Psalms 141
1 Jehovah, I have called upon thee. Make haste to me. Give ear to my voice when I call to thee.
Yahweh, I call out to you; [please] help me quickly! Listen to me when I am calling to you.
2 Let my prayer be set forth as incense before thee, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Accept my prayer as though it were incense [being burned as an offering] [SIM] to you. And accept me while I lift up my hands [to pray] to you like you accept sacrifices [that I offer to you each] evening [SIM].
3 Set a watch, O Jehovah, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips.
Yahweh, do not allow me to say [MTY] things that are wrong; guard my lips.
4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice deeds of wickedness with men who work iniquity. And let me not eat of their dainties.
Prevent me from wanting to do anything that is wrong, and from joining with wicked men when they want to do evil deeds [DOU]. Do not [even] allow me to share in eating delightful food with them!
5 Let a righteous man smite me, as a kindness. And let him reprove me, as oil upon the head. Let not my head refuse it. For even in their wickedness my prayer shall continue.
It is all right if righteous people strike/hit me or rebuke me because they are trying to act kindly toward me [to teach me to do what is right], but I do not want wicked [people] to [honor me by] anointing my head with [olive] oil; I am always praying [that you will punish them because of] the wicked deeds [that they do].
6 Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock. And they shall hear my words, for they are sweet.
When their rulers are thrown down from the top of rocky cliffs, people will know that what you, Yahweh, said [about them] is true.
7 Like plowing and furrowing the earth, our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
Like a log that is split and cut into small pieces [SIM], their shattered bones will be scattered [on the ground] near [other] graves. (Sheol h7585)
8 For my eyes are to thee, O Jehovah the Lord. In thee do I take refuge. Leave not my soul destitute.
But Yahweh God, I [continue to] ask you [to help me]. I ask you to protect me; do not allow me to (die/be killed) [now]!
9 Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, and from the traps of the workers of iniquity.
[It is as though] people have set traps for me; protect me from falling into those traps, [It is as though] they have spread nets to catch me; keep me from being caught in those nets.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass over.
I desire that wicked [people] will fall into the traps they have set [to catch me] while I escape [from them].
