Psalms 142

1 AN INSTRUCTION OF DAVID. A PRAYER WHEN HE IS IN THE CAVE. My voice [is] to YHWH, I cry, My voice [is] to YHWH, I beg [for] grace.

“A Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A prayer.” With my voice I cry unto the Lord: with my voice I make supplication unto the Lord.

2 I pour forth my meditation before Him, I declare my distress before Him.

I pour out before him my grief: my distress I recite before him.

3 When my spirit has been feeble in me, Then You have known my path; In the way [in] which I walk, They have hid a snare for me.

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me—and thou knowest well my path—on the way whereon I desired to walk they had secretly laid a snare for me.

4 Looking on the right hand—and seeing, And I have none recognizing; Refuge has perished from me, There is none inquiring for my soul.

Look to the right, and behold, yea, there is no man that recognizeth me: [every] refuge is lost to me; there is no one that careth for my soul.

5 I have cried to you, O YHWH, I have said, “You [are] my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.”

I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge, my portion in the land of life.

6 Attend to my loud cry, For I have become very low, Deliver me from my pursuers, For they have been stronger than I.

Listen unto my entreaty; for I am very miserable: deliver me from my pursuers; for they are too mighty for me.

7 Bring forth my soul from prison to confess Your Name, The righteous surround me about, When You confer benefits on me!

Bring forth out of prison my soul, that I may thank thy name: with me shall the righteous crown themselves, when thou wilt deal bountifully with me.