Prayer for Protection against the Wicked.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
140 (A)Rescue me, Lord, from evil people;
Protect me from (B)violent men
2 Who (C)devise evil things in their hearts;
They (D)continually stir up wars.
3 They (E)sharpen their tongues like a snake;
(F)The venom of a viper is under their lips. Selah
4 (G)Keep me, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
(H)Protect me from violent men
Who [a]intend to [b](I)trip up my feet.
5 The proud have (J)hidden a trap for me, and snares;
They have spread a (K)net at the [c]wayside;
They have set (L)snares for me. Selah
6 I (M)said to the Lord, “You are my God;
(N)Listen, Lord, to the (O)sound of my pleadings.
7 [d]God the Lord, (P)the strength of my salvation,
You have (Q)covered my head on the day of [e]battle.
8 Do not grant, Lord, the (R)desires of the wicked;
Do not bring about (S)his evil planning, so that they are not exalted. Selah
9 “As for the head of those who surround me,
May the (T)harm of their lips cover them.
10 May (U)burning coals fall upon them;
May they be (V)cast into the fire,
Into bottomless pits from which they (W)cannot rise.
11 May a [f]slanderer not endure on the earth;
(X)May evil hunt a violent person [g]violently.”
12 I know that the Lord will (Y)maintain the cause of the afflicted,
And (Z)justice for the poor.
13 Certainly the (AA)righteous will give thanks to Your name;
The (AB)upright will dwell in Your presence.
Footnotes
- Psalm 140:4 Or devise
- Psalm 140:4 Lit push
- Psalm 140:5 Lit track
- Psalm 140:7 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Psalm 140:7 Lit weapons
- Psalm 140:11 Lit man of tongue
- Psalm 140:11 Lit blow upon blow
Cross references
- Psalm 140:1 : Ps 17:13; 59:2; 71:4
- Psalm 140:1 : Ps 18:48; 86:14; 140:11
- Psalm 140:2 : Ps 7:14; 36:4; 52:2; Prov 6:14; Is 59:4; Hos 7:15
- Psalm 140:2 : Ps 56:6
- Psalm 140:3 : Ps 57:4; 64:3
- Psalm 140:3 : Ps 58:4; Rom 3:13; James 3:8
- Psalm 140:4 : Ps 71:4
- Psalm 140:4 : Ps 140:1
- Psalm 140:4 : Ps 36:11
- Psalm 140:5 : Job 18:9; Ps 35:7; 141:9; 142:3
- Psalm 140:5 : Ps 31:4; 57:6; Lam 1:13
- Psalm 140:5 : Ps 141:9; Is 8:14; Amos 3:5
- Psalm 140:6 : Ps 16:2; 31:14
- Psalm 140:6 : Ps 143:1
- Psalm 140:6 : Ps 116:1; 130:2
- Psalm 140:7 : Ps 28:8; 118:14
- Psalm 140:7 : Ps 144:10
- Psalm 140:8 : Ps 112:10
- Psalm 140:8 : Esth 9:25; Ps 10:2, 3
- Psalm 140:9 : Ps 7:16; Prov 18:7
- Psalm 140:10 : Ps 11:6
- Psalm 140:10 : Ps 21:9; Matt 3:10
- Psalm 140:10 : Ps 36:12
- Psalm 140:11 : Ps 34:21
- Psalm 140:12 : 1 Kin 8:45, 49; Ps 9:4; 18:27; 82:3
- Psalm 140:12 : Ps 12:5; 35:10
- Psalm 140:13 : Ps 97:12
- Psalm 140:13 : Ps 11:7; 16:11; 17:15