O Lord, Be Gracious to Me

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

41 (A)Blessed is the one who considers the poor![a]
    (B)In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;
the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;
    he is called blessed in the land;
    you (C)do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;
    in his illness you restore him to full health.[b]

As for me, I said, “O Lord, (D)be gracious to me;
    (E)heal me,[c] for I have sinned against you!”
My enemies say of me in malice,
    “When will he die, and his name perish?”
And when one comes to see me, (F)he utters empty words,
    while his heart gathers iniquity;
    when he goes out, he tells it abroad.
All who hate me whisper together about me;
    they imagine the worst for me.[d]

They say, “A deadly thing is poured out[e] on him;
    he will not rise again from where he lies.”
Even my (G)close friend in whom I trusted,
    who (H)ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
10 But you, O Lord, be gracious to me,
    and raise me up, that I may repay them!

11 By this I know that (I)you delight in me:
    my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.
12 But (J)you have upheld me because of (K)my integrity,
    and (L)set me in your presence (M)forever.

13 (N)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 41:1 Or weak
  2. Psalm 41:3 Hebrew you turn all his bed
  3. Psalm 41:4 Hebrew my soul
  4. Psalm 41:7 Or they devise evil against me
  5. Psalm 41:8 Or has fastened

Assurance of God’s Help and a Plea for Healing

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

41 Blessed is he who considers the poor![a]
    The Lord delivers him in the day of trouble;
the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;
    he is called blessed in the land;
    thou dost not give him up to the will of his enemies.
The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;
    in his illness thou healest all his infirmities.[b]

As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;
    heal me, for I have sinned against thee!”
My enemies say of me in malice:
    “When will he die, and his name perish?”
And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words,
    while his heart gathers mischief;
    when he goes out, he tells it abroad.
All who hate me whisper together about me;
    they imagine the worst for me.

They say, “A deadly thing has fastened upon him;
    he will not rise again from where he lies.”
Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted,
    who ate of my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
10 But do thou, O Lord, be gracious to me,
    and raise me up, that I may requite them!

11 By this I know that thou art pleased with me,
    in that my enemy has not triumphed over me.
12 But thou hast upheld me because of my integrity,
    and set me in thy presence for ever.

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

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 41:1 Or weak
  2. Psalm 41:3 Heb thou changest all his bed