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 Melody of David. O Yahweh, I have cried unto thee, Make thou haste to me, Give ear unto my voice, when I cry to thee.

2 May my prayer be like incense before you; may my lifted hands be like the evening sacrifice.

Let my prayer be set in order like incense before thee, —the lifting up of my hands, as the evening gift.

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

Set thou, O Yahweh, a watch at my mouth, Keep thou guard over 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.

Let not my heart incline to a matter of wrong, that I should busy myself with practices in lawlessness, with men working iniquity, and let me not eat of their dainties.

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 a righteous man smite me—a lovingkindness, that he should correct me, an oil for the head [which] let not my head refuse! For, yet, even my prayer, shall be in their calamities.

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

Their judges, have been hurled down by a crag, Now have men heard my sayings, for they have become sweet.

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 plougheth and furroweth the earth, Scattered about, are our bones at the mouth of hades! (Sheol h7585)

8 Surely my eyes are on you, Yahweh, Lord; in you I take refuge; do not leave my soul defenseless.

Surely, unto thee, O Yahweh, My Lord, are mine eyes, In thee, have I sought refuge, Do not pour out my life.

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

Keep me out of the clutches of the trap they have set for me, and the snares of the workers of iniquity.

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

They who are lawless, shall fall into the nooses thereof, while, I, at the same time, pass on.