Psalm 142-144

English Standard Version

You Are My Refuge

A Maskil^[a] of David, when he was in ^(A)the cave. A Prayer.

142 With my voice I ^(B)cry out to the Lord;
with my voice I ^(C)plead for mercy to the Lord.
²I ^(D)pour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.

³When my spirit ^(E)faints within me,
    you know my way!
In the path where I walk
    they have ^(F)hidden a trap for me.
⁴^(G)Look to the ^(H)right and see:
    ^(I)there is none who takes notice of me;
^(J)no refuge remains to me;
    no one cares for my soul.

⁵I cry to you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my ^(K)refuge,
    my ^(L)portion in ^(M)the land of the living.”
⁶^(N)Attend to my cry,
    for ^(O)I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
    ^(P)for they are too strong for me!
⁷^(Q)Bring me out of prison,
    that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
    for you will ^(R)deal bountifully with me.

My Soul Thirsts for You

A Psalm of David.

143 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
    ^(S)give ear to my pleas for mercy!
    In your ^(T)faithfulness answer me, in your ^(U)righteousness!
²^(V)Enter not into judgment with your servant,
    for no one living is righteous ^(W)before you.

³For the enemy has pursued my soul;
    ^(X)he has crushed my life to the ground;
    ^(Y)he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
⁴Therefore my spirit ^(Z)faints within me;
    my heart within me is appalled.

⁵^(AA)I remember the days of old;
    ^(AB)I meditate on all that you have done;
    I ponder the work of your hands.
⁶^(AC)I stretch out my hands to you;
    ^(AD)my soul thirsts for you like ^(AE)a parched land. Selah

⁷^(AF)Answer me quickly, O Lord!
    ^(AG)My spirit fails!
^(AH)Hide not your face from me,
    ^(AI)lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
⁸^(AJ)Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
    for in you I ^(AK)trust.
^(AL)Make me know the way I should go,
    ^(AM)for to you I lift up my soul.

⁹^(AN)Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
    I have fled to you for refuge.^[b]
¹⁰^(AO)Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God!
^(AP)Let your good Spirit ^(AQ)lead me
    on ^(AR)level ground!

¹¹^(AS)For your name's sake, O Lord, ^(AT)preserve my life!
    In your righteousness ^(AU)bring my soul out of trouble!
¹²And in your steadfast love you will ^(AV)cut off my enemies,
    and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
    for I am your ^(AW)servant.

My Rock and My Fortress

Of David.

144 Blessed be the Lord, my ^(AX)rock,
    ^(AY)who trains my hands for war,
    and my fingers for battle;
²he is my ^(AZ)steadfast love and my ^(BA)fortress,
    my ^(BB)stronghold and my deliverer,
my ^(BC)shield and he in whom I take refuge,
    who ^(BD)subdues peoples^[c] under me.

³O Lord, ^(BE)what is man that you ^(BF)regard him,
or the son of man that you think of him?
⁴^(BG)Man is like a breath;
his days are like ^(BH)a passing ^(BI)shadow.

⁵^(BJ)Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down!
    ^(BK)Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
⁶^(BL)Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;
    ^(BM)send out your arrows and rout them!
⁷^(BN)Stretch out your hand from on high;
    ^(BO)rescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
    from the hand ^(BP)of foreigners,
⁸whose mouths speak ^(BQ)lies
    and whose right hand is ^(BR)a right hand of falsehood.

⁹I will sing ^(BS)a new song to you, O God;
    upon ^(BT)a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
¹⁰who gives victory to kings,
    who ^(BU)rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.
¹¹Rescue me and deliver me
    from the hand ^(BV)of foreigners,
whose mouths speak ^(BW)lies
    and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

¹²May our sons in their youth
    be like ^(BX)plants full grown,
our daughters like ^(BY)corner pillars
    cut for the structure of a palace;
¹³^(BZ)may our granaries be full,
    ^(CA)providing all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands
    and ten thousands in our fields;
¹⁴may our cattle be heavy with young,
    suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;^[d]
may there be no ^(CB)cry of distress in our streets!
¹⁵^(CC)Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
    ^(CD)Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

Footnotes

Psalm 142:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
Psalm 143:9 One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts To you I have covered
Psalm 144:2 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Dead Sea Scroll, Jerome, Syriac, Aquila; most Hebrew manuscripts subdues my people
Psalm 144:14 Hebrew with no breaking in or going out

Psalm 142-144

New International Version

Psalm 142^[a]

A maskil^[b] of David. When he was in the cave.^(A) A prayer.

