Psalm 142

¹ A Psalm of David, when his son pursued him.

O Lord, attend to my prayer:

hearken to my supplication in thy truth;

hear me in thy righteousness.

² And enter not into judgment with thy servant,

for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

³ For the enemy hath persecuted my soul;

he hath brought my life down to the ground;

he hath made me to dwell in a dark place, as those that have been long dead.

⁴ Therefore my spirit was grieved in me;

my heart was troubled within me.

⁵ I remembered the days of old;

and I meditated on all thy doings:

yea, I meditated on the works of thy hands.

⁶ I spread forth my hands to thee;

my soul thirsteth for thee, as a dry land.

Pause.

⁷ Hear me speedily, O Lord;

my spirit hath failed;

turn not away thy face from me,

else I shall be like to them that go down to the pit.

⁸ Cause me to hear thy mercy in the morning;

for I have hoped in thee;

make known to me, O Lord, the way wherein I should walk;

for I have lifted up my soul to thee.

⁹ Deliver me from mine enemies, O Lord;

for I have fled to thee for refuge.

¹⁰ Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God;

thy good Spirit shall guide me in ^[1]the land of uprightness.

¹¹ Thou shalt quicken me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake;

in thy righteousness thou shalt bring my soul out of affliction.

¹² And in thy mercy thou wilt destroy mine enemies,

and wilt destroy all those that afflict my soul;

for I am thy servant.

Notes