(1) The Song of David. God! Unto Thee I cry: Hasten unto me, hearken unto the voice of my supplication, when I call upon Thee! (2) May my prayer be as perfect as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening offering. (3) Put a guard over my lips, O God, and guard the doors of my lips. (4) Do not let my heart incline to evil deeds, to commit evil deeds with people who do wrong, and let me not eat of their sweets. (5) Let the righteous man punish me: it is mercy; and let him rebuke me: this is oil, [anointing] of the head, which will not come down from my head, as long as my prayers are against their wickedness. 6 Their leaders, who would have fallen from the cliff, heard my words how gentle they were. (7) It is as if we were being cleaved and crushed on the ground, and our bones were falling into the mouth of hell. (8) But to you, O God my Lord, my eyes are open; in Thee I trust, cast not away my soul! (9) Protect me from the snare set for me, from the snares of those who are deceitful. (10) The wicked will fall into their nets, every single one of them, before I pass away.

142.

David's prudent instruction when he was in the cave. (2) With my voice I cry out to God, with my voice I pray to God. (3) I pour out my supplication before him, I reveal my trouble to him. (4) When my spirit was fainting within me, for you know my way, they laid a trap for me in the way I was walking. (5) I look to the right side and see that no one recognizes me: there is no refuge for me, no one cares for my soul. (6) I cried out to you, O God, I said, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living! (7) Listen to my prayer, for I am very faint; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I. (8) Bring my soul out of prison, that it may give thanks to me in your name. Through me the righteous will be magnified when You show good to me."

143.

(1) The Song of David. God! Hear my prayer, hear my prayer according to Thy faithfulness, answer me according to Thy justice! (2) And do not call your servant to judgment, for no one living will be justified in your sight. (3) For the enemy pursues my soul, he has trampled my life into the ground, he has forced me to live in darkness, as those who died long ago. (4) And my spirit is discouraged within me, my heart is desolate within me. (5) I remember the days of old, I meditate on all your works, I meditate on the works of your hands. (6) I stretch out my hands to you, my soul to you, like a thirsty land forever. (7) Make haste, answer me, O God; my spirit is faint; hide not Thy countenance from me, lest I be likened to those who descend into the grave. (8) Let me hear your mercy in the morning, for I trust in you. Show me the way in which I shall go, for to Thee I lift up my soul. (9) Deliver me, O God, from my enemies, for I have taken refuge with you. (10) Teach me to do your will, for you are my Almighty; Thy good spirit shall bring me to the ground level. (11) For your name's sake, O God, give me vitality, for your justice's sake, bring my soul out of trouble. (12) And according to your mercy, destroy my enemies, destroy all those who oppress my soul, for I am your servant.

144.

(1) David. Blessed be God, my stronghold, who teaches my hands to battle, my fingers to battle. (2) [He] is my mercy and my bulwark, my refuge and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I trust; He subdues my people to me. (3) God! What is man, that you know about him, that you are the son of man, that you pay attention to him? (4) Man is like a breath, his days are like a passing shadow. (5) God! Bow down Thy heavens, and go down, touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. (6) Flash the lightning and scatter them, shoot your arrows and scatter them. (7) Send your hands from on high, deliver me and save me from many waters, from the hands of foreigners, (8) whose lips speak vain, whose right hand is the right hand of lies. (9) Almighty, I will sing a new song to Thee, I will play Thee on a ten-stringed lyre. (10) Who gives salvation to kings, who delivers David his servant from the fierce sword. (11) Deliver me and save me from the hands of strangers, whose lips speak vain, whose right hand is the right hand of lies. (12) For our sons are like saplings that have grown in their youth, and our daughters are like elaborately carved pillars in palaces. (13) Our barns are full, abundant in all kinds of grain, and our sheep multiply by thousands and myriads in our fields. (14) Our oxen are fat, and there is no break-in, no loss, and no wailing in our streets. (15) Happy are the people who have everything like this. Happy is the people whose God is the Almighty.

145.

(1) The praise of David. I will exalt Thee, O my Almighty, Lord, I will bless Thy name for ever and ever. (2) Every day I will bless you, I will praise your name forever and ever. (3) God is great and highly praised, his greatness is inscrutable. (4) From generation to generation they will glorify Thy creatures, and proclaim Thy might. (5) Of the splendor of the glory of thy majesty and of thy wonders I speak. (6) The power of your terrible deeds will be spoken of, but I will proclaim your greatness. (7) The memory of Thy great goodness will be pronounced, and Thy justice will be sung. (8) God is merciful and merciful, long-suffering and great in mercy. (9) God is good to all, his mercy is upon all his creatures. (10) All your creatures will thank you, O God, and your godly ones will bless you. (11) The glory of your kingdom will be proclaimed, spoken of your might, (12) to proclaim to the children of men his mighty works, of the glorious splendor of his kingdom. (13) Your kingdom is the kingdom of all ages, your dominion is in all generations. (14) God sustains all those who fall, and straightens up all those who are bent. (15) All eyes are fixed on You, and You give them their food at the right time. (16) You open your hand and feed all living things according to his desire. (17) God is righteous in all his ways, godly in all his works. (18) God is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. (19) He fulfills the desire of those who revere Him, and He hears their cry and saves them. (20) God preserves all those who love him, but he will destroy all evildoers. (21) The praise of God is spoken by my lips, and all flesh will bless the name of his holiness forever and ever.