Psalms 39-41

Psalm 39

¹To the chief music-maker. Of Jeduthun. A Psalm. Of David. I said, I will give attention to my ways, so that my tongue may do no wrong; I will keep my mouth under control, while the sinner is before me.

²I made no sound, I said no word, even of good; and I was moved with sorrow.

³My heart was burning in my breast; while I was deep in thought the fire was lighted; then I said with my tongue,

⁴Lord, give me knowledge of my end, and of the measure of my days, so that I may see how feeble I am.

⁵You have made my days no longer than a hand's measure; and my years are nothing in your eyes; truly, every man is but a breath. (Selah.)

⁶Truly, every man goes on his way like an image; he is troubled for no purpose: he makes a great store of wealth, and has no knowledge of who will get it.

⁷And now, Lord, what am I waiting for? my hope is in you.

⁸Make me free from all my sins; do not let me be shamed by the man of evil behaviour.

⁹I was quiet, and kept my mouth shut; because you had done it.

¹⁰No longer let your hand be hard on me; I am wasted by the blows of your hand.

¹¹By the weight of your wrath against man's sin, the glory of his form is wasted away; truly every man is but a breath. (Selah.)

¹²Let my prayer come to your ears, O Lord, and give attention to my cry, make an answer to my weeping: for my time here is short before you, and in a little time I will be gone, like all my fathers.

¹³Let your wrath be turned away from me, so that I may be comforted, before I go away from here, and become nothing.

Psalm 40

¹To the chief music-maker. Of David. A Psalm. When I was waiting quietly for the Lord, his heart was turned to me, and he gave ear to my cry.

²He took me up out of a deep waste place, out of the soft and sticky earth; he put my feet on a rock, and made my steps certain.

³And he put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God; numbers have seen it with fear, and put their faith in the Lord.

⁴Happy is the man who has faith in the Lord, and does not give honour to the men of pride or to those who are turned away to deceit.

⁵O Lord my God, great are the wonders which you have done in your thought for us; it is not possible to put them out in order before you; when I would give an account of them, their number is greater than I may say.

⁶You had no desire for offerings of beasts or fruits of the earth; ears you made for me: for burned offerings and sin offerings you made no request.

⁷Then I said, See, I come; it is recorded of me in the roll of the book,

⁸My delight is to do your pleasure, O my God; truly, your law is in my heart.

⁹I have given news of righteousness in the great meeting; O Lord, you have knowledge that I have not kept back my words.

¹⁰Your righteousness has not been folded away in my heart; I have made clear your true word and your salvation; I have not kept secret your mercy or your faith from the great meeting.

¹¹Take not away your gentle mercies from me, O Lord; let your mercy and your faith keep me safe for ever.

¹²For unnumbered evils are round about me; my sins have overtaken me, so that I am bent down with their weight; they are more than the hairs of my head, my strength is gone because of them.

¹³Be pleased, O Lord, to take me out of danger; O Lord, come quickly and give me help.

¹⁴Let those who go after my soul for its destruction have shame and trouble together; let them be turned back and made foolish who take pleasure in my trouble.

¹⁵Let those who say to me, Aha, aha! be surprised because of their shame.

¹⁶Let all those who are looking for you be glad and have joy in you; let the lovers of your salvation ever say, May the Lord be great.

¹⁷Though I am poor and in need, the Lord has me in mind; you are my help and my saviour; let there be no waiting, O my God.

Psalm 41

¹To the chief music-maker. A Psalm. Of David. Happy is the man who gives thought to the poor; the Lord will be his saviour in the time of trouble.

²The Lord will keep him safe, and give him life; the Lord will let him be a blessing on the earth, and will not give him into the hand of his haters.

³The Lord will be his support on his bed of pain: by you will all his grief be turned to strength.

⁴I said, Lord, have mercy on me; make my soul well, because my faith is in you.

⁵My haters say evil against me, When will he be dead, and his name come to an end?

⁶If one comes to see me, deceit is in his heart; he keeps a store of evil, which he makes public in every place.

⁷All my haters are talking secretly together against me; they are designing my downfall.

⁸They say, He has an evil disease, which will not let him go: and now that he is down he will not get up again.

⁹Even my dearest friend, in whom I had faith, who took bread with me, is turned against me.

¹⁰But you, O Lord, have mercy on me, lifting me up, so that I may give them their punishment.

¹¹By this I see that you have pleasure in me, because my hater does not overcome me.

¹²And as for me, you are my support in my righteousness, giving me a place before your face for ever.

¹³May the Lord God of Israel be praised, through eternal days and for ever. So be it. So be it.