Psalm 41

1  BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) is he who considers the weak and the poor; the Lord will deliver him in the time of evil and trouble.2  The Lord will protect him and keep him alive; he shall be called blessed in the land; and You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.3  The Lord will sustain, refresh, and strengthen him on his bed of languishing; all his bed You [O Lord] will turn, change, and transform in his illness.4  I said, Lord, be merciful and gracious to me; heal my inner self, for I have sinned against You.5  My enemies speak evil of me, [saying], When will he die and his name perish?6  And when one comes to see me, he speaks falsehood and empty words, while his heart gathers mischievous gossip [against me]; when he goes away, he tells it abroad.7  All who hate me whisper together about me; against me do they devise my hurt [imagining the worst for me].8  An evil disease, say they, is poured out upon him and cleaves fast to him; and now that he is bedfast, he will not rise up again.9  Even my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted (relied on and was confident), who ate of my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. 10  But You, O Lord, be merciful and gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.11  By this I know that You favor and delight in me, because my enemy does not triumph over me.12  And as for me, You have upheld me in my integrity and set me in Your presence forever.13  Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting [from this age to the next, and forever]! Amen and Amen (so be it).

Psalm 41

For the music director; a psalm of David.

1 How blessed is the one who treats the poor properly!
When trouble comes, the Lord delivers him.

2 May the Lord protect him and save his life!
May he be blessed in the land!
Do not turn him over to his enemies!

3 The Lord supports him on his sickbed;
you completely heal him from his illness.

4 As for me, I said:
“O Lord, have mercy on me!
Heal me, for I have sinned against you!

5 My enemies ask this cruel question about me,
‘When will he finally die and be forgotten?’

6 When someone comes to visit, he pretends to be friendly;
he thinks of ways to defame me,
and when he leaves he slanders me.

7 All who hate me whisper insults about me to one another;
they plan ways to harm me.

8 They say,
‘An awful disease overwhelms him,
and now that he is bed-ridden he will never recover.’

9 Even my close friend whom I trusted,
he who shared meals with me, has turned against me.

10 As for you, O Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up,
so I can pay them back!”

11 By this I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does not triumph over me.

12 As for me, you uphold me because of my integrity;
you allow me permanent access to your presence.

13 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise
in the future and forevermore!
We agree! We agree!