Psalm 141-144

English Standard Version

^3 (E)Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
    ^(F)keep watch over the door of my lips!
^4 (G)Do not let my heart incline to any evil,
    to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who ^(H)work iniquity,
    and ^(I)let me not eat of their delicacies!

^5 (J)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 ^(K)my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
⁶ When their judges are ^(L)thrown over the cliff,^[a]
    then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
⁷ As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
    so shall our bones ^(M)be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.^[b]

⁸ But ^(N)my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;
    ^(O)in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!^[c]
9 Keep me from ^(P)the trap that they have laid for me
    and from the snares of evildoers!
¹⁰ Let the wicked ^(Q)fall into their own nets,
    while I pass by safely.

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

⁵ I cry to you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my ^(AB)refuge,
    my ^(AC)portion in ^(AD)the land of the living.”
^6 (AE)Attend to my cry,
    for ^(AF)I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
    ^(AG)for they are too strong for me!
^7 (AH)Bring me out of prison,
    that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
    for you will ^(AI)deal bountifully with me.

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

^5 (AR)I remember the days of old;
    ^(AS)I meditate on all that you have done;
    I ponder the work of your hands.
^6 (AT)I stretch out my hands to you;
    ^(AU)my soul thirsts for you like ^(AV)a parched land. Selah

^7 (AW)Answer me quickly, O Lord!
    ^(AX)My spirit fails!
^(AY)Hide not your face from me,
    ^(AZ)lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
^8 (BA)Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
    for in you I ^(BB)trust.
^(BC)Make me know the way I should go,
    ^(BD)for to you I lift up my soul.

^9 (BE)Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
    I have fled to you for refuge.^[e]
10 (BF)Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God!
^(BG)Let your good Spirit ^(BH)lead me
    on ^(BI)level ground!

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

³ O Lord, ^(BV)what is man that you ^(BW)regard him,
    or the son of man that you think of him?
^4 (BX)Man is like a breath;
    his days are like ^(BY)a passing ^(BZ)shadow.

^5 (CA)Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down!
    ^(CB)Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
^6 (CC)Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;
    ^(CD)send out your arrows and rout them!
^7 (CE)Stretch out your hand from on high;
    ^(CF)rescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
    from the hand ^(CG)of foreigners,
⁸ whose mouths speak ^(CH)lies
    and whose right hand is ^(CI)a right hand of falsehood.

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

¹² May our sons in their youth
    be like ^(CO)plants full grown,
our daughters like ^(CP)corner pillars
    cut for the structure of a palace;
^13 (CQ)may our granaries be full,
    ^(CR)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;^[g]
may there be no ^(CS)cry of distress in our streets!
^15 (CT)Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
    ^(CU)Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!