1 A Psalm. Of David. Let my prayer come to you, O Lord; give ear to my requests for your grace; keep faith with me, and give me an answer in your righteousness; 2 Let not your servant come before you to be judged; for no man living is upright in your eyes. 3 The evil man has gone after my soul; my life is crushed down to the earth: he has put me in the dark, like those who have long been dead. 4 Because of this my spirit is overcome; and my heart is full of fear. 5 I keep in mind the early days of the past, giving thought to all your acts, even to the work of your hands. 6 My hands are stretched out to you: my soul is turned to you, like a land in need of water. (Selah.) 7 Be quick in answering me, O Lord, for the strength of my spirit is gone: let me see your face, so that I may not be like those who go down into the underworld. 8 Let the story of your mercy come to me in the morning, for my hope is in you: give me knowledge of the way in which I am to go; for my soul is lifted up to you. 9 O Lord, take me out of the hands of my haters; my soul is waiting for you. 10 Give me teaching so that I may do your pleasure; for you are my God: let your good Spirit be my guide into the land of righteousness. 11 Give me life, O Lord, because of your name; in your righteousness take my soul out of trouble. 12 And in your mercy put an end to my haters, and send destruction on all those who are against my soul; for I am your servant.
Psalms · Bible in Basic English
Psalm 143 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Greek and Latin Bibles number most Psalms one lower than Hebrew and English Bibles.
Cross references (12)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Psalm 71:2; Psalm 31:1; Psalm 140:6; Daniel 9:16; 1 John 1:9
- 2 Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:20; Job 25:4; Psalm 130:3; 1 John 1:10
- 3 Lamentations 3:6; Psalm 7:5; Psalm 7:1–2; Psalm 88:4–6; Psalm 142:6
- 4 Psalm 142:3; Psalm 77:3; Psalm 102:3–4; Psalm 55:5; Luke 22:44
- 5 Psalm 77:10–12; Psalm 77:5–6; Micah 6:5; Psalm 111:4; 1 Samuel 17:45–50
- 6 Job 11:13; Psalm 63:1; Psalm 88:9; Psalm 84:2; Psalm 42:1–2
- 7 Psalm 69:17; Psalm 28:1; Psalm 27:9; Psalm 71:12; Isaiah 38:18
- 8 Psalm 25:4–5; Proverbs 3:5–6; Psalm 32:8; Isaiah 48:17; Isaiah 30:21
- 9 Proverbs 18:10; Psalm 61:3–4; Psalm 59:1; Psalm 142:5; Psalm 31:15
- 10 Psalm 25:4–5; John 14:26; Hebrews 13:21; Psalm 23:3; Psalm 119:12
- 11 Psalm 31:1; Ephesians 2:4–5; Psalm 119:25; Psalm 71:2; Psalm 138:7
- 12 Psalm 54:5; Psalm 116:16; Psalm 119:94; Psalm 52:5; Psalm 136:15–20
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
"With my voice have I cried unto the Lord" (ver. 1). It were enough to say, "with voice:" not for nothing perhaps has "my" been added. For many cry unto the Lord, not with their own voice, but with the voice of their body.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
Forgive her, O Lord, forgive her, I beseech Thee; "enter not into judgment" with her. Let Thy mercy be exalted above Thy justice, because Thy words are true, and Thou hast promised mercy unto "the merciful;" which Thou gavest them to be who wilt "have mercy" on whom Thou wilt "have mercy," and wilt "have compassion" on whom Thou hast …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
… of the prophets;--and Samuel was called the Seer; and David says distinctly, The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and in the Psalms, And take not thy Holy Spirit from me, and again, Thy good Spirit shall lead me in the land of righteousness.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
… the Son is holy, for to the creature holiness was brought in from without, but to the Spirit holiness is the fulfilment of nature, and it is for this reason that He is described not as being sanctified, but as sanctifying. He is called good, as the Father is good, and He who was begotten of the Good is good, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)
Finally, O Lord, who art God, and not flesh and blood, if man doth see anything less, can anything lie hid from "Thy good Spirit," who shall "lead me into the land of uprightness," which Thou Thyself, by those words, wert about to reveal to future readers, although he through whom they were spoken, amid the many interpretations that might …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)