Add parallel Print Page Options

For the choir director; a psalm by David.

41 Blessed is the one who has concern for helpless people.
The Lord will rescue him in times of trouble.
The Lord will protect him and keep him alive.
He will be blessed in the land.
Do not place him at the mercy of his enemies.
The Lord will support him on his sickbed.
You will restore this person to health when he is ill.

I said, “O Lord, have pity on me!
Heal my soul because I have sinned against you.”
My enemies say terrible things about me:
“When will he die, and when will his family name disappear?”
When one of them comes to visit me, he speaks foolishly.
His heart collects gossip.
⌞Then⌟ he leaves to tell others.
Everyone who hates me whispers about me.
They think evil things about me and say,
“A devilish disease has attached itself to him.
He will never leave his sickbed.”
Even my closest friend whom I trusted,
the one who ate my bread,
has lifted his heel against me.
10 Have pity on me, O Lord!
Raise me up so that I can pay them back
11 and my enemy cannot shout in triumph over me.
When you do this, I know that you are pleased with me.
12 You defend my integrity,
and you set me in your presence forever.

13 Thank the Lord God of Israel through all eternity!
Amen and amen!

BOOK TWO

(Psalms 42–72)

For the choir director; a maskil [a] by Korah’s descendants.

42 As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When may I come to see God’s face?
My tears are my food day and night.
People ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”
I will remember these things as I pour out my soul:
how I used to walk with the crowd
and lead it in a procession to God’s house.
⌞I sang⌟ songs of joy and thanksgiving
while crowds of people celebrated a festival.

Why are you discouraged, my soul?
Why are you so restless?
Put your hope in God,
because I will still praise him.
He is my savior and my God.

My soul is discouraged.
That is why I will remember you
in the land of Jordan, on the peaks of Hermon, on Mount Mizar.
One deep sea calls to another at the roar of your waterspouts.
All the whitecaps on your waves have swept over me.
The Lord commands his mercy during the day,
and at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
I will ask God, my rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk around in mourning
while the enemy oppresses me?”
10 With a shattering blow to my bones,
my enemies taunt me.
They ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”

11 Why are you discouraged, my soul?
Why are you so restless?
Put your hope in God,
because I will still praise him.
He is my savior and my God.

Footnotes

  1. 42:0 Unknown musical term.

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)

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.