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Lord, keep my mouth safe,
    so that I do not speak bad things.
Do not let my mind want evil things.
Do not let me join with wicked people,
    to do the same bad things that they do.
I do not even want to eat their good food.
If a good man hits me because he loves me,
    he is being kind to me.
If he shows me that I have done a wrong thing,
    that it is like special oil on my head.[a]
    I would not refuse it.
I continue to pray against what wicked people do.

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Footnotes

  1. 141:5 David is saying, ‘If a good man is angry with me, I will listen to what he says.’ He is warning me because he loves me, not because he hates me like an enemy. Special oil (olive oil) that is poured on someone's head shows that he is an important person.

Set a guard over my mouth,(A) Lord;
    keep watch over the door of my lips.(B)
Do not let my heart(C) be drawn to what is evil
    so that I take part in wicked deeds(D)
along with those who are evildoers;
    do not let me eat their delicacies.(E)

Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
    let him rebuke me(F)—that is oil on my head.(G)
My head will not refuse it,
    for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.

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