¹I cry aloud^(B) to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.^(C)
²I pour out before him my complaint;^(D)
before him I tell my trouble.^(E)

³When my spirit grows faint^(F) within me,
    it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk
    people have hidden a snare for me.
⁴Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
    no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;^(G)
    no one cares^(H) for my life.

⁵I cry to you, Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,^(I)
my portion^(J) in the land of the living.”^(K)

⁶Listen to my cry,^(L)
    for I am in desperate need;^(M)
rescue me^(N) from those who pursue me,
    for they are too strong^(O) for me.
⁷Set me free from my prison,^(P)
    that I may praise your name.^(Q)
Then the righteous will gather about me
    because of your goodness to me.^(R)

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

¹Lord, hear my prayer,^(S)
    listen to my cry for mercy;^(T)
in your faithfulness^(U) and righteousness^(V)
    come to my relief.
²Do not bring your servant into judgment,
    for no one living is righteous^(W) before you.
³The enemy pursues me,
    he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness^(X)
    like those long dead.^(Y)
⁴So my spirit grows faint within me;
    my heart within me is dismayed.^(Z)
⁵I remember^(AA) the days of long ago;
    I meditate^(AB) on all your works
    and consider what your hands have done.
⁶I spread out my hands^(AC) to you;
    I thirst for you like a parched land.^[c]

⁷Answer me quickly,^(AD) Lord;
    my spirit fails.^(AE)
Do not hide your face^(AF) from me
    or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
⁸Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,^(AG)
    for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way^(AH) I should go,
    for to you I entrust my life.^(AI)
⁹Rescue me^(AJ) from my enemies,^(AK) Lord,
    for I hide myself in you.
¹⁰Teach me^(AL) to do your will,
    for you are my God;^(AM)
may your good Spirit
    lead^(AN) me on level ground.^(AO)

¹¹For your name’s sake,^(AP) Lord, preserve my life;^(AQ)
    in your righteousness,^(AR) bring me out of trouble.
¹²In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;^(AS)
    destroy all my foes,^(AT)
    for I am your servant.^(AU)

Psalm 144

Of David.

¹Praise be to the Lord my Rock,^(AV)
    who trains my hands for war,
    my fingers for battle.
²He is my loving God and my fortress,^(AW)
    my stronghold^(AX) and my deliverer,
my shield,^(AY) in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues peoples^[d]^(AZ) under me.

³Lord, what are human beings^(BA) that you care for them,
mere mortals that you think of them?
⁴They are like a breath;^(BB)
their days are like a fleeting shadow.^(BC)

⁵Part your heavens,^(BD) Lord, and come down;^(BE)
    touch the mountains, so that they smoke.^(BF)
⁶Send forth lightning^(BG) and scatter^(BH) the enemy;
    shoot your arrows^(BI) and rout them.
⁷Reach down your hand from on high;^(BJ)
    deliver me and rescue me^(BK)
from the mighty waters,^(BL)
    from the hands of foreigners^(BM)
⁸whose mouths are full of lies,^(BN)
    whose right hands^(BO) are deceitful.^(BP)

⁹I will sing a new song^(BQ) to you, my God;
on the ten-stringed lyre^(BR) I will make music to you,
¹⁰to the One who gives victory to kings,^(BS)
who delivers his servant David.^(BT)

From the deadly sword^(BU) ¹¹deliver me;
rescue me^(BV) from the hands of foreigners^(BW)
whose mouths are full of lies,^(BX)
whose right hands are deceitful.^(BY)

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

Footnotes

Psalm 142:1 In Hebrew texts 142:1-7 is numbered 142:2-8.
Psalm 142:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 143:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
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
Psalm 144:14 Or our chieftains will be firmly established

English Standard Version (ESV)

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 142-144

English Standard Version

You Are My Refuge

A Maskil^[a] of David, when he was in ^(A)the cave. A Prayer.

My Soul Thirsts for You

A Psalm of David.

My Rock and My Fortress

Of David.

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 142-144

New International Version

Psalm 142^[a]

A maskil^[b] of David. When he was in the cave.^(A) A prayer.

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

Psalm 144

Of David.

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 142-144 English Standard Version

You Are My Refuge

A Maskil[a] of David, when he was in (A)the cave. A Prayer.

My Soul Thirsts for You

A Psalm of David.

My Rock and My Fortress

Of David.

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 142-144 New International Version

Psalm 142[a]

A maskil[b] of David. When he was in the cave.(A) A prayer.

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

Psalm 144

Of David.

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 142-144

English Standard Version

A Maskil^[a] of David, when he was in ^(A)the cave. A Prayer.

Psalm 142-144

New International Version

Psalm 142^[a]

A maskil^[b] of David. When he was in the cave.^(A) A prayer.