Psalm 40-41

Common English Bible

Psalm 40

For the music leader. Of David. A psalm.

40 I put all my hope in the Lord.
    He leaned down to me;
    he listened to my cry for help.
²He lifted me out of the pit of death,
    out of the mud and filth,
    and set my feet on solid rock.
        He steadied my legs.
³He put a new song in my mouth,
    a song of praise for our God.
Many people will learn of this and be amazed;
    they will trust the Lord.
⁴Those who put their trust in the Lord,
    who pay no attention to the proud
    or to those who follow lies,
    are truly happy!

⁵You, Lord my God!
    You’ve done so many things—
    your wonderful deeds and your plans for us—
        no one can compare with you!
    If I were to proclaim and talk about all of them,
        they would be too numerous to count!
⁶You don’t relish sacrifices or offerings;
    you don’t require entirely burned offerings or compensation offerings—
    but you have given me ears!
⁷So I said, “Here I come!
    I’m inscribed in the written scroll.
⁸    I want to do your will, my God.
    Your Instruction is deep within me.”
⁹I’ve told the good news of your righteousness
    in the great assembly.
    I didn’t hold anything back—
        as you well know, Lord!
¹⁰I didn’t keep your righteousness only to myself.
    I declared your faithfulness and your salvation.
I didn’t hide your loyal love and trustworthiness
    from the great assembly.

¹¹So now you, Lord—
    don’t hold back any of your compassion from me.
Let your loyal love and faithfulness always protect me,
¹²    because countless evils surround me.
My wrongdoings have caught up with me—
    I can’t see a thing!
There’s more of them than hairs on my head—
    my courage leaves me.
¹³Favor me, Lord, and deliver me!
    Lord, come quickly and help me!
¹⁴Let those who seek my life, who want me dead,
    be disgraced and put to shame.
Let those who want to do me harm
    be thoroughly frustrated and humiliated.
¹⁵Let those who say to me, “Yes! Oh, yes!”^[a]
    be destroyed by their shame.
¹⁶But let all who seek you
    celebrate and rejoice in you.
Let those who love your salvation always say,
    “The Lord is great!”
¹⁷But me? I’m weak and needy.
    Let my Lord think of me.
You are my help and my rescuer.
    My God, don’t wait any longer!

Psalm 41

For the music leader. A psalm of David.

41 Those who pay close attention to the poor are truly happy!
    The Lord rescues them during troubling times.
²The Lord protects them and keeps them alive;
    they are widely regarded throughout the land as happy people.
    You^[b] won’t hand them over to the will of their enemies.
³The Lord will strengthen them when they are lying in bed, sick.
    You will completely transform the place where they lie ill.

⁴But me? I said, “Lord, have mercy on me!
    Heal me because I have sinned against you.”
⁵My enemies speak maliciously about me:
    “When will he die and his name disappear?”
⁶Whenever they come to visit, they say nothing of value.
    Their hearts collect evil gossip;
    once they leave, they tell it to everybody.
⁷All of those who hate me talk about me, whispering to each other,
    plotting evil against me:
⁸“Some horrible thing has been poured into him;
    the next time he lies down, he won’t get up.”
⁹Even my good friend,
    the one I trusted,
    who shared my food,
    has kicked me with his heel—a betrayer!
¹⁰But you, Lord, please have mercy on me and lift me up
    so I can pay them back!
¹¹Then I’ll know you are pleased with me
    because my enemy won’t be shouting in triumph over me.
¹²You support me in my integrity;
    you put me in your presence forever.