Psalms 141

1 A psalm of David. Yahweh, I am crying out to you; come quickly to me. Listen to me when I call 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 May my prayer be like incense before you; may my lifted hands be like the evening sacrifice.

May my prayer be set before You like incense, my uplifted hands like the evening offering.

3 Yahweh, place a guard over my mouth; guard the door of my lips.

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.

4 Do not let my heart desire any evil thing or participate in sinful activities with men who behave wickedly. May I not eat any of their delicacies.

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 Let a righteous man hit me; it will be a kindness to me. Let him correct me; it will be like oil on my head; may my head not refuse to accept it. But my prayer is always against their wicked deeds.

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 Their leaders will be thrown down from the top of cliffs; they will hear that my own words are pleasant.

When their rulers are thrown down from the cliffs, the people will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.

7 They will have to say, “As when one plows and breaks up the ground, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.” (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 Surely my eyes are on you, Yahweh, Lord; in you I take refuge; do not leave my soul defenseless.

But my eyes are fixed on You, O GOD the Lord. In You I seek refuge; do not leave my soul defenseless.

9 Protect me from the snares that they have laid for me, from the traps of evildoers.

Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, and from the lures of evildoers.

10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets while I escape.

Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.