Old/New Testament
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.”
Prophecy a Superior Gift
14 (A)Pursue love, yet (B)desire earnestly (C)spiritual gifts, but especially that you may (D)prophesy. 2 For one who (E)speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one [a]understands, but [b]in his spirit he speaks (F)mysteries. 3 But one who prophesies speaks to men for (G)edification and (H)exhortation and consolation. 4 One who (I)speaks in a tongue (J)edifies himself; but one who (K)prophesies (L)edifies the church. 5 Now I wish that you all (M)spoke in tongues, but (N)even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who (O)speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive (P)edifying.
6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of (Q)revelation or of (R)knowledge or of (S)prophecy or of (T)teaching? 7 Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? 8 For if (U)the [c]bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? 9 So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be (V)speaking into the air. 10 There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of [d]languages in the world, and no kind is without meaning. 11 If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be to the one who speaks a [e](W)barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a [f]barbarian [g]to me. 12 So also you, since you are zealous of [h]spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the (X)edification of the church.
13 Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 (Y)What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will (Z)sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. 16 Otherwise if you bless [i]in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the [j]ungifted say (AA)the “Amen” at your (AB)giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not (AC)edified. 18 I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; 19 however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Instruction for the Church
20 (AD)Brethren, (AE)do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil (AF)be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.