Psalms 41

Blessed is the one who cares for the poor

Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble.a ²The Lord protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies.b ³The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.c

⁴“O Lord,” I prayed, “have mercy on me. Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”d ⁵But my enemies say nothing but evil about me. “How soon will he die and be forgotten?” they ask. ⁶They visit me as if they were my friends, but all the while they gather gossip, and when they leave, they spread it everywhere.

⁷All who hate me whisper about me, imagining the worst. ⁸“He has some fatal disease,” they say. “He will never get out of that bed!” ⁹Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me.e

¹⁰Lord, have mercy on me. Make me well again, so I can pay them back! ¹¹I know you are pleased with me, for you have not let my enemies triumph over me.f ¹²You have preserved my life because I am innocent; you have brought me into your presence forever.

¹³Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and amen!g