Psalm 41:1–11

Blessed is the one who considers the poor!

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 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.

As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;

heal me, 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, 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.

They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him;

he will not rise again from where he lies.”

Even my close friend in whom I trusted,

who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.

But you, O Lord, be gracious to me,

and raise me up, that I may repay them!

By this I know that you delight in me:

my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.

Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;

the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.

The Lord protects and preserves them—

they are counted among the blessed in the land—

he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.

The Lord sustains them on their sickbed

and restores them from their bed of illness.

I said, “Have mercy on me, Lord;

heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

My enemies say of me in malice,

“When will he die and his name perish?”

When one of them comes to see me,

he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander;

then he goes out and spreads it around.

All my enemies whisper together against me;

they imagine the worst for me, saying,

“A vile disease has afflicted him;

he will never get up from the place where he lies.”

Even my close friend,

someone I trusted,

one who shared my bread,

has turned against me.

But may you have mercy on me, Lord;

raise me up, that I may repay them.

I know that you are pleased with me,

for my enemy does not triumph over me.

Happy is one who is considerate of the poor;

the Lord will save him in a day of adversity.

The Lord will keep him and preserve him;

he will be blessed in the land.

You will not give him over to the desire of his enemies.

The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed;

you will heal him on the bed where he lies.

I said, “Lord, be gracious to me;

heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

My enemies speak maliciously about me:

“When will he die and be forgotten?”

When one of them comes to visit, he speaks deceitfully;

he stores up evil in his heart;

he goes out and talks.

All who hate me whisper together about me;

they plan to harm me.

“Something awful has overwhelmed him,

and he won’t rise again from where he lies!”

Even my friend in whom I trusted,

one who ate my bread,

has raised his heel against me.

But you, Lord, be gracious to me and raise me up;

then I will repay them.

By this I know that you delight in me:

my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.

Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor!

The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble.

The Lord protects them

and keeps them alive.

He gives them prosperity in the land

and rescues them from their enemies.

The Lord nurses them when they are sick

and restores them to health.

“O Lord,” I prayed, “have mercy on me.

Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

But my enemies say nothing but evil about me.

“How soon will he die and be forgotten?” they ask.

They visit me as if they were my friends,

but all the while they gather gossip,

and when they leave, they spread it everywhere.

All who hate me whisper about me,

imagining the worst.

“He has some fatal disease,” they say.

“He will never get out of that bed!”

Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely,

the one who shared my food, has turned against me.

Lord, have mercy on me.

Make me well again, so I can pay them back!

I know you are pleased with me,

for you have not let my enemies triumph over me.

Blessed is the one who has regard for the poor;

in the day of disaster, Yahweh delivers him.

Yahweh protects him and keeps him alive;

he is blessed in the land,

and you do not give him

into the will of his enemies.

Yahweh sustains him on his sick bed.

In his illness, you restore to health.

As for me, I said, “O Yahweh, be gracious to me.

Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

My enemies speak evil about me,

“When will he die and his name perish?”

And when one comes to see me, he speaks falsely;

his heart gathers disaster for itself.

He goes out to the street; he speaks.

All who hate me speak together against me.

Against me they assume the worst for me:

“A ruinous thing is poured out on him,

and now that he lies down, he will not rise up again.”

Even my close friend, whom I trusted,

who ate my bread,

has lifted his heel against me.

But you, O Yahweh, be gracious to me and raise me up

that I may repay them.

By this I know that you delight in me:

because my enemy has not shouted in triumph over me.

Blessed is he that considereth the poor:

The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.

The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive;

And he shall be blessed upon the earth:

And thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.

The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing:

Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.

I said, Lord, be merciful unto me:

Heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.

Mine enemies speak evil of me,

When shall he die, and his name perish?

And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity:

His heart gathereth iniquity to itself;

When he goeth abroad, he telleth it.

All that hate me whisper together against me:

Against me do they devise my hurt.

An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him:

And now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.

Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted,

Which did eat of my bread,

Hath lifted up his heel against me.

But thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me,

And raise me up, that I may requite them.

By this I know that thou favourest me,

Because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.