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Wickedness of men and lovingkindness of God.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of Jehovah.

[a]36 The transgression of the wicked [b]saith within my heart,
There is no fear of God before his eyes.
For [c]he flattereth himself in his own eyes,
[d]That his iniquity will not be found out and be hated.
The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit:
He hath ceased to be wise and to do good.
He deviseth iniquity upon his bed;
He setteth himself in a way that is not good;
He abhorreth not evil.

Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, is in the heavens;
Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the skies.
Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God;
Thy judgments are a great deep:
O Jehovah, thou preservest man and beast.
How precious is thy lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men take refuge under the shadow of thy wings.
They shall be [e]abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house;
And thou wilt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
For with thee is the fountain of life:
In thy light shall we see light.
10 Oh continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee,
And thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride come against me,
And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There are the workers of iniquity fallen:
They are thrust down, and shall not be able to rise.

Security of those who trust in Jehovah, and insecurity of the wicked.

A Psalm of David.

37 Fret not thyself because of evil-doers,
Neither be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
Trust in Jehovah, and do good;
[f]Dwell in the land, and [g]feed on his faithfulness.
[h]Delight thyself also in Jehovah;
And he will give thee the [i]desires of thy heart.
[j]Commit thy way unto Jehovah;
Trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass.
And he will make thy righteousness to go forth as the light,
And thy justice as the noon-day.
[k]Rest in Jehovah, and wait patiently for him:
Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way,
Because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath:
Fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil-doing.
For evil-doers shall be cut off;
But those that wait for Jehovah, they shall inherit [l]the land.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be:
Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and [m]he shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plotteth against the just,
And gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13 The Lord will laugh at him;
For he seeth that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow,
To cast down the poor and needy,
To slay such as are upright in the way.
15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart,
And their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is a little that the righteous hath
Than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken;
But Jehovah upholdeth the righteous.
18 Jehovah knoweth the days of the perfect;
And their inheritance shall be for ever.
19 They shall not be put to shame in the time of evil;
And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20 But the wicked shall perish,
And the enemies of Jehovah shall be as [n]the fat of lambs:
They shall consume; [o]in smoke shall they consume away.
21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again;
But the righteous dealeth graciously, and giveth.
22 For such as are blessed of him shall inherit the land;
And they that are cursed of him shall be cut off.
23 A man’s goings are established of Jehovah;
And he delighteth in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For Jehovah [p]upholdeth him with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old;
Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,
Nor his seed begging bread.
26 All the day long he dealeth graciously, and lendeth;
And his seed is blessed.
27 Depart from evil, and do good;
And dwell for evermore.
28 For Jehovah loveth justice,
And forsaketh not his saints;
They are preserved for ever:
But the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land,
And dwell therein for ever.
30 The mouth of the righteous talketh of wisdom,
And his tongue speaketh justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
None of his steps shall slide.
32 The wicked watcheth the righteous,
And seeketh to slay him.
33 Jehovah will not leave him in his hand,
Nor condemn him when he is judged.
34 Wait for Jehovah, and keep his way,
And he will exalt thee to inherit the land:
When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
35 I have seen the wicked in great power,
And spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil.
36 [q]But one passed by, and, lo, he was not:
Yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright;
For there is a happy end to the man of peace.
38 As for transgressors, they shall be destroyed together:
The end of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is of Jehovah:
He is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40 And Jehovah helpeth them, and rescueth them:
He rescueth them from the wicked, and saveth them,
Because they have taken refuge in him.

Prayer of a suffering penitent.

A Psalm of David, [r]to bring to remembrance.

