140  ^xDeliver me, O Lord, from evil men;

preserve me from violent men,

2  who plan evil things in their heart

and ^ystir up wars continually.

3  They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s,

and ^zunder their lips is the venom of asps. Selah

4  Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;

preserve me from violent men,

who have planned to trip up my feet.

5  The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,

and with cords they have spread a net;¹

beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah

6  ^aI say to the Lord, You are my God;

give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!

7  O Lord, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,

you have covered my head in the day of battle.

8  Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;

do not further their² evil plot, or they will be exalted! Selah

9  As for the head of those who surround me,

^blet the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!

10  ^cLet 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 ^dthe Lord will ^emaintain the cause of the afflicted,

and will execute justice for the needy.

13  Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;

^fthe upright shall dwell in your presence.

141  O Lord, I call upon you; ^ghasten to me!

Give ear to my voice when I call to you!

2  Let my ^hprayer be counted as incense before you,

and the lifting up of my hands as ⁱthe evening sacrifice!

3  ^jSet a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

^kkeep watch over the door of my lips!

4  Do not let my heart incline to any evil,

to busy myself with wicked deeds

in company with men who work iniquity,

and let me not eat of their delicacies!

5  ^lLet 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 my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.

6  When their judges are thrown over the cliff,¹

then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.

7  As when one plows and breaks up the earth,

so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.²

8  But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;

in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!³

9  Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me

and from the snares of evildoers!

10  Let the wicked fall into their own ^mnets,

while I pass by safely.

142  ^pWith my voice I cry out to the Lord;

with my voice I ^qplead for mercy to the Lord.

2  I ^rpour out my complaint before him;

I tell my trouble before him.

3  When ^smy spirit faints within me,

you know my way!

In the path where I walk

they have hidden a trap for me.

4  Look to the right and see:

there is none who takes notice of me;

^tno refuge remains to me;

no one cares for my soul.

5  I cry to you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my refuge,

^umy portion in the land of the living.”

6  ^vAttend to my cry,

for I am brought very low!

^wDeliver me from my persecutors,

for they are too strong for me!

7  ^xBring me out of prison,

that I may give thanks to your name!

The righteous will surround me,

for you will deal bountifully with me.

143  ^yHear my prayer, O Lord;

give ear to my pleas for mercy!

In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!

2  ^zEnter not into judgment with your servant,

for ^ano one living is righteous before you.

3  For the enemy has pursued my soul;

he has crushed my life to the ground;

^bhe has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.

4  Therefore ^cmy spirit faints within me;

my heart within me is appalled.

5  I remember the ^ddays of old;

I meditate on all that you have done;

I ponder the work of your hands.

6  I stretch out my hands to you;

^emy soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

7  Answer me ^fquickly, O Lord!

My spirit fails!

Hide not your face from me,

lest I be like those who go down to the pit.

8  Let me hear ^gin the morning of your steadfast love,

for in you I trust.

^hMake me know the way I should go,

for ⁱto you I lift up my soul.

9  ^jDeliver me from my enemies, O Lord!

I have fled to you for refuge.¹

10  Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God!

Let ^kyour good Spirit ^llead me

on level ground!

11  ^mFor your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life!

ⁿIn your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!

12  And in your steadfast love you will ^ocut off my enemies,

and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,

for I am your servant.

144  Blessed be the Lord, my rock,

who ^ptrains my hands for war,

and my fingers for battle;

2  he is my steadfast love and my fortress,

my stronghold and my deliverer,

my shield and he in whom I take refuge,

who ^qsubdues peoples¹ under me.

3  O Lord, ^rwhat is man that you regard him,

or the son of man that you think of him?

4  Man is like a ^sbreath;

his days are like a passing ^tshadow.

5  ^uBow your heavens, O Lord, and come down!

^vTouch the mountains so that they smoke!

6  Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;

send out your ^warrows and rout them!

7  Stretch out your hand from on high;

rescue me and ^xdeliver me from the many waters,

from the hand of foreigners,

8  whose mouths speak lies

and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

9  I will sing a new song to you, O God;

upon a ten-stringed harp ^yI will play to you,

10  who gives ^zvictory to kings,

who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.

11  Rescue me and deliver me

from the hand of foreigners,

whose mouths speak lies

and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

12  May ^aour sons in their youth

be like plants full grown,

our daughters like corner pillars

cut for the structure of a palace;

13  ^bmay our granaries be full,

providing all kinds of produce;

may our sheep bring forth thousands

and ten thousands in our fields;

14  may our cattle be heavy with young,

suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;²

may there be no cry of distress in our streets!

15  ^cBlessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!

^dBlessed are the people whose God is the Lord!