Psalms 41

1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. Blessed is he who considers the poor. The LORD will deliver him in the day of evil.

To the chief music-maker. A Psalm. Of David. Happy is the man who gives thought to the poor; the Lord will be his saviour in the time of trouble.

2 The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive. He shall be blessed on the earth, and he will not surrender him to the will of his enemies.

The Lord will keep him safe, and give him life; the Lord will let him be a blessing on the earth, and will not give him into the hand of his haters.

3 The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed, and restore him from his bed of illness.

The Lord will be his support on his bed of pain: by you will all his grief be turned to strength.

4 I said, “LORD, have mercy on me! Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

I said, Lord, have mercy on me; make my soul well, because my faith is in you.

5 My enemies speak evil against me: “When will he die, and his name perish?”

My haters say evil against me, When will he be dead, and his name come to an end?

6 If he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood. His heart gathers iniquity to itself. When he goes abroad, he tells it.

If one comes to see me, deceit is in his heart; he keeps a store of evil, which he makes public in every place.

7 All who hate me whisper together against me. They imagine the worst for me.

All my haters are talking secretly together against me; they are designing my downfall.

8 “An evil disease”, they say, “has afflicted him. Now that he lies he shall rise up no more.”

They say, He has an evil disease, which will not let him go: and now that he is down he will not get up again.

9 Yes, my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who ate bread with me, has lifted up his heel against me.

Even my dearest friend, in whom I had faith, who took bread with me, is turned against me.

10 But you, LORD, have mercy on me, and raise me up, that I may repay them.

But you, O Lord, have mercy on me, lifting me up, so that I may give them their punishment.

11 By this I know that you delight in me, because my enemy doesn’t triumph over me.

By this I see that you have pleasure in me, because my hater does not overcome me.

12 As for me, you uphold me in my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.

And as for me, you are my support in my righteousness, giving me a place before your face for ever.

13 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting! Amen and amen.

May the Lord God of Israel be praised, through eternal days and for ever. So be it. So be it.