Psalm 141

¹ O Lord, I unto thee do cry,

do thou make haste to me,

And give an ear unto my voice,

when I cry unto thee.

² As incense let my prayer be

directed in thine eyes;

And the uplifting of my hands

as th’ ev ‘ning sacrifice.

³ Set, Lord, a watch before my mouth,

keep of my lips the door.

⁴ My heart incline thou not unto

the ills I should abhor,

To practise wicked works with men

that work iniquity;

And with their delicates my taste

let me not satisfy.

⁵ Let him that righteous is me smite,

it shall a kindness be;

Let him reprove, I shall it count

a precious oil to me:

Such smiting shall not break my head;

for yet the time shall fall,

When I in their calamities

to God pray for them shall.

⁶ When as their judges down shall be

in stony places cast,

Then shall they hear my words; for they

shall sweet be to their taste.

⁷ About the grave’s devouring mouth

our bones are scatter’d round,

As wood which men do cut and cleave

lies scatter’d on the ground.

⁸ But unto thee, O God the Lord,

mine eyes uplifted be:

My soul do not leave destitute;

my trust is set on thee.

⁹ Lord, keep me safely from the snares

which they for me prepare;

And from the subtile gins of them

that wicked workers are.

¹⁰ Let workers of iniquity

into their own nets fall,

Whilst I do, by thine help, escape

the danger of them all.