The Psalmist in Sickness Complains of Enemies and False Friends.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

41 Blessed is one who (A)considers the [a]helpless;
The Lord will save him (B)on a day of [b]trouble.
The Lord will (C)protect him and keep him alive,
And he will be called [c](D)blessed upon the earth;
And (E)do not turn him over to the desire of his enemies.
The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed;
In his illness, You [d]restore him to health.

As for me, I said, “Lord, be gracious to me;
(F)Heal my soul, for (G)I have sinned against You.”
My enemies (H)speak evil against me,
“When will he die, and his name perish?”
And [e]when he comes to see me, he (I)speaks [f]empty words;
His heart gathers wickedness to itself;
When he goes outside, he tells it.
All who hate me whisper together against me;
They (J)plot my harm against me, saying,
“A wicked thing is poured out [g]upon him,
So that when he lies down, he will (K)not get up again.”
Even my [h](L)close friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me.

10 But You, Lord, be gracious to me and (M)raise me up,
That I may repay them.
11 By this I know that (N)You are pleased with me,
Because (O)my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.
12 As for me, (P)You uphold me in my integrity,
And You place me (Q)in Your presence forever.

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

BOOK 2

Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.

For the music director. A [i]Maskil of the sons of Korah.

42 As the deer [j]pants for the water brooks,
So my soul [k](S)pants for You, God.
My soul (T)thirsts for God, for the (U)living God;
When shall I come and [l](V)appear before God?
My (W)tears have been my food day and night,
While they (X)say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
I remember these things and (Y)pour out my soul within me.
For I (Z)used to go over with the multitude and walk them to the house of God,
With a voice of (AA)joy and thanksgiving, a multitude celebrating a festival.

(AB)Why are you [m](AC)in despair, my soul?
And why are you (AD)restless within me?
(AE)Wait for God, for I will [n]again praise [o]Him
For the [p](AF)help of His [q]presence, my God.
My soul is [r]in despair within me;
Therefore I (AG)remember You from (AH)the land of the Jordan
And the [s]peaks of (AI)Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your (AJ)breakers and Your waves have passed over me.
The Lord will (AK)send His goodness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me (AL)in the night,
A prayer to (AM)the God of my life.

I will say to God (AN)my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go about (AO)mourning [t]because of the (AP)oppression of the enemy?”
10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries taunt me,
While they (AQ)say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
11 (AR)Why are you [u]in despair, my soul?
And why are you restless within me?
Wait for God, for I will again praise [v]Him
For the [w]help of His presence, my God.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 41:1 Or poor
  2. Psalm 41:1 Or evil
  3. Psalm 41:2 Or happy
  4. Psalm 41:3 Lit turn all his bed
  5. Psalm 41:6 Or if he
  6. Psalm 41:6 Lit worthlessness
  7. Psalm 41:8 Or within
  8. Psalm 41:9 Lit man of peace
  9. Psalm 42 Title Possibly Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
  10. Psalm 42:1 Lit longs for
  11. Psalm 42:1 Lit longs for
  12. Psalm 42:2 Some mss see the face of God
  13. Psalm 42:5 Lit dissolved away
  14. Psalm 42:5 Or still
  15. Psalm 42:5 Some ancient versions Him, the help of my face and my God
  16. Psalm 42:5 Or saving acts of
  17. Psalm 42:5 Or presence. O my God, my soul...
  18. Psalm 42:6 Or dissolved away
  19. Psalm 42:6 Lit Hermons
  20. Psalm 42:9 Or while the enemy oppresses
  21. Psalm 42:11 Or dissolved away
  22. Psalm 42:11 As in some ancient mss, cf. v 5; MT Him, the help of my face and my God
  23. Psalm 42:11 Or saving acts of

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