Psalms 141
1 [A Psalm by David.] YHWH, I have called on you. Come to me quickly. Listen to my voice when I call to you.
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 before you like incense; the lifting up of my hands like 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, YHWH, 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 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice deeds of wickedness with men who work iniquity. Do not let me eat of their delicacies.
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 the righteous strike me, it is kindness; let him reprove me, it is like oil on the head; do not let my head refuse it; Yet my prayer is always against evil deeds.
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. They will hear my words, for they are well spoken.
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 "As when one plows and breaks up 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 on you, YHWH. In you, I take refuge. Do not leave 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, from the traps of evildoers.
[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 together into their own nets, while I pass by.
I desire that wicked [people] will fall into the traps they have set [to catch me] while I escape [from them].
