Psalm 140⁴²

For the music director; a psalm of David
140:1 O LORD, rescue me from wicked men!¹
Protect me from violent men,²
140:2 who plan ways to harm me.³
All day long they stir up conflict.⁴
140:3 Their tongues wound like a serpent,⁵
a viper’s⁶ venom is behind⁷ their lips. (Selah)
140:4 O LORD, shelter me from the power⁸ of the wicked!
Protect me from violent men,
who plan to knock me over.⁹
140:5 Proud men hide a snare for me,
evil men¹⁰ spread a net by the path,
they set traps for me. (Selah)
140:6 I say to the LORD, “You are my God.”
O LORD, pay attention to my plea for mercy!
140:7 O sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer,¹¹
you shield¹² my head in the day of battle.
140:8 O LORD, do not let the wicked have their way!¹³
Do not allow their¹⁴ plan to succeed when they attack!¹⁵ (Selah)
140:9 As for the heads of those who surround me—
may the harm done by¹⁶ their lips overwhelm them!
140:10 May he rain down¹⁷ fiery coals upon them!
May he throw them into the fire,
From bottomless pits they will not escape.¹⁸
140:11 A slanderer¹⁹ will not endure on²⁰ the earth,
Calamity will hunt down a violent man and strike him down.²¹
140:12 I know²² that the LORD defends the cause of the oppressed,
and vindicates the poor.²³
140:13 Certainly the godly will give thanks to your name;
the morally upright will live in your presence.