Psalm 140
Prayer for Deliverance from the Snares of the Wicked
1 For the director. A psalm of David.
2 Deliver me, O Lord, from evildoers;
protect me from those who are violent,
3 who plan evil schemes in their hearts
and stir up strife continually.
4 Their tongues are as sharp as those of a serpent,
while the venom of vipers is on their lips. Selah
5 Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
protect me from those who are violent,
who are determined to cause my downfall.
6 The arrogant have set a hidden trap for me;
they have spread out cords as a net,
laying snares for me along the way. Selah
7 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.
Listen, O Lord, to the voice of my supplications.”
8 O Lord, my God, my strong deliverer,
you shield my head on the day of battle.
9 Do not grant the desires of the wicked, O Lord;
do not permit their evil plots to succeed,
or they will become proud. Selah
10 Those who surround me raise up their heads;
let them be overwhelmed by the malice they threaten.
11 May burning coals rain down on them;
may they be flung down into the miry depths,
never again to rise.
12 Do not permit slanderers to find rest in the land;
may evil hunt the violent to their death.
13 I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor
and upholds the cause of the needy.
14 Then the upright will give thanks to your name,
and the righteous will dwell in your presence.
Footnotes
- Psalm 140:1
- Psalm 140:1
- Psalm 140:2
- Psalm 140:3
- Psalm 140:4
- Psalm 140:6
- Psalm 140:7
- Psalm 140:10
- Psalm 140:11
- Psalm 140:13
