Psalms 140

Berean Standard Bible

Chapter summary

In Psalm 140, the psalmist appeals to the Lord for rescue and protection from evil, violent men who plot war, sharpen their tongues like serpents, and hide snares and nets along his path. Addressing God as his strength and the shield of his head in battle, the speaker asks Him to withhold the desires of the wicked and prevent their plans from succeeding. He then petitions that the trouble caused by their lips recoil upon their own heads through burning coals, fire, and deep pits from which they cannot rise. Furthermore, the psalmist requests that slanderers not be established in the land and that calamity pursue violent men. Finally, he expresses confidence that the Lord maintains justice for the poor and defends the needy, leading the righteous to praise His name and dwell in His presence.

Summary automatically generated from the Bible text.

Words of Jesus in red

¹Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men. Protect me from men of violence, ²who devise evil in their hearts and stir up war all day long. ³They sharpen their tongues like snakes; the venom of vipers is on their lips. Selah ⁴Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked. Keep me safe from men of violence who scheme to make me stumble. ⁵The proud hide a snare for me; the cords of their net are spread along the path, and lures are set out for me. Selah ⁶I say to the LORD, “You are my God.” Hear, O LORD, my cry for help. ⁷O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You shield my head in the day of battle. ⁸Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; do not promote their evil plans, lest they be exalted. Selah ⁹May the heads of those who surround me be covered in the trouble their lips have caused. ¹⁰May burning coals fall on them; may they be thrown into the fire, into the miry pits, never to rise again. ¹¹May no slanderer be established in the land; may calamity hunt down the man of violence. ¹²I know that the LORD upholds justice for the poor and defends the cause of the needy. ¹³Surely the righteous will praise Your name; the upright will dwell in Your presence.

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Louis Segond 1910 and Berean Standard Bible: public domain. Cross references: open-cross-ref, Creative Commons BY 4.0.