Psalms 141
1 Yahweh, I call out to you; [please] help me quickly! Listen to me when I am calling to you.
“For the leader of the music. A psalm of David.” I cry to thee, O LORD! make haste unto me! Give ear to my voice, when I cry 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].
Let my prayer come before thee as incense, And the lifting-up of my hands, as the evening sacrifice!
3 Yahweh, do not allow me to say [MTY] things that are wrong; guard my lips.
Set a watch, O LORD! before my mouth; Guard 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!
Let not my heart incline to any evil thing; Let me not practise wickedness with the doers of iniquity, And let me not eat of 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 smite me, —it shall be a kindness; Let him reprove me, and it shall be oil for my head; Let him do it again, and my head shall not refuse it; But now I pray against their wickedness!
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 judges are hurled over the side of the rock, They shall hear how pleasant are my words.
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)
So are our bones scattered at the mouth of the underworld, As when one furroweth and ploweth up the land. (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 to thee do my eyes look, O Lord Jehovah! In thee is my trust; Let not my life be poured out!
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.
Preserve me from the snares which they have laid for me, And from the nets of evil-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 together into their own traps, Whilst I make my escape!