38 O Jehovah, rebuke me not in thy wrath;
Neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
For thine arrows [s]stick fast in me,
And thy hand [t]presseth me sore.
There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine indignation;
Neither is there any [u]health in my bones because of my sin.
For mine iniquities are gone over my head:
As a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
My wounds are loathsome and corrupt,
Because of my foolishness.
I am [v]pained and bowed down greatly;
I go mourning all the day long.
For my loins are filled with burning;
And there is no soundness in my flesh.
I am faint and sore bruised:
I have [w]groaned by reason of the disquietness of my heart.
Lord, all my desire is before thee;
And my groaning is not hid from thee.
10 My heart throbbeth, my strength faileth me:
As for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.
11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen stand afar off.
12 They also that seek after my life lay snares for me;
And they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things,
And meditate deceits all the day long.
13 But I, as a deaf man, hear not;
And I am as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
14 Yea, I am as a man that heareth not,
And in whose mouth are no [x]reproofs.
15 For in thee, O Jehovah, do I hope:
Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, Lest they rejoice over me:
When my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.
17 For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I will declare mine iniquity;
I will be sorry for my sin.
19 But mine enemies are lively, and are strong;
And they that hate me [y]wrongfully are multiplied.
20 They also that render evil for good
Are adversaries unto me, because I follow the thing that is good.
21 Forsake me not, O Jehovah:
O my God, be not far from me.
22 Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation.

The vanity of life.

For the Chief Musician, for [z]Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

39 I said, I will take heed to my ways,
That I sin not with my tongue:
I will keep [aa]my mouth with a bridle,
While the wicked is before me.
I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, [ab]even from good;
And my sorrow was stirred.
My heart was hot within me;
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then spake I with my tongue:
Jehovah, make me to know mine end,
And the measure of my days, what it is;
Let me know how frail I am.
Behold, thou hast made my days as handbreadths;
And my life-time is as nothing before thee:
Surely every man [ac]at his best estate is altogether [ad]vanity. Selah
Surely every man walketh [ae]in a vain show;
Surely they are disquieted [af]in vain:
He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.
And now, Lord, what wait I for?
My hope is in thee.
Deliver me from all my transgressions:
Make me not the reproach of the foolish.
I was dumb, I opened not my mouth;
Because thou didst it.
10 Remove thy stroke away from me:
I am consumed by the [ag]blow of thy hand.
11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity,
Thou [ah]makest his beauty to consume away like a moth:
Surely every man is [ai]vanity. Selah
12 Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, and give ear unto my cry;
Hold not thy peace at my tears:
For I am a stranger with thee,
A sojourner, as all my fathers were.
13 Oh [aj]spare me, that I may [ak]recover strength,
Before I go hence, and be no more.

A sacrifice of praise, and prayer for help.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

40 I waited patiently for Jehovah;
And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
He brought me up also out of [al]a horrible pit, out of the miry clay;
And he set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God:
Many shall see it, and fear,
And shall trust in Jehovah.
Blessed is the man that maketh Jehovah his trust,
And respecteth not the proud, nor such as [am]turn aside to lies.
Many, O Jehovah my God, are the wonderful works which thou hast done,
And thy thoughts which are to us-ward:
[an]They cannot be set in order unto thee;
If I would declare and speak of them,
They are more than can be numbered.
Sacrifice and [ao]offering thou hast no delight in;
[ap]Mine ears hast thou opened:
Burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required.
Then said I, Lo, I am come;
In the roll of the book it is [aq]written of me:
I delight to do thy will, O my God;
Yea, thy law is within my heart.
I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great assembly;
Lo, I will not refrain my lips,
O Jehovah, thou knowest.
10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart;
I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation;
I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great assembly.
11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Jehovah;
Let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about;
Mine iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
And my heart hath [ar]failed me.
13 Be pleased, O Jehovah, to deliver me:
Make haste to help me, O Jehovah.
14 Let them be put to shame and confounded together
That seek after my soul to destroy it:
Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor
That delight in my hurt.
15 Let them be [as]desolate [at]by reason of their shame
That say unto me, Aha, aha.
16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee:
Let such as love thy salvation say continually,
Jehovah be magnified.
17 But I am poor and needy;
Yet the Lord thinketh upon me:
Thou art my help and my deliverer;
Make no tarrying, O my God.

