Psalms 140 · The Lantern

To the choirmaster. A psalm of David. Rescue me, LORD, from an evil man; from a man of violence preserve me,

Rescue Me from Evil Men

who devise evils in the heart; all the day they stir up wars.

They have sharpened their tongue like a snake; the venom of a viper is under their lips. Selah.

What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

The venom of asps is under their lips. For they seem to have words of friendship, yet they are full of death-dealing poison.

"They have sharpened their tongues like serpents" [Psalm 140:3]. If still thou seekest to make out the man, behold a comparison. In the serpent above all beasts is there cunning and craft to hurt; for therefore does it creep. It hath not even feet, so that its footsteps when it cometh may be heard.

Keep me, LORD, from the hands of the wicked; from a man of violence preserve me — those who have devised to push aside my steps.

The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net beside the track; they have set traps for me. Selah.

Now these demons, if they see all Christians—and especially monks—joyfully laboring and making progress, first attack by attempting to place stumbling blocks in their way. Their "stumbling blocks" are filthy thoughts. But there is no need for us to fear the things they throw at us; through prayer and fasting and faith in the Lord the demons immediately fall.

Beside the path they have set a stumbling-block for me. That is: by bringing forward testimonies from the Scriptures, which seemed to have some semblance of reason, they were trying to deceive me.

Divine readings uplift us, lest we be broken by despair; and again they terrify us, lest we be inflated by pride. To hold, however, the middle way, true and straight, as if between the left of despair and the right of presumption, would be very difficult for us, unless Christ said: I am the way. I am, he says, the way, the truth, and the life.

I said to the LORD, “You are my God.” Give ear, LORD, to the voice of my pleas for grace.

GOD, the Lord, the strength of my salvation, you have covered my head in the day of arms.

Do not grant, LORD, the desires of the wicked; do not further his scheme — they would be exalted. Selah.

As for the head of those who surround me — let the trouble of their lips cover them.

Let coals fall upon them; let him make them fall into the fire, into pits, never to rise.

Let a man of tongue not be established in the earth; let evil hunt the man of violence with thrusts.

I know that the LORD will do the cause of the afflicted, the judgment of the needy.

Surely the righteous will give thanks to your name; the upright will dwell before your face.

Psalms140

Rescue Me from Evil Men