Psalms 140:1-150:6 {To the Chanter, a Psalm of David} Deliver me, o LORD, from the evil men, and preserve me from the wicked men,

MSTC⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ {To the Chanter, a Psalm of David} Deliver me, o LORD, from the evil men, and preserve me from the wicked men, ² which imagine mischief in their hearts, and stir up strife all the day long. ³ They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah. ⁴ Keep me, O LORD, from the hand of the ungodly; preserve me from the wicked men, who are purposed to overthrow my goings. ⁵ The proud have laid a snare for me, and spread a net abroad with cords, yea and set traps in my way. Selah. ⁶ But my saying is unto the LORD, "Thou art my God; hear the voice of my prayer, O LORD!" ⁷ O LORD. O LORD God, thou strength of my health; thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. ⁸ Let not the ungodly have his desire, O LORD; let not his mischievous imagination prosper, lest they be too proud. Selah. ⁹ Let the mischief of their own lips fall upon the head of them that compass me about. ¹⁰ Let hot burning coals fall upon them; let them be cast into the fire, and into the pit, that they never rise up again. ¹¹ A man full of words shall not prosper upon the earth; a malicious and wicked person shall be hunted away, and destroyed. ¹² Sure I am, that the LORD will avenge the poor, and maintain the cause of the helpless. ¹³ The righteous also shall give thanks unto thy name, and the just shall continue in thy sight. ¹⁴¹ ¹ {A Psalm of David} LORD, I call upon thee; haste thee unto me, and consider my voice, when I cry unto thee. ² Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense, and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice. ³ Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth, and keep the door of my lips. ⁴ O let not mine heart be inclined to any evil thing, to be minded as the ungodly or wicked men; lest I eat of such things as please them. ⁵ Let the righteous rather smite me friendly, and reprove me: so will I take it as though he had poured oil on my head; it shall not hurt my head. Yea, I will pray yet for their wickedness. ⁶ Let their judges be overthrown in stony places, that they may hear my words; for they are sweet. ⁷ Our bones lie scattered before the pit, like as when one graveth and diggeth up the ground. ⁸ But mine eyes look unto thee, O LORD God; in thee is my trust. O cast not out my soul. ⁹ Keep me from the snare that they have laid for me, and from the traps of the wicked doers. ¹⁰ Let the ungodly fall into their own nets together, and let me ever escape them. ¹⁴² ¹ {The Instruction of David, a prayer when he was in the cave} I cry unto the LORD with my voice; yea, even unto the LORD do I make my supplication. ² I pour out my complaint before him, and show him of my trouble. ³ When my spirit is in heaviness, thou knowest my path: in the way wherein I walk have they privily laid a snare for me. ⁴ I look upon my righthand, and see there is no man that will know me. I have no place to flee unto, no man careth for my soul. ⁵ Therefore do I cry unto thee, O LORD, and say, "Thou art my hope and my portion in the land of the living!" ⁶ Consider my complaint, for I am brought very low. O deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. ⁷ Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks unto thy name — which thing if thou wilt grant me, then shall the righteous resort unto my company. ¹⁴³ ¹ {A Psalm of David} Hear my prayer, O LORD, and consider my desire; hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness' sake. ² And enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. ³ For the enemy persecuteth my soul; he smiteth my life down to the ground; he layeth me in the darkness, as the dead men of the world. ⁴ Therefore is my spirit vexed within me, and my heart within me is desolate. ⁵ Yet do I remember the times past; I muse upon all thy works. Yea, I exercise myself in the works of thy hands. ⁶ I stretch forth my hands unto thee; my soul gaspeth unto thee as a thirsty land. Selah. ⁷ Hear me, O LORD, and that soon, for my spirit waxeth faint; hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the grave. ⁸ O let me hear thy loving-kindness betimes in the morning; for in thee is my trust. Show thou me the way that I should walk in; for I lift up my soul unto thee. ⁹ Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies, for I resort unto thee to hide me. ¹⁰ Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee; for thou art my God. Let thy