The psalmist in sickness complains of enemies and false friends.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

41 Blessed is he that considereth [au]the poor:
Jehovah will deliver him in the day of evil.
Jehovah will preserve him, and keep him alive,
And he shall be blessed [av]upon the earth;
And deliver not thou him unto the will of his enemies.
Jehovah will support him upon the couch of languishing:
Thou [aw]makest all his bed in his sickness.
I said, O Jehovah, have mercy upon me:
Heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.
Mine enemies speak evil against me, saying,
When will he die, and his name perish?
And if he come to see me, he speaketh falsehood;
His heart gathereth iniquity to itself:
When he goeth abroad, he telleth it.
All that hate me whisper together against me;
Against me do they devise my hurt.
[ax]An evil disease, say they, [ay]cleaveth fast unto him;
And now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted,
Who did eat of my bread,
Hath lifted up his heel against me.
10 But thou, O Jehovah, have mercy upon me, and raise me up,
That I may requite them.
11 By this I know that thou delightest in me,
Because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.
12 And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity,
And settest me before thy face for ever.

13 Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel,
From everlasting and to everlasting.
Amen, and Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 36:1 Or, Transgression saith to the wicked
  2. Psalm 36:1 Or, uttereth its oracle
  3. Psalm 36:2 Or, it (or he) flattereth him in his eyes
  4. Psalm 36:2 Or, Until his iniquity be found and be hated. Hebrew Concerning the finding out of his iniquity and hating it.
  5. Psalm 36:8 Hebrew watered.
  6. Psalm 37:3 Or, So shalt thou dwell in the land and feed securely
  7. Psalm 37:3 Or, verily thou shalt be fed
  8. Psalm 37:4 Or, So shalt thou have thy delight in etc.
  9. Psalm 37:4 Hebrew petitions.
  10. Psalm 37:5 Hebrew Roll thy way upon Jehovah.
  11. Psalm 37:7 Or, Be still before (Hebrew silent to) Jehovah
  12. Psalm 37:9 Or, the earth (and so in verses 11, 22, 29, 34)
  13. Psalm 37:10 Or, it
  14. Psalm 37:20 Or, the excellency of the pastures
  15. Psalm 37:20 Or, like smoke
  16. Psalm 37:24 Or, upholdeth his hand
  17. Psalm 37:36 Or, Yet he passed away
  18. Psalm 38:1 Or, to make memorial
  19. Psalm 38:2 Hebrew lighted on me.
  20. Psalm 38:2 Hebrew lighted on me.
  21. Psalm 38:3 Or, rest
  22. Psalm 38:6 Hebrew bent.
  23. Psalm 38:8 Hebrew roared.
  24. Psalm 38:14 Or, arguments
  25. Psalm 38:19 Hebrew falsely.
  26. Psalm 39:1 62:title; 77:title; 1 Chr. 16:41; 25:1.
  27. Psalm 39:1 Hebrew a bridle (or muzzle) for my mouth.
  28. Psalm 39:2 Or, and had no comfort. Hebrew away from good.
  29. Psalm 39:5 Hebrew standing firm.
  30. Psalm 39:5 Hebrew a breath.
  31. Psalm 39:6 Or, as a shadow
  32. Psalm 39:6 Or, for vanity
  33. Psalm 39:10 Hebrew conflict.
  34. Psalm 39:11 Or, consumest like a moth his delights
  35. Psalm 39:11 Hebrew a breath.
  36. Psalm 39:13 Or, look away from me
  37. Psalm 39:13 Hebrew brighten up.
  38. Psalm 40:2 Hebrew a pit of tumult (or destruction).
  39. Psalm 40:4 Or, fall away treacherously
  40. Psalm 40:5 Or, There is none to be compared unto thee
  41. Psalm 40:6 Or, meal-offering
  42. Psalm 40:6 Hebrew Ears hast thou digged (or, pierced) for me.
  43. Psalm 40:7 Or, prescribed to
  44. Psalm 40:12 Hebrew forsaken.
  45. Psalm 40:15 Or, astonished
  46. Psalm 40:15 Or, for a reward of
  47. Psalm 41:1 Or, the weak
  48. Psalm 41:2 Or, in the land
  49. Psalm 41:3 Hebrew turnest, or, changest.
  50. Psalm 41:8 Or, Some wicked thing
  51. Psalm 41:8 Or, is poured out upon him

Psalm 36[a]

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.

