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Psalm 39

For the music leader. To Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

39 I promised I would watch my steps
    so as not to sin with my tongue;
    promised to keep my mouth shut
    as long as the wicked were in my presence.
So I was completely quiet, silent.
    I kept my peace, but it did no good.
    My pain got worse.
My heart got hot inside me;
    while stewing over it, the fire burned.
Then I spoke out with my tongue:
    “Let me know my end, Lord.
    How many days do I have left?
    I want to know how brief my time is.”
You’ve made my days so short;
    my lifetime is like nothing in your eyes.
        Yes, a human life is nothing but a puff of air! Selah

Yes, people wander around like shadows;
    yes, they hustle and bustle, but pointlessly;
        they don’t even know who will get the wealth they’ve amassed.
So now, Lord, what should I be waiting for?
        My hope is set on you.
Deliver me from all my sins;
    don’t make me some foolish person’s joke.
I am completely silent; I won’t open my mouth
    because you have acted.
10 Get this plague of yours off me!
    I’m being destroyed by the blows from your fist.
11 You discipline people for their sin, punishing them;
    like a moth, you ruin what they treasure.
        Yes, a human life is just a puff of air! Selah

12 Hear my prayer, Lord!
    Listen closely to my cry for help!
Please don’t ignore my tears!
    I’m just a foreigner—
        an immigrant staying with you,
        just like all my ancestors were.
13 Look away from me
    so I can be happy again
    before I pass away and am gone.

Psalm 40

For the music leader. Of David. A psalm.

40 I put all my hope in the Lord.
    He leaned down to me;
    he listened to my cry for help.
He lifted me out of the pit of death,
    out of the mud and filth,
    and set my feet on solid rock.
        He steadied my legs.
He put a new song in my mouth,
    a song of praise for our God.
Many people will learn of this and be amazed;
    they will trust the Lord.
Those who put their trust in the Lord,
    who pay no attention to the proud
    or to those who follow lies,
    are truly happy!

You, Lord my God!
    You’ve done so many things—
    your wonderful deeds and your plans for us—
        no one can compare with you!
    If I were to proclaim and talk about all of them,
        they would be too numerous to count!
You don’t relish sacrifices or offerings;
    you don’t require entirely burned offerings or compensation offerings—
    but you have given me ears!
So I said, “Here I come!
    I’m inscribed in the written scroll.
    I want to do your will, my God.
    Your Instruction is deep within me.”
I’ve told the good news of your righteousness
    in the great assembly.
    I didn’t hold anything back—
        as you well know, Lord!
10 I didn’t keep your righteousness only to myself.
    I declared your faithfulness and your salvation.
I didn’t hide your loyal love and trustworthiness
    from the great assembly.

11 So now you, Lord
    don’t hold back any of your compassion from me.
Let your loyal love and faithfulness always protect me,
12     because countless evils surround me.
My wrongdoings have caught up with me—
    I can’t see a thing!
There’s more of them than hairs on my head—
    my courage leaves me.
13 Favor me, Lord, and deliver me!
    Lord, come quickly and help me!
14 Let those who seek my life, who want me dead,
    be disgraced and put to shame.
Let those who want to do me harm
    be thoroughly frustrated and humiliated.
15 Let those who say to me, “Yes! Oh, yes!”[a]
    be destroyed by their shame.
16 But let all who seek you
    celebrate and rejoice in you.
Let those who love your salvation always say,
    “The Lord is great!”
17 But me? I’m weak and needy.
    Let my Lord think of me.
You are my help and my rescuer.
    My God, don’t wait any longer!

Psalm 41

For the music leader. A psalm of David.

41 Those who pay close attention to the poor are truly happy!
    The Lord rescues them during troubling times.
The Lord protects them and keeps them alive;
    they are widely regarded throughout the land as happy people.
    You[b] won’t hand them over to the will of their enemies.
The Lord will strengthen them when they are lying in bed, sick.
    You will completely transform the place where they lie ill.

But me? I said, “Lord, have mercy on me!
    Heal me because I have sinned against you.”
My enemies speak maliciously about me:
    “When will he die and his name disappear?”
Whenever they come to visit, they say nothing of value.
    Their hearts collect evil gossip;
    once they leave, they tell it to everybody.
All of those who hate me talk about me, whispering to each other,
    plotting evil against me:
“Some horrible thing has been poured into him;
    the next time he lies down, he won’t get up.”
Even my good friend,
    the one I trusted,
    who shared my food,
    has kicked me with his heel—a betrayer!
10 But you, Lord, please have mercy on me and lift me up
    so I can pay them back!
11 Then I’ll know you are pleased with me
    because my enemy won’t be shouting in triumph over me.
12 You support me in my integrity;
    you put me in your presence forever.

