Font Size
Psalm 40-42
Contemporary English Version
Psalm 40-42
Contemporary English Version
(A psalm by David for the music leader.)
A Prayer for Help
1 I patiently waited, Lord,
for you to hear my prayer.
You listened 2 and pulled me
from a lonely pit
full of mud and mire.
You let me stand on a rock
with my feet firm,
3 and you gave me a new song,
a song of praise to you.
Many will see this,
and they will honor and trust
you, the Lord God.
4 You bless all of those
who trust you, Lord,
and refuse to worship idols
or follow false gods.
5 You, Lord God, have done
many wonderful things,
and you have planned
marvelous things for us.
No one is like you!
I would never be able to tell
all you have done.
6 (A) Sacrifices and offerings
are not what please you;
gifts and payment for sin
are not what you demand.
But you made me willing
to listen and obey.
7 And so, I said, “I am here
to do what is written
about me in the book,
where it says,
8 ‘I enjoy pleasing you.
Your Law is in my heart.’ ”
9 When your people worshiped,
you know I told them,
“Our Lord always helps!”
10 When all your people met,
I did not keep silent.
I said, “Our Lord is kind.
He is faithful and caring,
and he saves us.”
11 You, Lord, never fail
to have pity on me;
your love and faithfulness
always keep me secure.
12 I have more troubles
than I can count.
My sins are all around me,
and I can't find my way.
My sins outnumber
the hairs on my head,
and I feel weak.
13 Please show that you care
and come to my rescue.
Hurry and help me!
14 Disgrace and confuse
all who want me dead;
turn away and disgrace
all who want to hurt me.
15 Embarrass and shame
everyone who says,
“Just look at you now!”
16 Our Lord, let your worshipers
rejoice and be glad.
They love you for saving them,
so let them always say,
“The Lord is wonderful!”
17 I am poor and needy,
but, Lord God,
you care about me,
and you come to my rescue.
Please hurry and help.
(A psalm by David for the music leader.)
A Prayer in Time of Sickness
1 You, Lord God, bless everyone
who cares for the poor,
and you rescue those people
in times of trouble.
2 You protect them
and keep them alive.
You make them happy here
in this land,
and you don't hand them over
to their enemies.
3 You always heal them
and restore their strength
when they are sick.
4 I prayed, “Have pity, Lord!
Heal me, though I have sinned
against you.”
5 My vicious enemies ask me,
“When will you die
and be forgotten?”
6 When visitors come,
all they ever bring
are worthless words,
and when they leave,
they spread gossip.
7 My enemies whisper about me.
They think the worst,
8 and they say,
“You have some fatal disease!
You'll never get well.”
9 (B) My most trusted friend
has turned against me,
though he ate at my table.
10 Have pity, Lord! Heal me,
so I can pay them back.
11 Then my enemies
won't defeat me,
and I will know
that you really care.
12 You have helped me
because I am innocent,
and you will always
be close to my side.
13 (C) You, the Lord God of Israel,
will be praised forever!
Amen and amen.
BOOK II
(Psalms 42–72)
(A special psalm by the clan of Korah and for the music leader.)
Longing for God
1 As a deer gets thirsty
for streams of water,
I truly am thirsty
for you, my God.
2 In my heart, I am thirsty
for you, the living God.
When will I see your face?
3 Day and night my tears
are my only food,
as everyone keeps asking,
“Where is your God?”
4 Sorrow floods my heart,
when I remember
leading the worshipers
to your house.[a]
I can still hear them shout
their joyful praises.
5 Why am I discouraged?
Why am I restless?
I should trust you, Lord.
I will praise you again
because you help me,
6 and you are my God.
I am deeply discouraged,
and so I think about you
here where the Jordan begins
at Mount Hermon
and at Mount Mizar.[b]
7 Your vicious waves
have swept over me
like an angry ocean
or a roaring waterfall.
8 Every day, you are kind,
and at night
you give me a song
as my prayer to you,
the God of my life.
9 You are my mighty rock.[c]
Why have you forgotten me?
Why must enemies mistreat me
and make me sad?
10 Even my bones are in pain,
while all day long
my enemies sneer and ask,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why am I discouraged?
Why am I restless?
I trust you, Lord!
And I will praise you again
because you help me,
and you are my God.
Psalm 40-42
New International Version
Psalm 40-42
New International Version
Psalm 40[a](A)
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 I waited patiently(B) for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.(C)
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,(D)
out of the mud(E) and mire;(F)
he set my feet(G) on a rock(H)
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song(I) in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord(J)
and put their trust(K) in him.