I have a message from God in my heart
    concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:[b](A)
There is no fear(B) of God
    before their eyes.(C)

In their own eyes they flatter themselves
    too much to detect or hate their sin.(D)
The words of their mouths(E) are wicked and deceitful;(F)
    they fail to act wisely(G) or do good.(H)
Even on their beds they plot evil;(I)
    they commit themselves to a sinful course(J)
    and do not reject what is wrong.(K)

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
    your faithfulness(L) to the skies.(M)
Your righteousness(N) is like the highest mountains,(O)
    your justice like the great deep.(P)
    You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.(Q)
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!(R)
    People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.(S)
They feast on the abundance of your house;(T)
    you give them drink from your river(U) of delights.(V)
For with you is the fountain of life;(W)
    in your light(X) we see light.

10 Continue your love(Y) to those who know you,(Z)
    your righteousness to the upright in heart.(AA)
11 May the foot of the proud not come against me,
    nor the hand of the wicked(AB) drive me away.
12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—
    thrown down, not able to rise!(AC)

Psalm 37[c]

Of David.

Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious(AD) of those who do wrong;(AE)
for like the grass they will soon wither,(AF)
    like green plants they will soon die away.(AG)

Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land(AH) and enjoy safe pasture.(AI)
Take delight(AJ) in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.(AK)

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him(AL) and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward(AM) shine like the dawn,(AN)
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still(AO) before the Lord
    and wait patiently(AP) for him;
do not fret(AQ) when people succeed in their ways,(AR)
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.(AS)

Refrain from anger(AT) and turn from wrath;
    do not fret(AU)—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,(AV)
    but those who hope(AW) in the Lord will inherit the land.(AX)

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;(AY)
    though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land(AZ)
    and enjoy peace and prosperity.(BA)

12 The wicked plot(BB) against the righteous
    and gnash their teeth(BC) at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he knows their day is coming.(BD)

14 The wicked draw the sword(BE)
    and bend the bow(BF)
to bring down the poor and needy,(BG)
    to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,(BH)
    and their bows will be broken.(BI)

16 Better the little that the righteous have
    than the wealth(BJ) of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,(BK)
    but the Lord upholds(BL) the righteous.

18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,(BM)
    and their inheritance will endure forever.(BN)
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
    in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish:(BO)
    Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
    they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.(BP)

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
    but the righteous give generously;(BQ)
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
    but those he curses(BR) will be destroyed.(BS)

23 The Lord makes firm the steps(BT)
    of the one who delights(BU) in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,(BV)
    for the Lord upholds(BW) him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,
    yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken(BX)
    or their children begging(BY) bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;(BZ)
    their children will be a blessing.[d](CA)

27 Turn from evil and do good;(CB)
    then you will dwell in the land forever.(CC)
28 For the Lord loves the just
    and will not forsake his faithful ones.(CD)

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[e];
    the offspring of the wicked will perish.(CE)
29 The righteous will inherit the land(CF)
    and dwell in it forever.(CG)

30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,(CH)
    and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;(CI)
    their feet do not slip.(CJ)

32 The wicked lie in wait(CK) for the righteous,(CL)
    intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
    or let them be condemned(CM) when brought to trial.(CN)

34 Hope in the Lord(CO)
    and keep his way.(CP)
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
    when the wicked are destroyed,(CQ) you will see(CR) it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
    flourishing(CS) like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
    though I looked for him, he could not be found.(CT)

37 Consider the blameless,(CU) observe the upright;(CV)
    a future awaits those who seek peace.[f](CW)
38 But all sinners(CX) will be destroyed;(CY)
    there will be no future[g] for the wicked.(CZ)

39 The salvation(DA) of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.(DB)
40 The Lord helps(DC) them and delivers(DD) them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves(DE) them,
    because they take refuge(DF) in him.

