English Standard Version ESV
The Message Bible MSG
1 O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
1
God, come close. Come quickly! Open your ears - it's my voice you're hearing!
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
2
Treat my prayer as sweet incense rising; my raised hands are my evening prayers.
3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!
3
Post a guard at my mouth, God, set a watch at the door of my lips.
4 Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!
4
Don't let me so much as dream of evil or thoughtlessly fall into bad company. And these people who only do wrong - don't let them lure me with their sweet talk!
5 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 my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
5
May the Just One set me straight, may the Kind One correct me, Don't let sin anoint my head. I'm praying hard against their evil ways!
6 When their judges are thrown over the cliff, then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
6
Oh, let their leaders be pushed off a high rock cliff; make them face the music.
7 As when one plows and breaks up the earth, so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
7
Like a rock pulverized by a maul, let their bones be scattered at the gates of hell.
8 But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!
8
But God, dear Lord, I only have eyes for you. Since I've run for dear life to you, take good care of me.
9 Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me and from the snares of evildoers!
9
Protect me from their evil scheming, from all their demonic subterfuge.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by safely.
10
Let the wicked fall flat on their faces, while I walk off without a scratch. A David prayer - when he was in the cave.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.