Psalms 141
1 A Melody of David. O Yahweh, I have cried unto thee, Make thou haste to me, Give ear unto my voice, when I cry 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 in order like incense before thee, —the lifting up of my hands, as the evening gift.
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 thou, O Yahweh, a watch at my mouth, Keep thou guard over the door of my lips.
Yahweh, do not allow me to say [MTY] things that are wrong; guard my lips.
4 Let not my heart incline to a matter of wrong, that I should busy myself with practices in lawlessness, with men working 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—a lovingkindness, that he should correct me, an oil for the head [which] let not my head refuse! For, yet, even my prayer, shall be in their calamities.
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, have been hurled down by a crag, Now have men heard my sayings, for they have become 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 As when one plougheth and furroweth the earth, Scattered about, are our bones at the mouth of hades! (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 Surely, unto thee, O Yahweh, My Lord, are mine eyes, In thee, have I sought refuge, Do not pour out my life.
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 out of the clutches of the trap they have set for me, and the snares 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 They who are lawless, shall fall into the nooses thereof, while, I, at the same time, pass on.
I desire that wicked [people] will fall into the traps they have set [to catch me] while I escape [from them].
