Psalms 142

A lonely cry for help answered by trust in God alone.

Psalms 142 - My Refuge in the Land of the Living

Psalm 142 records a raw, personal complaint, poured out before God at a moment when "refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul." It follows the guarded, watchful prayer of Psalms 141 with an even more isolated cry for help.


> I cry with my voice to Yahweh. With my voice, I ask Yahweh for mercy.

I pour out my complaint before him. I tell him my troubles.

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, You knew my path. In the way in which I walk, They have hidden a snare for me.

Look on my right, and see; For there is no one who is concerned for me. Refuge has fled from me. No one cares for my soul.

I cried to you, Yahweh. I said, \"You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.\"

Listen to my cry, For I am in desperate need. Deliver me from my persecutors, For they are stronger than me.

Bring my soul out of prison, That I may give thanks to your name. The righteous will surround me, For you will be good to me.

Despite the loneliness, the psalmist calls the LORD "my refuge and my portion in the land of the living" and asks to be brought "out of prison" to praise God's name, a trust in weakness echoed in <a href="/bible/web/romans/chapter-8/26">Romans 8:26</a>. Browse related chapters on the <a href="/bible/web/psalms">Psalms overview</a> or continue to <a href="/bible/web/psalms/chapter-143">Psalms 143</a>.