13 Bless the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from forever to forever!
        Amen and Amen!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 40:15 See Ps 35:21, 25.
  2. Psalm 41:2 LXX, Syr; Vulg God won’t

Psalm 39[a]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

I said, “I will watch my ways(A)
    and keep my tongue from sin;(B)
I will put a muzzle on my mouth(C)
    while in the presence of the wicked.”
So I remained utterly silent,(D)
    not even saying anything good.
But my anguish(E) increased;
    my heart grew hot(F) within me.
While I meditated,(G) the fire(H) burned;
    then I spoke with my tongue:

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end
    and the number of my days;(I)
    let me know how fleeting(J) my life is.(K)
You have made my days(L) a mere handbreadth;
    the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,(M)
    even those who seem secure.[b]

“Surely everyone goes around(N) like a mere phantom;(O)
    in vain they rush about,(P) heaping up wealth(Q)
    without knowing whose it will finally be.(R)

“But now, Lord, what do I look for?
    My hope is in you.(S)
Save me(T) from all my transgressions;(U)
    do not make me the scorn(V) of fools.
I was silent;(W) I would not open my mouth,(X)
    for you are the one who has done this.(Y)
10 Remove your scourge from me;
    I am overcome by the blow(Z) of your hand.(AA)
11 When you rebuke(AB) and discipline(AC) anyone for their sin,
    you consume(AD) their wealth like a moth(AE)
    surely everyone is but a breath.(AF)

12 “Hear my prayer, Lord,
    listen to my cry for help;(AG)
    do not be deaf(AH) to my weeping.(AI)
I dwell with you as a foreigner,(AJ)
    a stranger,(AK) as all my ancestors were.(AL)
13 Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again
    before I depart and am no more.”(AM)

Psalm 40[c](AN)

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

I waited patiently(AO) for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.(AP)
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,(AQ)
    out of the mud(AR) and mire;(AS)
he set my feet(AT) on a rock(AU)
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song(AV) in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord(AW)
    and put their trust(AX) in him.

Blessed is the one(AY)
    who trusts in the Lord,(AZ)
who does not look to the proud,(BA)
    to those who turn aside to false gods.[d](BB)
Many, Lord my God,
    are the wonders(BC) you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
None can compare(BD) with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many(BE) to declare.

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—(BF)
    but my ears you have opened[e](BG)
    burnt offerings(BH) and sin offerings[f] you did not require.
Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
    it is written about me in the scroll.[g](BI)
I desire to do your will,(BJ) my God;(BK)
    your law is within my heart.”(BL)

I proclaim your saving acts(BM) in the great assembly;(BN)
    I do not seal my lips, Lord,
    as you know.(BO)
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
    I speak of your faithfulness(BP) and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
    from the great assembly.(BQ)

11 Do not withhold your mercy(BR) from me, Lord;
    may your love(BS) and faithfulness(BT) always protect(BU) me.
12 For troubles(BV) without number surround me;
    my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.(BW)
They are more than the hairs of my head,(BX)
    and my heart fails(BY) within me.
13 Be pleased to save me, Lord;
    come quickly, Lord, to help me.(BZ)

14 May all who want to take my life(CA)
    be put to shame and confusion;(CB)
may all who desire my ruin(CC)
    be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”(CD)
    be appalled at their own shame.
16 But may all who seek you(CE)
    rejoice and be glad(CF) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
    “The Lord is great!”(CG)

17 But as for me, I am poor and needy;(CH)
    may the Lord think(CI) of me.
You are my help(CJ) and my deliverer;(CK)
    you are my God, do not delay.(CL)

Psalm 41[h]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Blessed(CM) are those who have regard for the weak;(CN)
    the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.(CO)
The Lord protects(CP) and preserves them—(CQ)
    they are counted among the blessed in the land—(CR)
    he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.(CS)
The Lord sustains them on their sickbed(CT)
    and restores them from their bed of illness.(CU)

I said, “Have mercy(CV) on me, Lord;
    heal(CW) me, for I have sinned(CX) against you.”
My enemies say of me in malice,
    “When will he die and his name perish?(CY)
When one of them comes to see me,
    he speaks falsely,(CZ) while his heart gathers slander;(DA)
    then he goes out and spreads(DB) it around.

All my enemies whisper together(DC) against me;
    they imagine the worst for me, saying,
“A vile disease has afflicted him;
    he will never get up(DD) from the place where he lies.”
Even my close friend,(DE)
    someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
    has turned[i] against me.(DF)

10 But may you have mercy(DG) on me, Lord;
    raise me up,(DH) that I may repay(DI) them.
11 I know that you are pleased with me,(DJ)
    for my enemy does not triumph over me.(DK)
12 Because of my integrity(DL) you uphold me(DM)
    and set me in your presence forever.(DN)

13 Praise(DO) be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(DP)
    from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.(DQ)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 39:1 In Hebrew texts 39:1-13 is numbered 39:2-14.
  2. Psalm 39:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 11.
  3. Psalm 40:1 In Hebrew texts 40:1-17 is numbered 40:2-18.
  4. Psalm 40:4 Or to lies
  5. Psalm 40:6 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts but a body you have prepared for me
  6. Psalm 40:6 Or purification offerings
  7. Psalm 40:7 Or come / with the scroll written for me
  8. Psalm 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-13 is numbered 41:2-14.
  9. Psalm 41:9 Hebrew has lifted up his heel