Psalm 120

A song of ascents.

I call on the Lord(A) in my distress,(B)
    and he answers me.
Save me, Lord,
    from lying lips(C)
    and from deceitful tongues.(D)

What will he do to you,
    and what more besides,
    you deceitful tongue?
He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows,(E)
    with burning coals of the broom bush.

Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek,
    that I live among the tents of Kedar!(F)
Too long have I lived
    among those who hate peace.
I am for peace;
    but when I speak, they are for war.

120 In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me.

Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.

What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?

Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.

Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!

My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace.

I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven(A) and earth.(B)

He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches(C) over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over(D) you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun(E) will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm(F)
    he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.(G)

121 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Psalm 140[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Rescue me,(A) Lord, from evildoers;
    protect me from the violent,(B)
who devise evil plans(C) in their hearts
    and stir up war(D) every day.
They make their tongues as sharp as(E) a serpent’s;
    the poison of vipers(F) is on their lips.[b]

Keep me safe,(G) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;(H)
    protect me from the violent,
    who devise ways to trip my feet.
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.

I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”(L)
    Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.(M)
Sovereign Lord,(N) my strong deliverer,
    you shield my head in the day of battle.
Do not grant the wicked(O) their desires, Lord;
    do not let their plans succeed.

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)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 140:1 In Hebrew texts 140:1-13 is numbered 140:2-14.
  2. Psalm 140:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 8.

140 Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;

Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.

They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.

Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.

The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.

I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.

O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.

As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

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

11 Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.

13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

Lord, hear my prayer,(A)
    listen to my cry for mercy;(B)
in your faithfulness(C) and righteousness(D)
    come to my relief.
Do not bring your servant into judgment,
    for no one living is righteous(E) before you.
The enemy pursues me,
    he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness(F)
    like those long dead.(G)
So my spirit grows faint within me;
    my heart within me is dismayed.(H)
I remember(I) the days of long ago;
    I meditate(J) on all your works
    and consider what your hands have done.
I spread out my hands(K) to you;
    I thirst for you like a parched land.[a]

Answer me quickly,(L) Lord;
    my spirit fails.(M)
Do not hide your face(N) from me
    or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,(O)
    for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way(P) I should go,
    for to you I entrust my life.(Q)
Rescue me(R) from my enemies,(S) Lord,
    for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me(T) to do your will,
    for you are my God;(U)
may your good Spirit
    lead(V) me on level ground.(W)

11 For your name’s sake,(X) Lord, preserve my life;(Y)
    in your righteousness,(Z) bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;(AA)
    destroy all my foes,(AB)
    for I am your servant.(AC)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 143:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

143 Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.

And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.

12 And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

Psalm 144

Of David.

Praise be to the Lord my Rock,(A)
    who trains my hands for war,
    my fingers for battle.
He is my loving God and my fortress,(B)
    my stronghold(C) and my deliverer,
my shield,(D) in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues peoples[a](E) under me.

Lord, what are human beings(F) that you care for them,
    mere mortals that you think of them?
They are like a breath;(G)
    their days are like a fleeting shadow.(H)

Part your heavens,(I) Lord, and come down;(J)
    touch the mountains, so that they smoke.(K)
Send forth lightning(L) and scatter(M) the enemy;
    shoot your arrows(N) and rout them.
Reach down your hand from on high;(O)
    deliver me and rescue me(P)
from the mighty waters,(Q)
    from the hands of foreigners(R)
whose mouths are full of lies,(S)
    whose right hands(T) are deceitful.(U)

I will sing a new song(V) to you, my God;
    on the ten-stringed lyre(W) I will make music to you,
10 to the One who gives victory to kings,(X)
    who delivers his servant David.(Y)

From the deadly sword(Z) 11 deliver me;
    rescue me(AA) from the hands of foreigners(AB)
whose mouths are full of lies,(AC)
    whose right hands are deceitful.(AD)

12 Then our sons in their youth
    will be like well-nurtured plants,(AE)
and our daughters will be like pillars(AF)
    carved to adorn a palace.
13 Our barns will be filled(AG)
    with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
    by tens of thousands in our fields;
14     our oxen(AH) will draw heavy loads.[b]
There will be no breaching of walls,(AI)
    no going into captivity,
    no cry of distress in our streets.(AJ)
15 Blessed is the people(AK) of whom this is true;
    blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 144:2 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Aquila, Jerome and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text subdues my people
  2. Psalm 144:14 Or our chieftains will be firmly established

144 Blessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:

My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.

Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!

Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.

Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;

Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.

10 It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.

11 Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:

12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:

13 That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:

14 That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.

15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.