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Psalm 140-142
English Standard Version
Psalm 140-142
English Standard Version
Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil Men
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
140 (A)Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
preserve me from (B)violent men,
2 who plan evil things in their heart
and (C)stir up wars continually.
3 They make (D)their tongue sharp as (E)a serpent's,
and (F)under their lips is the (G)venom of asps. Selah
4 Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
preserve me from (H)violent men,
who have planned to trip up my feet.
5 The arrogant have (I)hidden a trap for me,
and with cords they have spread (J)a net;[a]
beside the way they have set (K)snares for me. Selah
6 (L)I say to the Lord, You are my God;
give ear to (M)the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!
7 O Lord, my Lord, (N)the strength of my salvation,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8 (O)Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their[b] evil plot, or (P)they will be exalted! Selah
9 As for the head of those who surround me,
let (Q)the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
10 Let (R)burning coals fall upon them!
Let them be cast into fire,
into miry pits, no more to rise!
11 Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!
12 I know that the Lord will (S)maintain the cause of the afflicted,
and (T)will execute justice for the needy.
13 Surely (U)the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
(V)the upright shall dwell in your presence.
Give Ear to My Voice
A Psalm of David.
141 O Lord, I call upon you; (W)hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let (X)my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and (Y)the lifting up of my hands as (Z)the evening sacrifice!
3 (AA)Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
(AB)keep watch over the door of my lips!
4 (AC)Do not let my heart incline to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who (AD)work iniquity,
and (AE)let me not eat of their delicacies!
5 (AF)Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
let my head not refuse it.
Yet (AG)my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
6 When their judges are (AH)thrown over the cliff,[c]
then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
so shall our bones (AI)be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.[d]
8 But (AJ)my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;
(AK)in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless![e]
9 Keep me from (AL)the trap that they have laid for me
and from the snares of evildoers!
10 Let the wicked (AM)fall into their own nets,
while I pass by safely.
You Are My Refuge
A Maskil[f] of David, when he was in (AN)the cave. A Prayer.
142 With my voice I (AO)cry out to the Lord;
with my voice I (AP)plead for mercy to the Lord.
2 I (AQ)pour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.
3 When my spirit (AR)faints within me,
you know my way!
In the path where I walk
they have (AS)hidden a trap for me.
4 (AT)Look to the (AU)right and see:
(AV)there is none who takes notice of me;
(AW)no refuge remains to me;
no one cares for my soul.
5 I cry to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my (AX)refuge,
my (AY)portion in (AZ)the land of the living.”
6 (BA)Attend to my cry,
for (BB)I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
(BC)for they are too strong for me!
7 (BD)Bring me out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
for you will (BE)deal bountifully with me.
Footnotes
- Psalm 140:5 Or they have spread cords as a net
- Psalm 140:8 Hebrew his
- Psalm 141:6 Or When their judges fall into the hands of the Rock
- Psalm 141:7 The meaning of the Hebrew in verses 6, 7 is uncertain
- Psalm 141:8 Hebrew refuge; do not pour out my life!
- Psalm 142:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
Psalm 140-142
New International Version
Psalm 140-142
New International Version
Psalm 140[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Rescue me,(A) Lord, from evildoers;
protect me from the violent,(B)
2 who devise evil plans(C) in their hearts
and stir up war(D) every day.
3 They make their tongues as sharp as(E) a serpent’s;
the poison of vipers(F) is on their lips.[b]
4 Keep me safe,(G) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;(H)
protect me from the violent,
who devise ways to trip my feet.
5 The arrogant have hidden a snare(I) for me;
they have spread out the cords of their net(J)
and have set traps(K) for me along my path.
6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”(L)
Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.(M)
7 Sovereign Lord,(N) my strong deliverer,
you shield my head in the day of battle.
8 Do not grant the wicked(O) their desires, Lord;
do not let their plans succeed.
9 Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
may the mischief of their lips engulf them.(P)
10 May burning coals fall on them;
may they be thrown into the fire,(Q)
into miry pits, never to rise.
11 May slanderers not be established in the land;
may disaster hunt down the violent.(R)
12 I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor(S)
and upholds the cause(T) of the needy.(U)
13 Surely the righteous will praise your name,(V)
and the upright will live(W) in your presence.(X)
Psalm 141
A psalm of David.
1 I call to you, Lord, come quickly(Y) to me;
hear me(Z) when I call to you.
2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;(AA)
may the lifting up of my hands(AB) be like the evening sacrifice.(AC)
3 Set a guard over my mouth,(AD) Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.(AE)
4 Do not let my heart(AF) be drawn to what is evil
so that I take part in wicked deeds(AG)
along with those who are evildoers;
do not let me eat their delicacies.(AH)
5 Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
let him rebuke me(AI)—that is oil on my head.(AJ)
My head will not refuse it,
for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.
6 Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,(AK)
and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
7 They will say, “As one plows(AL) and breaks up the earth,(AM)
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth(AN) of the grave.”
8 But my eyes are fixed(AO) on you, Sovereign Lord;
in you I take refuge(AP)—do not give me over to death.
9 Keep me safe(AQ) from the traps set by evildoers,(AR)
from the snares(AS) they have laid for me.
10 Let the wicked fall(AT) into their own nets,
while I pass by in safety.(AU)
Psalm 142[c]
A maskil[d] of David. When he was in the cave.(AV) A prayer.
1 I cry aloud(AW) to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.(AX)
2 I pour out before him my complaint;(AY)
before him I tell my trouble.(AZ)
Footnotes
- Psalm 140:1 In Hebrew texts 140:1-13 is numbered 140:2-14.
- Psalm 140:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 8.
- Psalm 142:1 In Hebrew texts 142:1-7 is numbered 142:2-8.
- Psalm 142:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.