PSALM 141 [†] O LORD, I call upon you;  t hasten to me!

Give ear to my voice when I call to you!

2 Let  u my prayer be counted as incense before you,

and  v the lifting up of my hands as  w the evening sacrifice!

3[^][†]  x Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;

 y keep watch over the door of my lips!

4  z Do not let my heart incline to any evil,

to busy myself with wicked deeds

in company with men who  a work iniquity,

and  b let me not eat of their delicacies!

5[†]  c Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;

let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;

let my head not refuse it.

Yet  d my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.

6[†] When their judges are  e thrown over the cliff, [1]

then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.

7 As when one plows and breaks up the earth,

so shall our bones  f be scattered at the mouth of Sheol. [2]

8[†] But  g my eyes are toward you, O GOD, my Lord;

 h in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless! [3]

9 Keep me from  i the trap that they have laid for me

and from the snares of evildoers!

10 Let the wicked  j fall into their own nets,

while I pass by safely.

A Maskil [1] of David, when he was in  k the cave. A Prayer.