For the music director; a psalm of David.
140:1 O Lord, rescue me from wicked men! 2
Protect me from violent men, 3
140:2 who plan ways to harm me. 4
All day long they stir up conflict. 5
140:3 Their tongues wound like a serpent; 6
a viper’s 7 venom is behind 8 their lips. (Selah)
140:4 O Lord, shelter me from the power 9 of the wicked!
Protect me from violent men,
who plan to knock me over. 10
140:5 Proud men hide a snare for me;
evil men 11 spread a net by the path;
they set traps for me. (Selah)
140:6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
O Lord, pay attention to my plea for mercy!
140:7 O sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, 12
you shield 13 my head in the day of battle.
140:8 O Lord, do not let the wicked have their way! 14
Do not allow their 15 plan to succeed when they attack! 16 (Selah)
140:9 As for the heads of those who surround me –
may the harm done by 17 their lips overwhelm them!
140:10 May he rain down 18 fiery coals upon them!
May he throw them into the fire!
From bottomless pits they will not escape. 19
140:11 A slanderer 20 will not endure on 21 the earth;
calamity will hunt down a violent man and strike him down. 22
140:12 I know 23 that the Lord defends the cause of the oppressed
and vindicates the poor. 24
140:13 Certainly the godly will give thanks to your name;
the morally upright will live in your presence.
A psalm of David.
141:1 O Lord, I cry out to you. Come quickly to me!
Pay attention to me when I cry out to you!
141:2 May you accept my prayer like incense,
my uplifted hands like the evening offering! 26
141:3 O Lord, place a guard on my mouth!
Protect the opening 27 of my lips! 28
141:4 Do not let me have evil desires, 29
or participate in sinful activities
with men who behave wickedly. 30
I will not eat their delicacies. 31
141:5 May the godly strike me in love and correct me!
May my head not refuse 32 choice oil! 33
Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds. 34
141:6 They will be thrown down the side of a cliff by their judges. 35
They 36 will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.
141:7 As when one plows and breaks up the soil, 37
so our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
141:8 Surely I am looking to you, 38 O sovereign Lord.
In you I take shelter.
Do not expose me to danger! 39
141:9 Protect me from the snare they have laid for me,
and the traps the evildoers have set. 40
141:10 Let the wicked fall 41 into their 42 own nets,
while I escape. 43
A well-written song 45 by David, when he was in the cave; 46 a prayer.
142:1 To the Lord I cry out; 47
to the Lord I plead for mercy. 48
142:2 I pour out my lament before him;
I tell him about 49 my troubles.
142:3 Even when my strength leaves me, 50
you watch my footsteps. 51
In the path where I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
142:4 Look to the right and see!
No one cares about me. 52
I have nowhere to run; 53
no one is concerned about my life. 54
142:5 I cry out to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my shelter,
my security 55 in the land of the living.”
142:6 Listen to my cry for help,
for I am in serious trouble! 56
Rescue me from those who chase me,
for they are stronger than I am.
142:7 Free me 57 from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.
Because of me the godly will assemble, 58
for you will vindicate me. 59