141
A praise song of David.
LORD, I call to you for help.
Listen to me as I pray.
Please hurry and help me!
Accept my prayer like a gift of burning incense,
the words I lift up like an evening sacrifice.
 
LORD, help me control what I say.
Don’t let me say anything bad.
Take away any desire to do evil.
Keep me from joining the wicked in doing wrong.
Help me stay away from their feasts.
If good people correct me,
I will consider it a good thing.
If they criticize me,
I will accept it like a warm welcome.* a warm welcome Or “like oil poured over my head.”
But my prayer will always be against the wicked and the evil they do.
Let their judges be put to death. Let their judges … to death Or “Let their judges be thrown from the cliffs.”
Then everyone will know that I told the truth.
 
Like rocks in a field that a farmer has plowed,
so our bones will be scattered in the grave.
My Lord GOD, I look to you for help.
I look to you for protection; don’t let me die.
Those evil people are trying to trap me.
Don’t let me fall into their traps.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own traps,
while I walk away unharmed.
 

*141:5 a warm welcome Or “like oil poured over my head.”

141:6 Let their judges … to death Or “Let their judges be thrown from the cliffs.”