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.

Yahweh is pleased with those people who help to provide for the poor; he will rescue those people when they have troubles.

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.

Yahweh protects them and allows them to live [for a long time]. He enables them to be happy in the land [of Israel], and rescues them from their enemies.

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

When they are sick, Yahweh strengthens them, and he heals them.

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

[When I was sick], I said, “Yahweh, be merciful to me and heal me; [I know that I am sick because] I have sinned against you.”

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

My enemies say cruel things about me; they say, “How soon will he die, and then everyone will forget about him [MTY]? (OR, he will not have [any descendants to continue] his name).”

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

When my enemies come to me, they falsely say that they [are concerned about me]. They listen to bad news about (me/my health). Then they go away and tell everywhere what is happening to me.

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

All those who hate me whisper to others about me, and they hope/desire that very bad things will happen to me.

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

They say, “He will soon die because of his being sick; he will never get up from his bed [before he dies].”

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

Even my best friend, whom I trusted very much, who [often] ate with me, has (betrayed me/put me into my enemies’ hands) [IDM].

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

But Yahweh, be merciful to me, and enable me to become healthy [again]. When you do that, I will be able to (pay back my enemies/get revenge on my enemies/cause my enemies to suffer like they caused me to suffer).

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

[If you enable me to] do that, with the result that my enemies do not defeat me, I will know that you are pleased with me.

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

[I will know that] it is because I have done what is right that you have helped me, and [I will know that] you will let me be with you forever.

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

Praise Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship]; Praise him forever! Amen! I desire that it will be so!