ASV - Psalms 140 to 144

Psalm 140

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

¹Deliver me, O Jehovah, from the evil man; Preserve me from the violent man: ²Who devise mischiefs in their heart; Continually do they gather themselves together for war. ³They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent; Adders' poison is under their lips. Selah ⁴Keep me, O Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked; Preserve me from the violent man: Who have purposed to thrust aside my steps. ⁵The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; They have spread a net by the wayside; They have set gins for me. Selah ⁶I said unto Jehovah, Thou art my God: Give ear unto the voice of my supplications, O Jehovah. ⁷O Jehovah the Lord, the strength of my salvation, Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. ⁸Grant not, O Jehovah, the desires of the wicked; Further not his evil device, lest they exalt themselves. Selah ⁹As for the head of those that compass me about, Let the mischief of their own lips cover them. ¹⁰Let burning coals fall upon them: Let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, whence they shall not rise. ¹¹An evil speaker shall not be established in the earth: Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him. ¹²I know that Jehovah will maintain the cause of the afflicted, And justice for the needy. ¹³Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: The upright shall dwell in thy presence.

Psalm 141 A Psalm of David.

¹Jehovah, I have called upon thee; make haste unto me: Give ear unto my voice, when I call unto thee. ²Let my prayer be set forth as incense before thee; The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. ³Set a watch, O Jehovah, before my mouth; Keep the door of my lips. ⁴Incline not my heart to any evil thing, To practise deeds of wickedness With men that work iniquity: And let me not eat of their dainties. ⁵Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness; And let him reprove me, it shall be as oil upon the head; Let not my head refuse it: For even in their wickedness shall my prayer continue. ⁶Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock; And they shall hear my words; for they are sweet. ⁷As when one ploweth and cleaveth the earth, Our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol. ⁸For mine eyes are unto thee, O Jehovah the Lord: In thee do I take refuge; leave not my soul destitute. ⁹Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, And from the gins of the workers of iniquity. ¹⁰Let the wicked fall into their own nets, Whilst that I withal escape.

Psalm 142 Maschil of David, when he was in the cave; a Prayer.

¹I cry with my voice unto Jehovah; With my voice unto Jehovah do I make supplication. ²I pour out my complaint before him; I show before him my trouble. ³When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walk Have they hidden a snare for me. ⁴Look on my right hand, and see; For there is no man that knoweth me: Refuge hath failed me; No man careth for my soul. ⁵I cried unto thee, O Jehovah; I said, Thou art my refuge, My portion in the land of the living. ⁶Attend unto my cry; For I am brought very low: Deliver me from my persecutors; For they are stronger than I. ⁷Bring my soul out of prison, That I may give thanks unto thy name: The righteous shall compass me about; For thou wilt deal bountifully with me.

Psalm 143 A Psalm of David.

¹Hear my prayer, O Jehovah; give ear to my supplications: In thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. ²And enter not into judgment with thy servant; For in thy sight no man living is righteous. ³For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; He hath smitten my life down to the ground: He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead. ⁴Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is desolate. ⁵I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy doings; I muse on the work of thy hands. ⁶I spread forth my hands unto thee: My soul thirsteth after thee, as a weary land. Selah ⁷Make haste to answer me, O Jehovah; my spirit faileth: Hide not thy face from me, Lest I become like them that go down into the pit. ⁸Cause 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. ⁹Deliver me, O Jehovah, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me. ¹⁰Teach me to do thy will; For thou art my God: Thy Spirit is good; Lead me in the land of uprightness. ¹¹Quicken me, O Jehovah, for thy name's sake: In thy righteousness bring my soul out of trouble. ¹²And in thy lovingkindness cut off mine enemies, And destroy all them that afflict my soul; For I am thy servant.

Psalm 144 A Psalm of David.

¹Blessed be Jehovah my rock, Who teacheth my hands to war, And my fingers to fight: ²My lovingkindness, and my fortress, My high tower, and my deliverer; My shield, and he in whom I take refuge; Who subdueth my people under me. ³Jehovah, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that thou makest account of him? ⁴Man is like to vanity: His days are as a shadow that passeth away. ⁵Bow thy heavens, O Jehovah, and come down: Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. ⁶Cast forth lightning, and scatter them; Send out thine arrows, and discomfit them. ⁷Stretch forth thy hand from above; Rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, Out of the hand of aliens; ⁸Whose mouth speaketh deceit, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. ⁹I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: Upon a psaltery of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee. ¹⁰Thou art he that giveth salvation unto kings; Who rescueth David his servant from the hurtful sword. ¹¹Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hand of aliens, Whose mouth speaketh deceit, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. ¹²When our sons shall be as plants grown up in their youth, And our daughters as corner-stones hewn after the fashion of a palace; ¹³When our garners are full, affording all manner of store, And our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields; ¹⁴When our oxen are well laden; When there is no breaking in, and no going forth, And no outcry in our streets: ¹⁵Happy is the people that is in such a case; Yea, happy is the people whose God is Jehovah.