Psalms 141
1 Yahweh, I call out to you; [please] help me quickly! Listen to me when I am calling to you.
A Psalm of David. I call upon You, O LORD; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to You.
2 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].
May my prayer be set before You like incense, my uplifted hands like the evening offering.
3 Yahweh, do not allow me to say [MTY] things that are wrong; guard my lips.
Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.
4 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!
Do not let my heart be drawn to any evil thing or take part in works of wickedness with men who do iniquity; let me not feast on their delicacies.
5 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].
Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked.
6 When their rulers are thrown down from the top of rocky cliffs, people will know that what you, Yahweh, said [about them] is true.
When their rulers are thrown down from the cliffs, the people will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.
7 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)
As when one plows and breaks up the soil, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
8 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]!
But my eyes are fixed on You, O GOD the Lord. In You I seek refuge; do not leave my soul defenseless.
9 [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.
Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, and from the lures of evildoers.
10 I desire that wicked [people] will fall into the traps they have set [to catch me] while I escape [from them].
Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.
