Psalm 141

Psalm 141 is the 141st psalm of the Book of Psalms, a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian biblical canon, that begins in English in the King James Version: "LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible, and the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 140. In Latin, it is known as "Domine clamavi ad te exaudi me".

It is attributed to David, a plea to God not only for protection from the psalmist's enemies, but also from temptation to sin. This psalm contains a prayer for deliverance from 'the enticements and the oppression of the wicked', and seeks 'divine support to live a sinless life', probably a prayer of an ordinary worshipper, although it has some indications for being a "king's psalm" offered during 'a military campaign far away from Jerusalem' (such as that he cannot offer sacrifice in the temple in verse 2 and laments over battle losses in verses 7).

The psalm is used as a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies; it has been set to music.

Hebrew
The following table shows the Hebrew text of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

King James Version

 * 1) LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.
 * 2) Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
 * 3) Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
 * 4) Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
 * 5) Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.
 * 6) When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.
 * 7) Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.
 * 8) But mine eyes are unto thee, O GOD the LORD: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.
 * 9) Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity.
 * 10) Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.

Analysis
Verses 6-7 ("When their judges are overthrown in stony places...." in the KJV, or "thrown down from the cliffs" in the New International Version) are likely corrupt, and scholars call their translation a best guess.

Verses 8–10 express a plea for help against persecutors, in terms similar to Psalm 140 (cf. Psalm 35:8), and a wisdom teaching to be kept away from bad company (verse 4) is similar to Psalm 1. C. S. Rodd suggests that there are two sets of petitions in prayer, verses 5-7 and verses 8-10, although verse 5 might be read as belonging to the second petition. Alexander Kirkpatrick suggests that the final line of verse 5 could be read as a prayer "against their evil deeds" or "in the midst" of them.

The gins (viz. engines) in the KJV text of verse 9 translates מקשות, rendered "traps" in more recent translations (NRSV, NASB).

Liturgy
As verse 2 compares prayer to an evening sacrifice, this psalm became part of Christian liturgy from an early time. John Chrysostom indicates that it was sung every day. As part of the liturgy practiced at Constantinople, it is preserved in the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

As part of the liturgy, it also has numerous musical adaptations, including Russian compositions (Да исправится молитва моя) by Dmitry Bortniansky, Mikhail Glinka, Aleksandr Grechaninov and Pavel Chesnokov.

The Latin text (Dirigatur oratio mea) is adapted in a gradual by Johann Michael Haydn (MH 520) and in a motet by Orlande de Lassus.

The Lutheran Service Book and Evangelical Lutheran Worship feature the psalm prominently in their Evening Prayer services.

Musical settings
Heinrich Schütz composed a metred paraphrase of Psalm 141 in German, "Herr, mein Gott, wenn ich ruf zu dir", SWV 246, for the Becker Psalter, published first in 1628.