Psalm 38[h]

A psalm of David. A petition.

Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
    or discipline me in your wrath.(DG)
Your arrows(DH) have pierced me,
    and your hand has come down on me.
Because of your wrath there is no health(DI) in my body;
    there is no soundness in my bones(DJ) because of my sin.
My guilt has overwhelmed(DK) me
    like a burden too heavy to bear.(DL)

My wounds(DM) fester and are loathsome(DN)
    because of my sinful folly.(DO)
I am bowed down(DP) and brought very low;
    all day long I go about mourning.(DQ)
My back is filled with searing pain;(DR)
    there is no health(DS) in my body.
I am feeble and utterly crushed;(DT)
    I groan(DU) in anguish of heart.(DV)

All my longings(DW) lie open before you, Lord;
    my sighing(DX) is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds,(DY) my strength fails(DZ) me;
    even the light has gone from my eyes.(EA)
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;(EB)
    my neighbors stay far away.
12 Those who want to kill me set their traps,(EC)
    those who would harm me talk of my ruin;(ED)
    all day long they scheme and lie.(EE)

13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,(EF)
    like the mute, who cannot speak;
14 I have become like one who does not hear,
    whose mouth can offer no reply.
15 Lord, I wait(EG) for you;
    you will answer,(EH) Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Do not let them gloat(EI)
    or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”(EJ)

17 For I am about to fall,(EK)
    and my pain(EL) is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity;(EM)
    I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many have become my enemies(EN) without cause[i];
    those who hate me(EO) without reason(EP) are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil(EQ)
    lodge accusations(ER) against me,
    though I seek only to do what is good.

21 Lord, do not forsake me;(ES)
    do not be far(ET) from me, my God.
22 Come quickly(EU) to help me,(EV)
    my Lord and my Savior.(EW)

Psalm 39[j]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

I said, “I will watch my ways(EX)
    and keep my tongue from sin;(EY)
I will put a muzzle on my mouth(EZ)
    while in the presence of the wicked.”
So I remained utterly silent,(FA)
    not even saying anything good.
But my anguish(FB) increased;
    my heart grew hot(FC) within me.
While I meditated,(FD) the fire(FE) burned;
    then I spoke with my tongue:

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end
    and the number of my days;(FF)
    let me know how fleeting(FG) my life is.(FH)
You have made my days(FI) a mere handbreadth;
    the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,(FJ)
    even those who seem secure.[k]

“Surely everyone goes around(FK) like a mere phantom;(FL)
    in vain they rush about,(FM) heaping up wealth(FN)
    without knowing whose it will finally be.(FO)

“But now, Lord, what do I look for?
    My hope is in you.(FP)
Save me(FQ) from all my transgressions;(FR)
    do not make me the scorn(FS) of fools.
I was silent;(FT) I would not open my mouth,(FU)
    for you are the one who has done this.(FV)
10 Remove your scourge from me;
    I am overcome by the blow(FW) of your hand.(FX)
11 When you rebuke(FY) and discipline(FZ) anyone for their sin,
    you consume(GA) their wealth like a moth(GB)
    surely everyone is but a breath.(GC)

12 “Hear my prayer, Lord,
    listen to my cry for help;(GD)
    do not be deaf(GE) to my weeping.(GF)
I dwell with you as a foreigner,(GG)
    a stranger,(GH) as all my ancestors were.(GI)
13 Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again
    before I depart and am no more.”(GJ)

Psalm 40[l](GK)

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

I waited patiently(GL) for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.(GM)
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,(GN)
    out of the mud(GO) and mire;(GP)
he set my feet(GQ) on a rock(GR)
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song(GS) in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord(GT)
    and put their trust(GU) in him.

