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. Lord, I'm calling out to you! Please hurry up and help me! Please listen to me when I cry out 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 like incense before you, my uplifted hands like an evening offering.
3 Yahweh, do not allow me to say [MTY] things that are wrong; guard my lips.
Lord, make sure I don't say anything I shouldn't—keep a watch over my conversations.
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!
Don't let me think about evil things or take part in doing anything wrong with wicked people. I won't join in eating fancy food at their feasts.
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 a good person punish me in love—let them correct me. It will be like an anointing—I won't refuse it. But I still pray against those who do evil.
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.
They shall be thrown down by the power of the rock that judges them, and then they will recognize what I said was true!
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)
Just as the earth is broken up by the plough, so shall their bones be 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 I'm looking to you, Lord God, for I find protection in you. Don't let me die!
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 safe from the traps they have set to catch me, from the snares of evil people.
10 I desire that wicked [people] will fall into the traps they have set [to catch me] while I escape [from them].
Let them fall into their own traps while I pass by unharmed.
