< Psalms 141 >
1 A Psalm. Of David. Lord, I have made my cry to you; come to me quickly; give ear to my voice, when it goes up to you.
Adonai, I have called on you. Come to me quickly! Listen to my voice when I call to you.
2 Let my prayer be ordered before you like a sweet smell; and let the lifting up of my hands be like the evening offering.
Let my prayer be set before you like incense; the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice.
3 O Lord, keep a watch over my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
Set a watch, Adonai, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips.
4 Keep my heart from desiring any evil thing, or from taking part in the sins of the evil-doers with men who do wrong: and let me have no part in their good things.
Don’t incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice deeds of ethical wickedness with men who work vain striving of iniquity. Don’t let me eat of their delicacies.
5 Let the upright give me punishment; and let the god-fearing man put me in the right way; but I will not let the oil of sinners come on my head: when they do evil I will give myself to prayer.
Let the upright strike me, it is kindness; let him reprove me, it is like oil on the head; don’t let my head refuse it; Yet my prayer is always against evil deeds.
6 When destruction comes to their judges by the side of the rock, they will give ear to my words, for they are sweet.
Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock. They will sh'ma ·hear obey· my words, for they are well spoken.
7 Our bones are broken up at the mouth of the underworld, as the earth is broken by the plough. (Sheol )
“As when one plows and breaks up the earth, our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol ·Place of the dead·.” (Sheol )
8 But my eyes are turned to you, O Lord God: my hope is in you; let not my soul be given up to death.
For my eyes are on you, Adonai, the 'Adonay [Yahweh the Lord]. In you, I take refuge. Don’t leave my soul destitute.
9 Keep me from the net which they have put down for me, and from the designs of the workers of evil.
Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, from the traps of the workers of vain striving of iniquity.
10 Let the sinners be taken in the nets which they themselves have put down, while I go free.
Let the wicked fall together into their own nets, while I pass by.