Psalm 143

My Soul Thirsts for You

¹Hear my prayer, O Lord ;

give ear to my pleas for mercy!

In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!

²Enter not into judgment with your servant,[#Job 14:3]

for no one living is righteous before you.

³For the enemy has pursued my soul;

he has crushed my life to the ground;

he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.

⁴Therefore my spirit faints within me;[#Ps. 77:3]

my heart within me is appalled.

⁵I remember the days of old;[#Ps. 77:5, 11]

I meditate on all that you have done;

I ponder the work of your hands.

⁶I stretch out my hands to you;[#Job 11:13]

my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

⁷Answer me quickly, O Lord ![#Ps. 69:17; 102:2]

My spirit fails!

Hide not your face from me,

lest I be like those who go down to the pit.

⁸Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,[#Ps. 90:14]

for in you I trust.

Make me know the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul.

⁹Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord ![#Ps. 59:1; 142:6]

I have fled to you for refuge.

¹⁰Teach me to do your will,[#Ps. 119:12]

for you are my God!

Let your good Spirit lead me

on level ground!

¹¹For your name’s sake, O Lord , preserve my life![#Ps. 23:3; 25:11; #Ps. 71:20]

In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!

¹²And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,[#Ps. 54:5]

and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,

for I am your servant.