Psalms 143 (KJV)

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Chapter Text

143:1 Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.

143:2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

143:3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

143:4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.

143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

143:6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

143:7 Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

143:8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

143:9 Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

143:10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

143:11 Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.

143:12 And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "justified", "Spirit", "darkness", "faith", "mercy", "hear", "prayer", and "lord". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "justified" and "Spirit", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local KJV text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "justified" and "Spirit" carries the first interpretive weight. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "justified" and "Spirit" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.