Psalms 39-41

Psalm 39

¹For the Chief Musician, for Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.

²I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.

³My heart was hot within me; while I was musing the fire kindled: then spake I with my tongue:

⁴LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; let me know how frail I am.

⁵Behold, thou hast made my days as handbreadths; and mine age is as nothing before thee: surely every man at his best estate is altogether vanity. Selah

⁶Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

⁷And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

⁸Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.

⁹I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.

¹⁰Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.

¹¹When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah

¹²Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

¹³O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

Psalm 40

¹For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

²He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay; and he set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

³And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

⁴Blessed is the man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

⁵Many, O LORD my God, are the wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be set in order unto thee; if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

⁶Sacrifice and offering thou hast no delight in; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

⁷Then said I, Lo, I am come; in the roll of the book it is written of me:

⁸I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart.

⁹I have published righteousness in the great congregation; lo, I will not refrain my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.

¹⁰I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

¹¹Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

¹²For innumerable evils have compassed me about, mine iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head, and my heart hath failed me.

¹³Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: make haste to help me, O LORD.

¹⁴Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it: let them be turned backward and brought to dishonour that delight in my hurt.

¹⁵Let them be desolate by reason of their shame that say unto me, Aha, Aha.

¹⁶Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.

¹⁷But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

Psalm 41

¹For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in the day of evil.

²The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive, and he shall be blessed upon the earth; and deliver not thou him unto the will of his enemies.

³The LORD will support him upon the couch of languishing: thou makest all his bed in his sickness.

⁴I said, O LORD, have mercy upon me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.

⁵Mine enemies speak evil against me, saying, When shall he die, and his name perish?

⁶And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity; his heart gathereth iniquity to itself: when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.

⁷All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.

⁸An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.

⁹Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

¹⁰But thou, O LORD, have mercy upon me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.

¹¹By this I know that thou delightest in me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.

¹²And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever.

¹³Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.