Blessed is the one(GV)
    who trusts in the Lord,(GW)
who does not look to the proud,(GX)
    to those who turn aside to false gods.[m](GY)
Many, Lord my God,
    are the wonders(GZ) you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
None can compare(HA) with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many(HB) to declare.

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—(HC)
    but my ears you have opened[n](HD)
    burnt offerings(HE) and sin offerings[o] you did not require.
Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
    it is written about me in the scroll.[p](HF)
I desire to do your will,(HG) my God;(HH)
    your law is within my heart.”(HI)

I proclaim your saving acts(HJ) in the great assembly;(HK)
    I do not seal my lips, Lord,
    as you know.(HL)
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
    I speak of your faithfulness(HM) and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
    from the great assembly.(HN)

11 Do not withhold your mercy(HO) from me, Lord;
    may your love(HP) and faithfulness(HQ) always protect(HR) me.
12 For troubles(HS) without number surround me;
    my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.(HT)
They are more than the hairs of my head,(HU)
    and my heart fails(HV) within me.
13 Be pleased to save me, Lord;
    come quickly, Lord, to help me.(HW)

14 May all who want to take my life(HX)
    be put to shame and confusion;(HY)
may all who desire my ruin(HZ)
    be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”(IA)
    be appalled at their own shame.
16 But may all who seek you(IB)
    rejoice and be glad(IC) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
    “The Lord is great!”(ID)

17 But as for me, I am poor and needy;(IE)
    may the Lord think(IF) of me.
You are my help(IG) and my deliverer;(IH)
    you are my God, do not delay.(II)

Psalm 41[q]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Blessed(IJ) are those who have regard for the weak;(IK)
    the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.(IL)
The Lord protects(IM) and preserves them—(IN)
    they are counted among the blessed in the land—(IO)
    he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.(IP)
The Lord sustains them on their sickbed(IQ)
    and restores them from their bed of illness.(IR)

I said, “Have mercy(IS) on me, Lord;
    heal(IT) me, for I have sinned(IU) against you.”
My enemies say of me in malice,
    “When will he die and his name perish?(IV)
When one of them comes to see me,
    he speaks falsely,(IW) while his heart gathers slander;(IX)
    then he goes out and spreads(IY) it around.

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

10 But may you have mercy(JD) on me, Lord;
    raise me up,(JE) that I may repay(JF) them.
11 I know that you are pleased with me,(JG)
    for my enemy does not triumph over me.(JH)
12 Because of my integrity(JI) you uphold me(JJ)
    and set me in your presence forever.(JK)

13 Praise(JL) be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(JM)
    from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.(JN)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 36:1 In Hebrew texts 36:1-12 is numbered 36:2-13.
  2. Psalm 36:1 Or A message from God: The transgression of the wicked / resides in their hearts.
  3. Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  4. Psalm 37:26 Or freely; / the names of their children will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or freely; / others will see that their children are blessed
  5. Psalm 37:28 See Septuagint; Hebrew They will be protected forever
  6. Psalm 37:37 Or upright; / those who seek peace will have posterity
  7. Psalm 37:38 Or posterity
  8. Psalm 38:1 In Hebrew texts 38:1-22 is numbered 38:2-23.
  9. Psalm 38:19 One Dead Sea Scrolls manuscript; Masoretic Text my vigorous enemies
  10. Psalm 39:1 In Hebrew texts 39:1-13 is numbered 39:2-14.
  11. Psalm 39:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 11.
  12. Psalm 40:1 In Hebrew texts 40:1-17 is numbered 40:2-18.
  13. Psalm 40:4 Or to lies
  14. Psalm 40:6 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts but a body you have prepared for me
  15. Psalm 40:6 Or purification offerings
  16. Psalm 40:7 Or come / with the scroll written for me
  17. Psalm 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-13 is numbered 41:2-14.
  18. Psalm 41:9 Hebrew has lifted up his heel