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.” O Lord, I call thee, hasten unto me: give ear unto my voice, when I call unto thee.
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 valued as incense before thee, the lifting up of my hands, as the evening offering.
3 Yahweh, do not allow me to say [MTY] things that are wrong; guard my lips.
Set, O Lord, a watch unto my mouth: keep a guard 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!
Permit not my heart to incline after any evil thing, to practise deeds in wickedness with men that are doers of wrong: and let me not eat of their dainties.
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].
If the righteous strike me, it is a kindness; and if he reprove me, it is [as] oil poured on the head, my head shall not refuse it; for yet my prayer also [is offered] in their sufferings.
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.
Are their judges fallen down through means of a rock: then will they 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 cutteth in and splitteth open the earth: so are our bones scattered for the mouth of the grave. (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]!
For unto thee, O Eternal Lord, are my eyes directed; in thee do I trust: pour not out my life.
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.
Guard me from the power of the snare which they have laid for me, and the traps of the wrong-doers.
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, altogether—while I pass safely by.
