Old/New Testament

To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

140 Free me, O Jehovah, from the evil man; preserve me from the violent man:

² Who devise mischiefs in [their] heart; every day are they banded together for war.

³ They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.

⁴ Keep me, O Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked [man], preserve me from the violent man, who devise to overthrow my steps.

⁵ The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the way-side; they have set traps for me. Selah.

⁶ I have said unto Jehovah, Thou art my God: give ear, O Jehovah, to the voice of my supplications.

⁷ Jehovah, the Lord, is the strength of my salvation: thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

⁸ Grant not, O Jehovah, the desire of the wicked; further not his device: they would exalt themselves. Selah.

⁹ [As for] the head of those that encompass me, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

¹⁰ Let burning coals fall on them; let them be cast into the fire; into deep waters, that they rise not up again.

¹¹ Let not the man of [evil] tongue be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the man of violence to [his] ruin.

¹² I know that Jehovah will maintain the cause of the afflicted one, the right of the needy.

¹³ Yea, the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name; the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

A Psalm of David.

141 Jehovah, I have called upon thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I call unto thee.

² Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening oblation.

³ Set a watch, O Jehovah, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

⁴ Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise deeds of wickedness with men that are workers of iniquity; and let me not eat of their dainties.

⁵ Let the righteous smite me, it is kindness; and let him reprove me, it is an excellent oil which my head shall not refuse: for yet my prayer also is [for them] in their calamities.

⁶ When their judges are thrown down from the rocks, they shall hear my words, for they are sweet.

⁷ Our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol, as when one cutteth and cleaveth [wood] upon the earth.

⁸ For unto thee, Jehovah, Lord, are mine eyes; in thee do I trust: leave not my soul destitute.

⁹ Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, and from the traps of the workers of iniquity.

¹⁰ Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that *I* withal pass over.

An instruction of David; when he was in the cave: a prayer.

142 I cry unto Jehovah with my voice: with my voice unto Jehovah do I make supplication.

² I pour out my plaint before him; I shew before him my trouble.

³ When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then *thou* knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they hidden a snare for me.

⁴ Look on the right hand and see; there is no man that knoweth me: refuge hath failed me; no man careth for my soul.

⁵ I cried unto thee, Jehovah; I said, Thou art my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.

⁶ Attend unto my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I.

⁷ Bring my soul out of prison, that I may celebrate thy name. The righteous shall surround me, because thou dealest bountifully with me.

14 Follow after love, and be emulous of spiritual [manifestations], but rather that ye may prophesy.

² For he that speaks with a tongue does not speak to men but to God: for no one hears; but in spirit he speaks mysteries.

³ But he that prophesies speaks to men [in] edification, and encouragement, and consolation.

⁴ He that speaks with a tongue edifies himself; but he that prophesies edifies [the] assembly.

⁵ Now I desire that ye should all speak with tongues, but rather that ye should prophesy. But greater is he that prophesies than he that speaks with tongues, unless he interpret, that the assembly may receive edification.

⁶ And now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, unless I shall speak to you either in revelation, or in knowledge, or in prophecy, or in teaching?

⁷ Even lifeless things giving a sound, whether pipe or harp, if they give not distinction to the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

⁸ For also, if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself for war?

⁹ Thus also *ye* with the tongue, unless ye give a distinct speech, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye will be speaking to the air.

¹⁰ There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of undistinguishable sound.

¹¹ If therefore I do not know the power of the sound, I shall be to him that speaks a barbarian, and he that speaks a barbarian for me.

¹² Thus *ye* also, since ye are desirous of spirits, seek that ye may abound for the edification of the assembly.

¹³ Wherefore let him that speaks with a tongue pray that he may interpret.

¹⁴ For if I pray with a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

¹⁵ What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray also with the understanding; I will sing with the spirit, but I will sing also with the understanding.

¹⁶ Since otherwise, if thou blessest with [the] spirit, how shall he who fills the place of the simple [Christian] say Amen, at thy giving of thanks, since he does not know what thou sayest?

¹⁷ For *thou* indeed givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.

¹⁸ I thank God I speak in a tongue more than all of you:

¹⁹ but in [the] assembly I desire to speak five words with my understanding, that I may instruct others also, [rather] than ten thousand words in a tongue.

²⁰ Brethren, be not children in [your] minds, but in malice be babes; but in [your] minds be grown [men].