{"id":9360,"date":"2026-05-29T09:30:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T07:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advent-ug.org\/answers\/psalom-142-tekst-z-poyasnennyam\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T09:35:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T07:35:18","slug":"psalom-142-tekst-z-poyasnennyam","status":"publish","type":"answers","link":"https:\/\/advent-ug.org\/en\/answers\/psalom-142-tekst-z-poyasnennyam\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Psalm 142 about, and when should it be read?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Psalm 142 is the last of the seven penitential prayers of the Psalter, the plea of a person who has reached the limit of strength (\u201cmy spirit fails within me\u201d) and turns to God in the morning for mercy, guidance, and deliverance. It is prayed in deep oppression, in persecution, in the loss of direction\u2014when one needs not only to survive, but to learn again to do God\u2019s will.<\/b><\/p>\n

\u041f\u043e\u0432\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u0442\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0442 \u041f\u0441\u0430\u043b\u043c\u0430 142 (\u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043a\u043b\u0430\u0434 \u041e\u0433\u0456\u0454\u043d\u043a\u0430)<\/h2>\n

\u201cO Lord, hear my prayer, give ear to my supplications; in Your faithfulness answer me, and in Your righteousness. And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for in Your sight no one living is righteous. For the enemy has persecuted my soul, he has crushed my life to the ground. He has made me dwell in darkness, like those long dead. Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is appalled. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; my soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah. Answer me speedily, O Lord; my spirit fails! Do not hide Your face from me, lest I be like those who go down into the pit. Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; in You I take shelter. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For Your name\u2019s sake, O Lord, revive me; in Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble. In Your mercy cut off my enemies, and destroy all those who afflict my soul; for I am Your servant!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you were looking for this psalm under a different number, note the numbering. In the Ohienko translation, which follows the church (Greek, Septuagint) tradition, this is Psalm 142<\/b>; in the Hebrew numbering adopted in most modern Protestant editions, the same text appears under the number Psalm 143<\/b>The difference arose because the Greek tradition combines Psalms 9 and 10 into one, so afterward the entire numbering runs one number lower. It is the same psalm\u2014only with a different ordinal number.<\/p>\n

What this psalm is about<\/h2>\n

Psalm 142 concludes the ancient church collection of seven penitential psalms (6, 31, 37, 50, 101, 129, 142). It begins not with self-justification, but with sober acknowledgment: \u201cdo not enter into judgment with Your servant, for in Your sight no one living is righteous.\u201d The one who prays does not bargain with God on the basis of personal righteousness\u2014he relies only on God\u2019s faithfulness and righteousness. This is the prayer of a person who has nothing left to hide behind except the mercy of the One to whom he cries.<\/p>\n

The second part of the psalm describes a condition easily recognized by anyone who has gone through prolonged trouble. The enemy \u201ccrushes my life to the ground,\u201d places one \u201cin darkness, like those long dead\u201d; the spirit fails, the heart grows \u201cnumb.\u201d This is the image of exhaustion, when feelings fade and prayer becomes difficult. And it is precisely here that the psalmist takes a characteristic step: he \u201cremembers the days of old,\u201d reflecting on what God has already done before. Memory of God\u2019s past works becomes support when the present offers no ray of hope\u2014hands stretch out to God, and the soul longs for Him \u201clike a thirsty land\u201d longs for rain.<\/p>\n

The climax is not simply a request for rescue, but a request for direction: \u201cCause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning\u2026 cause me to know the way in which I should walk\u201d and, finally, \u201cTeach me to do Your will, for You are my God.\u201d The person asks not only to come out of trouble, but to come out of it in the right way, led by God\u2019s \u201cgood Spirit\u201d \u201con level ground.\u201d This makes Psalm 142 close to other great penitential prayers, such as Psalm 50 \u201cHave mercy on me, O God\u201d<\/a>, where the concern is also not only forgiveness, but a renewed heart and readiness to follow God.<\/p>\n

When to read Psalm 142<\/h2>\n

This psalm naturally fits specific situations:<\/p>\n