Psalm 40-45
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.
A Prayer in Times of Trouble
1 Show that I am right, God!
Defend me against everyone
who doesn't know you;
rescue me from each
of those deceitful liars.
2 I run to you for protection.
Why do you turn me away?
Why must enemies mistreat me
and make me sad?
3 Send your light and your truth
to guide me.
Let them lead me to your house
on your sacred mountain.
4 Then I will worship
at your altar because you
make me joyful.
You are my God,
and I will praise you.
Yes, I will praise you
as I play my harp.
5 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.
(A special psalm by the clan of Korah and for the music leader.)
A Prayer for Help
1 Our God, our ancestors told us
what wonders you worked
and we listened carefully.
2 You chased off the nations
by causing them trouble
with your powerful arm.
Then you let our ancestors
take over their land.
3 Their strength and weapons
were not what won the land
and gave them victory!
You loved them and fought
with your powerful arm
and your shining glory.
4 You are my God and King,
and you give victory[d]
to the people of Jacob.
5 By your great power,
we knocked our enemies down
and trampled on them.
6 I don't depend on my arrows
or my sword to save me.
7 But you saved us
from our hateful enemies,
and you put them to shame.
8 We boast about you, our God,
and we are always grateful.
9 But now you have rejected us;
you don't lead us into battle,
and we look foolish.
10 You made us retreat,
and our enemies have taken
everything we own.
11 You let us be slaughtered
like sheep,
and you scattered us
among the nations.
12 You sold your people
for little or nothing,
and you earned no profit.
13 You made us look foolish
to our neighbors;
people who live nearby
insult us and sneer.
14 Foreigners joke about us
and shake their heads.
15 I am embarrassed every day,
and I blush with shame.
16 But others mock and sneer,
as they watch my enemies
take revenge on me.
17 All this happened to us,
though we didn't forget you
or break our agreement.
18 We always kept you in mind
and followed your teaching.
19 But you crushed us,
and you covered us
with deepest darkness
where wild animals live.
20 We did not forget you
or lift our hands in prayer
to foreign gods.
21 You would have known it
because you discover
every secret thought.
22 (D) We face death all day for you.
We are like sheep on their way
to be slaughtered.
23 Wake up! Do something, Lord!
Why are you sleeping?
Don't desert us forever.
24 Why do you keep looking away?
Don't forget our sufferings
and all our troubles.
25 We are flat on the ground,
holding on to the dust.
26 Do something! Help us!
Show how kind you are
and come to our rescue.
(A special psalm by the clan of Korah and for the music leader. To the tune “Lilies.” A love song.)
For a Royal Wedding
1 My thoughts are filled
with beautiful words
for the king,
and I will use my voice
as a writer would use
pen and ink.
2 No one is as handsome as you!
Your words are always kind.
That is why God
will always bless you.
3 Mighty king, glorious ruler,
strap on your sword
4 and ride out in splendor!
Win victories for truth
and mercy and justice.
Do fearsome things
with your powerful arm.
5 Send your sharp arrows
through enemy hearts
and make all nations fall
at your feet.
6 (E) You are God, and you will rule
forever as king.[e]
Your royal power
brings about justice.
7 You love justice and hate evil.
And so, your God chose you
and made you happier
than any of your friends.
8 The sweet aroma of the spices
myrrh, aloes, and cassia
covers your royal robes.
You enjoy the music of harps
in palaces decorated
with ivory.
9 Daughters of kings are here,
and your bride stands
at your right side,
wearing a wedding gown
trimmed with pure gold.[f]
10 Bride of the king,
listen carefully to me.
Forget your own people
and your father's family. 11 The king adores you.
He is your master,
so do what he desires.
12 All of the richest people
from the city of Tyre
will try to influence you
13 with precious treasures.
Your bride, my king,
has inward beauty,[g]
and her wedding gown is woven
with threads of gold.
14 Wearing the finest garments,
she is brought to you,
followed by her young friends,
the bridesmaids.
15 Everyone is excited,
as they follow you
to the royal palace.
16 Your sons and your grandsons
will also be kings
as your ancestors were.
You will make them rulers
everywhere on earth.
17 I will make your name famous
from now on,
and you will be praised
forever and ever.
Footnotes
- 42.4 leading … house: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 42.6 Mount Mizar: The location is not known.
- 42.9 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.
- 44.4 and … victory: One ancient translation; Hebrew “please give victory.”
- 45.6 You … king: Or “God has made you king, and you will rule forever.”
- 45.9 trimmed with pure gold: Hebrew has “with gold from Ophir,” which may have been in Africa or India. Gold from there was considered the very best.
- 45.13 has inward beauty: Or “is dressed in her room.”
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