loving spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousness. ¹¹ Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name's sake; and for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble. ¹² And of thy goodness scatter mine enemies abroad, and destroy all them that vex my soul; for I am thy servant. ¹⁴⁴ ¹ {A Psalm of David} Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. ² My hope and my castle, my defense and my deliverer, my shield in whom I trust, which subdueth the people that is under me. ³ LORD, what is man, that thou hast such respect unto him? Or the son of man, that thou so regardest him? ⁴ Man is like a thing of naught; his time passeth away like a shadow. ⁵ Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, that they may smoke withal. ⁶ Cast forth thy lightning, and tear them; shoot out thine arrows, and consume them. ⁷ Send down thine hand from above; deliver me, and take me out of the greatwaters, from the hand of strange children, ⁸ whose mouth talketh of vanity, and their righthand is a righthand of falsity. ⁹ I will sing a new song unto thee, O God, and sing praises unto thee upon a ten-stringed lute. ¹⁰ Thou that givest victory unto kings, and hast delivered David thy servant from the peril of the sword. ¹¹ Save me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth talketh of vanity, and their righthand is a righthand of falsity - ¹² that our sons may grow up as the young plants, and that our daughters may be as the polished corners of the temple; ¹³ that our garners may be full and plenteous with all manner of store; that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets; ¹⁴ that our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no decay, no leading into captivity, and no complaining in our streets. ¹⁵ Happy are the people that be in such a case; yea, blessed are the people, which have the LORD for their God. ¹⁴⁵ ¹ {A Praise of David} I will magnify thee, O God my king; I will praise thy name for ever and ever. ² Every day will I give thanks unto thee, and praise thy name for ever and ever. ³ Great is the LORD, and marvelous, worthy to be praised; there is no end to his greatness. ⁴ One generation shall praise thy works unto another, and declare thy power. ⁵ As for me, I will be talking of thy worship, thy glory, thy praise, and wondrous works; ⁶ so that men shall speak of the might of thy marvelous acts, and tell of thy greatness. ⁷ The memorial of thy abundant kindness shall be showed; and men shall sing of thy righteousness. ⁸ The LORD is gracious and merciful, long-suffering and of great goodness. ⁹ The LORD is loving unto every man; and his mercy is over all his works. ¹⁰ All thy works praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints give thanks unto thee. ¹¹ They show the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power, ¹² that thy power, thy glory and mightiness of thy kingdom, might be known unto men. ¹³ Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages. ¹⁴ The LORD upholdeth all such as should fall, and lifteth up all those that be down. ¹⁵ The eyes of all wait upon thee, O LORD; and thou givest them their meat in due season. ¹⁶ Thou openest thine hand, and fillest all things living with plenteousness. ¹⁷ The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. ¹⁸ The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, yea, all such as call upon him faithfully. ¹⁹ He fulfilleth the desire of them that fear him; he heareth their cry, and helpeth them. ²⁰ The LORD preserveth all them that love him, but scattereth abroad all the ungodly. ²¹ My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD; and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy name for ever and ever. Praise the everlasting! Hallelujah! ¹⁴⁶ ¹ {Praise the Everlasting} Praise the LORD, O my soul. ² While I live will I praise the LORD; yea, as long as I have any being, I will sing praises unto my God. ³ O put not your trust in princes, nor in any child of man, for there is no help in them. ⁴ For when the breath of man goeth forth, he shall turn again to his earth, and so all his thoughts perish. ⁵ Blessed is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, and whose hope is in the LORD his God, ⁶ who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is; who keepeth his promise forever; ⁷ who helpeth them to right that suffer wrong; who feedeth the hungry. The LORD looseth men out of prison; ⁸ the LORD giveth sight to the blind. The LORD helpeth them up that are fallen; the LORD loveth the righteous. ⁹ The LORD careth for the strangers; he defendeth the fatherless and widow. As for the way of the ungodly, he turneth it upside down. ¹⁰ The LORD thy God, O Zion, is king for evermore, and throughout all generations. Praise the everlasting! Hallelujah! ¹⁴⁷ ¹ {Praise the Everlasting} Praise ye the LORD, for it is a good thing to sing praises unto our God; yea, a joyful and pleasant thing is it to be thankful. ² The LORD doth build up Jerusalem, and gather together the outcasts of Israel. ³ He healeth the contrite in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. ⁴ He telleth the number of the stars, and calleth them all by their names. ⁵ Great is our LORD, and great is his power: yea, and his wisdom is infinite. ⁶ The LORD setteth up the meek, and bringeth the ungodly down to the ground. ⁷ O sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praises upon the harp unto our God, ⁸ which covereth the heaven with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth, and maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains; ⁹ which giveth fodder unto the cattle, and feedeth the young ravens that call upon him. ¹⁰ He hath no pleasure in the strength of a horse, neither delighteth he in any man's legs. ¹¹ But the LORD's delight is in them that fear him, and put their trust in his mercy. ¹² Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise thy God, O Zion! ¹³ For he hath made fast the bars of thy gates, and hath blessed thy children within thee. ¹⁴ He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the flour of wheat. ¹⁵ He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth, and his word runneth swiftly. ¹⁶ He giveth snow like wool, and scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. ¹⁷ He casteth forth his ice like morsels. Who is able to abide his frost? ¹⁸ He sendeth out his word, and melteth them; he bloweth with his wind, and the waters flow. ¹⁹ He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and ordinances unto Israel. ²⁰ He hath not dealt so with any nation; neither have the heathen knowledge of his laws. Praise the everlasting! Hallelujah! ¹⁴⁸ ¹ {Praise the Everlasting} O Praise the LORD of heaven; praise him in the heights. ² Praise him all ye angels of his; praise him, all his host. ³ Praise him sun and moon; praise him all ye stars and light. ⁴ Praise him, all ye heavens, and ye waters that are above the heavens. ⁵ Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he spoke the word, and they were made; he commanded, and they were created. ⁶ He hath made them fast for ever and ever; he hath given them a law which shall not be broken. ⁷ Praise the LORD upon earth, ye dragons, and all deeps; ⁸ fire and hail, snow and vapors, wind and storm, fulfilling his word; ⁹ mountains and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars; ¹⁰ beasts and all cattle; worms and feathered fowls; ¹¹ kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the world; ¹² young men and maidens, old men and children, ¹³ praise the name of the LORD! For his name only is excellent, and his praise above heaven and earth. ¹⁴ He exalteth the horn of his people, all his saints shall praise him: the children of Israel, even the people that serveth him. Praise the everlasting! Hallelujah! ¹⁴⁹ ¹ {Praise the Everlasting} Sing unto the LORD a new song, and let the congregation of saints praise him. ² Let Israel rejoice in him that made him, and let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. ³ Let them praise his name in the dance, let them sing praises unto him with tabret and harp. ⁴ For the LORD hath pleasure in his people, and helpeth the meek hearted. ⁵ Let the saints be joyful with glory; let them rejoice in their beds. ⁶ Let the praises of God be in their mouth, and two-edged swords in their hands, ⁷ to be avenged of the heathen, and to rebuke the people; ⁸ to bind their kings in chains, and their nobles with links of iron, ⁹ that they may be avenged of them, as it is written. Such honour have all his saints. Praise the everlasting! Hallelujah! ¹⁵⁰ ¹ {Praise the Everlasting} O praise the LORD in his sanctuary; praise him in the firmament of his power. ² Praise him in his noble acts; praise him in his excellent greatness. ³ Praise him in the sound of the trumpet; praise him upon the lute and harp. ⁴ Praise him in the cymbals and dances; praise him upon the strings and pipe. ⁵ Praise him upon the well-tuned cymbals; praise him upon the loud cymbals. ⁶ Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD! Praise the everlasting! Hallelujah!