Psalm 39–41

Psalm 39

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

¹I said, “I will be careful about how I live.

I will not sin by what I say.

I will keep my mouth closed

when sinful people are near me.”

²I was silent and kept quiet.

I didn’t even say anything good.

But the pain inside me grew worse.

³My heart was deeply troubled.

As I thought about what was happening to me,

I became even more troubled.

Then I spoke out.

⁴I said, “Lord, show me when my life will end.

Show me how many days I have left.

Tell me how short my life will be.

⁵You have given me only a few days to live.

My whole life doesn’t seem like anything to you.

No man’s life lasts any longer than a breath. Selah

⁶People are only shadows as they go here and there.

They rush around, but it doesn’t mean anything.

They pile up wealth, but they don’t know who will get it.

⁷“Lord, what can I look forward to now?

You are the only hope I have.

⁸Save me from all the wrong things I’ve done.

Don’t let foolish people make fun of me.

⁹I keep silent. I don’t open my mouth.

You are the one who has caused all of this to happen.

¹⁰Please stop beating me.

I’m about to die from the blows of your hand.

¹¹You correct and punish people for their sin.

Just as a moth eats cloth, you destroy their wealth.

No one’s life lasts any longer than a breath. Selah

¹²“Lord, hear my prayer.

Listen to my cry for help.

Pay attention to my sobbing.

I’m like a guest in your home.

I’m only a visitor, like all of my family who lived before me.

¹³Leave me alone.

Let me be full of joy again before I die.”

Psalm 40

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹I was patient while I waited for the Lord.

He turned to me and heard my cry for help.

²I was sliding down into the pit of death, and he pulled me out.

He brought me up out of the mud and dirt.

He set my feet on a rock.

He gave me a firm place to stand on.

³He gave me a new song to sing.

It is a hymn of praise to our God.

Many people will see what he has done and will worship him.

They will put their trust in the Lord.

⁴Blessed is the man

who trusts in the Lord.

He doesn’t look to proud people for help.

He doesn’t turn away to worship statues of gods.

⁵Lord my God,

no one can compare with you.

You have done many miracles.

And you plan to do many more for us.

There are too many of them

for me to talk about.

⁶You didn’t want sacrifices and offerings.

You weren’t pleased with burnt offerings and sin offerings.

You gave me ears to hear you and obey you.

⁷Then I said, “Here I am.

It is written about me in the scroll.

⁸My God, I have come to do what you want.

Your law is in my heart.”

⁹I have told the whole community of those who worship you

that what you do is right.

Lord, you know

that I haven’t kept quiet.

¹⁰I haven’t kept to myself that what you did for me was right.

I have spoken about how faithful you were when you saved me.

I haven’t hidden your love and truth

from the whole community.

¹¹Lord, don’t hold back your mercy from me.

May your love and truth always keep me safe.

¹²There are more troubles all around me than I can count.

My sins have caught up with me, and I can’t see any longer.

My sins are more than the hairs of my head.

I have lost all hope.

¹³Lord, please save me.

Lord, come quickly to help me.

¹⁴Let all those who are trying to kill me be put to shame.

Let them not be honored.

Let all those who want to destroy me

be turned back in shame.

¹⁵Some people make fun of me.

Let them be shocked when their plans fail.

¹⁶But let all those who look to you

be joyful and glad because of what you have done.

Let those who love you because you save them always say,

“May the Lord be honored!”

¹⁷But I am poor and needy.

May the Lord be concerned about me.

You are the One who helps me and saves me.

My God, please don’t wait any longer.

Psalm 41

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹Blessed is the one who cares about weak people.

When he is in trouble, the Lord saves him.

²The Lord will guard him and keep him alive.

He will bless him in the land.

He won’t hand him over to the wishes of his enemies.

³The Lord will take care of him when he is lying sick in bed.

He will make him well again.

⁴I said, “Lord, show me your favor.

Heal me. I have sinned against you.”

⁵My enemies are saying bad things about me.

They say, “When will he die and be forgotten?”

⁶When anyone comes to see me,

he says things he doesn’t mean.

At the same time, he thinks up lies to tell against me.

Then he goes out and spreads those lies around.

⁷All of my enemies whisper to each other about me.

They want something terrible to happen to me.

⁸They say, “He is sick and will die very soon.

He will never get up from his bed again.”

⁹Even my close friend, whom I trusted, has deserted me.

I even shared my bread with him.

¹⁰But Lord, show me your favor.

Make me well, so I can pay them back.

¹¹Then I will know that you are pleased with me,

because my enemies haven’t won the battle over me.

¹²You will take good care of me because I’ve been honest.

You will let me be with you forever.

¹³Give praise to the Lord, the God of Israel,

for ever and ever.

Amen and Amen.