to hurt me.
They plan ways to trip me up and make me fall.
5 Proud people have hidden their traps to catch me.
They have spread out their nets.
They have set traps for me along my path.
6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
Lord, hear my cry for mercy.
7 Lord and King, you save me because you are strong.
You are like a shield that keeps me safe in the day of battle.
8 Lord, don’t give sinners what they want.
Don’t let their plans succeed.
9 Those who are all around me proudly raise their heads.
May the trouble they planned for me happen to them.
10 May burning coals fall on people like that.
May they be thrown into the fire.
May they be thrown into muddy pits and never get out.
11 Don’t let people who lie about me be secure in the land.
May trouble hunt down those who want to hurt me.
12 I know that the Lord makes sure that poor people are treated fairly.
He stands up for those who are in need.
13 I’m sure that those who do right will praise your name.
Those who are honest will live with you.
A psalm of David.
141 I call out to you, Lord. Come quickly to help me.
Listen to me when I call out to you.
2 May my prayer come to you like the sweet smell of incense.
When I lift up my hands in prayer, may it be like the evening sacrifice.
3 Lord, guard my mouth.
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Don’t let my heart be drawn to what is evil.
Don’t let me join with people who do evil.
Don’t let me eat their fancy food.
5 If a godly person hit me, it would be an act of kindness.
If they would correct me, it would be like pouring olive oil on my head.
I wouldn’t say no to it.
I will always pray against the things that sinful people do.
6 When their rulers are thrown down from the rocky cliffs,
those evil people will realize that my words were true.
7 They will say, “As clumps of dirt are left from plowing up the ground,
so our bones will be scattered near an open grave.”
8 But Lord and King, I keep looking to you for help.
I go to you for safety. Don’t let me die.
9 Keep me from the traps of those who do evil.
Save me from the traps they have set for me.
10 Let evil people fall into their own nets.
But let me go safely on my way.
A prayer of David when he was in the cave. A maskil.
142 I call out to the Lord.
I pray to him for mercy.
2 I pour out my problem to him.
I tell him about my trouble.
3 When I grow weak,
you are watching over my life.
In the path where I walk,
people have hidden a trap to catch me.
4 Look and see that no one is on my right side to help me.
No one is concerned about me.
I have no place of safety.
No one cares whether I live or die.
5 Lord, I cry out to you.
I say, “You are my place of safety.
You are everything I need in this life.”
6 Listen to my cry.
I am in great need.
Save me from those who are chasing me.
They are too strong for me.
7 My troubles are like a prison.
Set me free so I can praise your name.
Then those who do what is right will gather around me
because you have been good to me.
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