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Psalm 41

Assurance of God’s Help and a Plea for Healing

To the leader. A Psalm of David.

Happy are those who consider the poor;[a]
    the Lord delivers them in the day of trouble.(A)
The Lord protects them and keeps them alive;
    they are called happy in the land.
    You do not give them up to the will of their enemies.(B)
The Lord sustains them on their sickbed;
    in their illness you heal all their infirmities.[b](C)

As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;
    heal me, for I have sinned against you.”(D)
My enemies wonder in malice
    when I will die and my name perish.(E)
And when they come to see me, they utter empty words
    while their hearts gather mischief;
    when they go out, they tell it abroad.(F)
All who hate me whisper together about me;
    they imagine the worst for me.(G)

They think that a deadly thing has fastened on me,
    that I will not rise again from where I lie.(H)
Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
    who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me.(I)
10 But you, O Lord, be gracious to me,
    and raise me up, that I may repay them.(J)

11 By this I know that you are pleased with me:
    because my enemy has not triumphed over me.(K)
12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity
    and set me in your presence forever.(L)

13 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting.
                Amen and Amen.(M)

Book II

(Psalms 42–72)

Psalm 42

Longing for God and His Help in Distress

To the leader. A Maskil of the Korahites.

As a deer longs for flowing streams,
    so my soul longs for you, O God.(N)
My soul thirsts for God,
    for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
    the face of God?(O)
My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me continually,
    “Where is your God?”(P)

These things I remember,
    as I pour out my soul:
how I went with the throng[c]
    and led them in procession to the house of God,
with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving,
    a multitude keeping festival.(Q)
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise him,
my help(R)     and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
    therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
    from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
    at the thunder of your torrents;
all your waves and your billows
    have gone over me.(S)
By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
    and at night his song is with me,
    a prayer to the God of my life.(T)

I say to God, my rock,
    “Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk about mournfully
    because the enemy oppresses me?”(U)
10 As with a deadly wound in my body,
    my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me continually,
    “Where is your God?”(V)

11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise him,
    my help and my God.(W)

Psalm 43

Prayer to God in Time of Trouble

Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
    against an ungodly people;
from those who are deceitful and unjust,
    deliver me!(X)
For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
    why have you cast me off?
Why must I walk about mournfully
    because of the oppression of the enemy?(Y)

O send out your light and your truth;
    let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
    and to your dwelling.(Z)
Then I will go to the altar of God,
    to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the harp,
    O God, my God.(AA)

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise him,
    my help and my God.(AB)

Footnotes

  1. 41.1 Or weak
  2. 41.3 Heb you change all his bed
  3. 42.4 Meaning of Heb uncertain

Psalm 41[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Blessed(A) are those who have regard for the weak;(B)
    the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.(C)
The Lord protects(D) and preserves them—(E)
    they are counted among the blessed in the land—(F)
    he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.(G)
The Lord sustains them on their sickbed(H)
    and restores them from their bed of illness.(I)

I said, “Have mercy(J) on me, Lord;
    heal(K) me, for I have sinned(L) against you.”
My enemies say of me in malice,
    “When will he die and his name perish?(M)
When one of them comes to see me,
    he speaks falsely,(N) while his heart gathers slander;(O)
    then he goes out and spreads(P) it around.

All my enemies whisper together(Q) against me;
    they imagine the worst for me, saying,
“A vile disease has afflicted him;
    he will never get up(R) from the place where he lies.”
Even my close friend,(S)
    someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
    has turned[b] against me.(T)

10 But may you have mercy(U) on me, Lord;
    raise me up,(V) that I may repay(W) them.
11 I know that you are pleased with me,(X)
    for my enemy does not triumph over me.(Y)
12 Because of my integrity(Z) you uphold me(AA)
    and set me in your presence forever.(AB)

13 Praise(AC) be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(AD)
    from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.(AE)

BOOK II

Psalms 42–72

Psalm 42[c][d]

For the director of music. A maskil[e] of the Sons of Korah.

As the deer(AF) pants for streams of water,(AG)
    so my soul pants(AH) for you, my God.
My soul thirsts(AI) for God, for the living God.(AJ)
    When can I go(AK) and meet with God?
My tears(AL) have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”(AM)
These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:(AN)
how I used to go to the house of God(AO)
    under the protection of the Mighty One[f]
with shouts of joy(AP) and praise(AQ)
    among the festive throng.(AR)

Why, my soul, are you downcast?(AS)
    Why so disturbed(AT) within me?
Put your hope in God,(AU)
    for I will yet praise(AV) him,
    my Savior(AW) and my God.(AX)

My soul is downcast within me;
    therefore I will remember(AY) you
from the land of the Jordan,(AZ)
    the heights of Hermon(BA)—from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep(BB)
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.(BC)

By day the Lord directs his love,(BD)
    at night(BE) his song(BF) is with me—
    a prayer to the God of my life.(BG)

I say to God my Rock,(BH)
    “Why have you forgotten(BI) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(BJ)
    oppressed(BK) by the enemy?”(BL)
10 My bones suffer mortal agony(BM)
    as my foes taunt(BN) me,
saying to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”(BO)

11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.(BP)

Psalm 43[g]

Vindicate me, my God,
    and plead my cause(BQ)
    against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me(BR) from those who are
    deceitful and wicked.(BS)
You are God my stronghold.
    Why have you rejected(BT) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(BU)
    oppressed by the enemy?(BV)
Send me your light(BW) and your faithful care,(BX)
    let them lead me;(BY)
let them bring me to your holy mountain,(BZ)
    to the place where you dwell.(CA)
Then I will go(CB) to the altar(CC) of God,
    to God, my joy(CD) and my delight.(CE)
I will praise you with the lyre,(CF)
    O God, my God.

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.(CG)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-13 is numbered 41:2-14.
  2. Psalm 41:9 Hebrew has lifted up his heel
  3. Psalm 42:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
  4. Psalm 42:1 In Hebrew texts 42:1-11 is numbered 42:2-12.
  5. Psalm 42:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  6. Psalm 42:4 See Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
  7. Psalm 43:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.