1 Lord, I call on You;[a] hurry to [help] me. Listen to my voice when I call on You.
2
May my prayer be set before You as incense, the raising of my hands as the evening offering.
3
Lord, set up a guard for my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.
4
Do not let my heart turn to any evil thing or wickedly perform reckless acts with men who commit sin.[b] Do not let me feast on their delicacies.
5
Let the righteous one strike me- it is [an act of] faithful love; let him rebuke me- it is oil for my head; let me[c] not refuse it. Even now my prayer is against the evil acts of the wicked.[d]
6
When their rulers[e] will be thrown off the sides of a cliff,[f] the people[g] will listen to my words, for they are pleasing.
7
As when one plows and breaks up the soil, [turning up rocks], so our[h] bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
\\<>\\. This psalm was written about the same time, and upon the same occasion, as that going before and what follows after; even when David was persecuted by Saul, and when he was in great danger of his enemies, and snares were laid for his life.