A Comparison of Psalm 141:1-2

O LORD, I cry out to you, “Come quickly.”
Open your ears to me when I cry out to you.
Let my prayer be accepted
as sweet-smelling incense in your presence.
Let the lifting up of my hands in prayer be accepted
as an evening sacrifice.
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
Meaning-for-Meaning (Closest Natural Equivalence)

Lord, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.

Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
King James Version (KJV)
Word-for-Word (Formal Equivalence)

» SHOP FOR A BIBLE NOW «

I call to you, LORD, come quickly to me;
hear me when I call to you.
May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
New International Version (NIV)
Thought-for-Thought (Functional Equivalence)

Quick, Lord, answer me—for I have prayed. Listen when I cry to you for help! Regard my prayer as my evening sacrifice and as incense wafting up to you.
The Living Bible (TLB)
Paraphrase (Retelling)

Visit our Bible Translation Guide for more information about the major differences between the clear, natural English of God’s Word and other translations.