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 by David. Yahweh, I have called on you. Come to me quickly! Listen to 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.

Let my prayer be set before you like incense; the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice.

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

Set a watch, Yahweh, before my mouth. Keep 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.

Don’t incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice deeds of wickedness with men who work iniquity. Don’t let me eat of 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 strike me, it is kindness; let him reprove me, it is like oil on the head; don’t let my head refuse it; Yet my prayer is always against evil deeds.

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

Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock. They will hear my words, for they are well spoken.

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 earth, our bones are 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.

For my eyes are on you, Yahweh, the Lord. I take refuge in you. Don’t leave my soul destitute.

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

Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, from the traps of the workers of iniquity.

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

Let the wicked fall together into their own nets while I pass by.