4 Blessed is the one(L)
who trusts in the Lord,(M)
who does not look to the proud,(N)
to those who turn aside to false gods.[b](O)
5 Many, Lord my God,
are the wonders(P) you have done,
the things you planned for us.
None can compare(Q) with you;
were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
they would be too many(R) to declare.
6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—(S)
but my ears you have opened[c]—(T)
burnt offerings(U) and sin offerings[d] you did not require.
7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
it is written about me in the scroll.[e](V)
8 I desire to do your will,(W) my God;(X)
your law is within my heart.”(Y)
9 I proclaim your saving acts(Z) in the great assembly;(AA)
I do not seal my lips, Lord,
as you know.(AB)
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness(AC) and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
from the great assembly.(AD)
11 Do not withhold your mercy(AE) from me, Lord;
may your love(AF) and faithfulness(AG) always protect(AH) me.
12 For troubles(AI) without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.(AJ)
They are more than the hairs of my head,(AK)
and my heart fails(AL) within me.
13 Be pleased to save me, Lord;
come quickly, Lord, to help me.(AM)
14 May all who want to take my life(AN)
be put to shame and confusion;(AO)
may all who desire my ruin(AP)
be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”(AQ)
be appalled at their own shame.
16 But may all who seek you(AR)
rejoice and be glad(AS) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
“The Lord is great!”(AT)
17 But as for me, I am poor and needy;(AU)
may the Lord think(AV) of me.
You are my help(AW) and my deliverer;(AX)
you are my God, do not delay.(AY)
Psalm 41[f]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Blessed(AZ) are those who have regard for the weak;(BA)
the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.(BB)
2 The Lord protects(BC) and preserves them—(BD)
they are counted among the blessed in the land—(BE)
he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.(BF)
3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed(BG)
and restores them from their bed of illness.(BH)
4 I said, “Have mercy(BI) on me, Lord;
heal(BJ) me, for I have sinned(BK) against you.”
5 My enemies say of me in malice,
“When will he die and his name perish?(BL)”
6 When one of them comes to see me,
he speaks falsely,(BM) while his heart gathers slander;(BN)
then he goes out and spreads(BO) it around.
7 All my enemies whisper together(BP) against me;
they imagine the worst for me, saying,
8 “A vile disease has afflicted him;
he will never get up(BQ) from the place where he lies.”
9 Even my close friend,(BR)
someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
has turned[g] against me.(BS)
10 But may you have mercy(BT) on me, Lord;
raise me up,(BU) that I may repay(BV) them.
11 I know that you are pleased with me,(BW)
for my enemy does not triumph over me.(BX)
12 Because of my integrity(BY) you uphold me(BZ)
and set me in your presence forever.(CA)
13 Praise(CB) be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(CC)
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.(CD)
BOOK II
Psalms 42–72
Psalm 42[h][i]
For the director of music. A maskil[j] of the Sons of Korah.
1 As the deer(CE) pants for streams of water,(CF)
so my soul pants(CG) for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts(CH) for God, for the living God.(CI)
When can I go(CJ) and meet with God?
3 My tears(CK) have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”(CL)
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:(CM)
how I used to go to the house of God(CN)
under the protection of the Mighty One[k]
with shouts of joy(CO) and praise(CP)
among the festive throng.(CQ)
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?(CR)
Why so disturbed(CS) within me?
Put your hope in God,(CT)
for I will yet praise(CU) him,
my Savior(CV) and my God.(CW)
6 My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember(CX) you
from the land of the Jordan,(CY)
the heights of Hermon(CZ)—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep(DA)
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.(DB)
8 By day the Lord directs his love,(DC)
at night(DD) his song(DE) is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.(DF)
9 I say to God my Rock,(DG)
“Why have you forgotten(DH) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(DI)
oppressed(DJ) by the enemy?”(DK)
10 My bones suffer mortal agony(DL)
as my foes taunt(DM) me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”(DN)
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.(DO)
Footnotes
- Psalm 40:1 In Hebrew texts 40:1-17 is numbered 40:2-18.
- Psalm 40:4 Or to lies
- Psalm 40:6 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts but a body you have prepared for me
- Psalm 40:6 Or purification offerings
- Psalm 40:7 Or come / with the scroll written for me
- Psalm 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-13 is numbered 41:2-14.
- Psalm 41:9 Hebrew has lifted up his heel
- Psalm 42:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
- Psalm 42:1 In Hebrew texts 42:1-11 is numbered 42:2-12.
- Psalm 42:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 42:4 See Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.