Old/New Testament
Psalm 140[a]
Prayer for Deliverance from the Wicked
1 For the leader. A psalm of David.
I
2 Deliver me, Lord, from the wicked;
preserve me from the violent,(A)
3 From those who plan evil in their hearts,
who stir up conflicts every day,
4 [b]Who sharpen their tongue like a serpent,
venom of asps upon their lips.(B)
Selah
II
5 Keep me, Lord, from the clutches of the wicked;
preserve me from the violent,
who plot to trip me up.(C)
6 [c]The arrogant have set a trap for me;
they have spread out ropes for a net,
laid snares for me by the wayside.
Selah
7 I say to the Lord: You are my God;(D)
listen, Lord, to the words of my pleas.
8 Lord, my master, my strong deliverer,
you cover my head on the day of armed conflict.
9 Lord, do not grant the desires of the wicked one;
do not let his plot succeed.
Selah
III
10 Those who surround me raise their heads;
may the mischief they threaten overwhelm them.
11 Drop burning coals upon them;(E)
cast them into the watery pit never more to rise.
12 Slanderers will not survive on earth;
evil will hunt down the man of violence to overthrow him.
13 For I know the Lord will take up the cause of the needy,
justice for the poor.
14 Then the righteous will give thanks to your name;
the upright will dwell in your presence.(F)
Psalm 141[d]
Prayer for Deliverance from the Wicked
1 A psalm of David.
Lord, I call to you; hasten to me;
listen to my plea when I call.
2 Let my prayer be incense[e] before you;
my uplifted hands an evening offering.(G)
3 Set a guard, Lord, before my mouth,
keep watch over the door of my lips.(H)
4 Do not let my heart incline to evil,
to perform deeds in wickedness.
On the delicacies of evildoers
let me not feast.
5 [f]Let a righteous person strike me; it is mercy if he reproves me.
Do not withhold oil from my head(I)
while my prayer opposes their evil deeds.
6 May their leaders be cast over the cliff,
so that they hear that my speeches are pleasing.
7 Like the plowing and breaking up of the earth,
our bones are strewn at the mouth of Sheol.
8 For my eyes are upon you, O Lord, my Lord;(J)
in you I take refuge; do not take away my soul.
9 Guard me from the trap they have set for me,
from the snares of evildoers.(K)
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while only I pass over them safely.
Psalm 142[g]
A Prayer in Time of Trouble
1 A maskil of David, when he was in the cave.[h] A prayer.
2 With my own voice I cry to the Lord;
with my own voice I beseech the Lord.
3 Before him I pour out my complaint,
tell of my distress in front of him.
4 When my spirit is faint within me,(L)
you know my path.(M)
As I go along this path,
they have hidden a trap for me.(N)
5 I look to my right hand to see(O)
that there is no one willing to acknowledge me.
My escape has perished;
no one cares for me.
6 I cry out to you, Lord,
I say, You are my refuge,(P)
my portion in the land of the living.(Q)
7 Listen to my cry for help,
for I am brought very low.(R)
Rescue me from my pursuers,
for they are too strong for me.
8 Lead my soul from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.
Then the righteous shall gather around me[i]
because you have been good to me.
Chapter 14
Prophecy Greater than Tongues. 1 [a]Pursue love, but strive eagerly for the spiritual gifts, above all that you may prophesy.(A) 2 [b]For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to human beings but to God, for no one listens; he utters mysteries in spirit. 3 On the other hand, one who prophesies does speak to human beings, for their building up,[c] encouragement, and solace.(B) 4 Whoever speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but whoever prophesies builds up the church. 5 Now I should like all of you to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. One who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be built up.
6 [d]Now, brothers, if I should come to you speaking in tongues, what good will I do you if I do not speak to you by way of revelation, or knowledge, or prophecy, or instruction? 7 Likewise, if inanimate things that produce sound, such as flute or harp, do not give out the tones distinctly, how will what is being played on flute or harp be recognized? 8 And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? 9 Similarly, if you, because of speaking in tongues, do not utter intelligible speech, how will anyone know what is being said? For you will be talking to the air. 10 It happens that there are many different languages in the world, and none is meaningless; 11 but if I do not know the meaning of a language, I shall be a foreigner to one who speaks it, and one who speaks it a foreigner to me. 12 So with yourselves: since you strive eagerly for spirits, seek to have an abundance of them for building up the church.
Need for Interpretation.[e] 13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray to be able to interpret. 14 [For] if I pray in a tongue, my spirit[f] is at prayer but my mind is unproductive. 15 So what is to be done? I will pray with the spirit, but I will also pray with the mind. I will sing praise with the spirit, but I will also sing praise with the mind.(C) 16 Otherwise, if you pronounce a blessing [with] the spirit, how shall one who holds the place of the uninstructed say the “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may be giving thanks very well, but the other is not built up. 18 I give thanks to God that I speak in tongues more than any of you, 19 but in the church I would rather speak five words with my mind, so as to instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Functions of These Gifts. 20 [g]Brothers, stop being childish in your thinking. In respect to evil be like infants, but in your thinking be mature.(D)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.