Psalm 41–42

Psalm 41

The Blessing and Suffering of the Godly

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 Blessed is he who considers the 1poor;

The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.

2 The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive,

And he will be blessed on the earth;

aYou will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.

3 The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness;

You will 2sustain him on his sickbed.

4 I said, “Lord, be merciful to me;

bHeal my soul, for I have sinned against You.”

5 My enemies speak evil of me:

“When will he die, and his name perish?”

6 And if he comes to see me, he speaks 3lies;

His heart gathers iniquity to itself;

When he goes out, he tells it.

7 All who hate me whisper together against me;

Against me they 4devise my hurt.

8 “An 5evil disease,” they say, “clings to him.

And now that he lies down, he will rise up no more.”

9 cEven my own familiar friend in whom I trusted,

dWho ate my bread,

Has 6lifted up his heel against me.

10 But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,

That I may repay them.

11 By this I know that You are well pleased with me,

Because my enemy does not triumph over me.

12 As for me, You uphold me in my integrity,

And eset me before Your face forever.

13 fBlessed be the Lord God of Israel

From everlasting to everlasting!

Amen and Amen.

Book Two: Psalms 42–72

Psalm 42

Yearning for God in the Midst of Distresses

To the Chief Musician. A 1Contemplation of the Sons of Korah.

1 As the deer 2pants for the water brooks,

So pants my soul for You, O God.

2 aMy soul thirsts for God, for the bliving God.

When shall I come and 3appear before God?

3 cMy tears have been my food day and night,

While they continually say to me,

d“Where is your God?”

4 When I remember these things,

eI pour out my soul within me.

For I used to go with the multitude;

fI went with them to the house of God,

With the voice of joy and praise,

With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.

5 gWhy are you 4cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

hHope in God, for I shall yet praise Him

5For the help of His countenance.

6 6O my God, my soul is cast down within me;

Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,

And from the heights of Hermon,

From 7the Hill Mizar.

7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;

iAll Your waves and billows have gone over me.

8 The Lord will jcommand His lovingkindness in the daytime,

And kin the night His song shall be with me—

A prayer to the God of my life.

9 I will say to God my Rock,

l“Why have You forgotten me?

Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

10 As with a 8breaking of my bones,

My enemies 9reproach me,

mWhile they say to me all day long,

“Where is your God?”

11 nWhy are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

For I shall yet praise Him,

The 1help of my countenance and my God.