Psalm 41

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

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

The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble.

2 The Lord protects them

and keeps them alive.

He gives them prosperity in the land

and rescues them from their enemies.

3 The Lord nurses them when they are sick

and restores them to health.

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

Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

5 But my enemies say nothing but evil about me.

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

6 They visit me as if they were my friends,

but all the while they gather gossip,

and when they leave, they spread it everywhere.

7 All 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!”

9 Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely,

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

10 Lord, have mercy on me.

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

11 I know you are pleased with me,

for you have not let my enemies triumph over me.

12 You have preserved my life because I am innocent;

you have brought me into your presence forever.

13 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,

who lives from everlasting to everlasting.

Amen and amen!

Book Two (Psalms 42–72)

Psalm 42

For the choir director: A psalm* of the descendants of Korah.

1 As the deer longs for streams of water,

so I long for you, O God.

2 I thirst for God, the living God.

When can I go and stand before him?

3 Day and night I have only tears for food,

while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,

“Where is this God of yours?”

4 My heart is breaking

as I remember how it used to be:

I walked among the crowds of worshipers,

leading a great procession to the house of God,

singing for joy and giving thanks

amid the sound of a great celebration!

5 Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and 6 my God!

Now I am deeply discouraged,

but I will remember you—

even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan,

from the land of Mount Mizar.

7 I hear the tumult of the raging seas

as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.

8 But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,

and through each night I sing his songs,

praying to God who gives me life.

9 “O God my rock,” I cry,

“Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I wander around in grief,

oppressed by my enemies?”

10 Their taunts break my bones.

They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”

11 Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God!

Psalm 43

1 Declare me innocent, O God!

Defend me against these ungodly people.

Rescue me from these unjust liars.

2 For you are God, my only safe haven.

Why have you tossed me aside?

Why must I wander around in grief,

oppressed by my enemies?

3 Send out your light and your truth;

let them guide me.

Let them lead me to your holy mountain,

to the place where you live.

4 There I will go to the altar of God,

to God—the source of all my joy.

I will praise you with my harp,

O God, my God!

5 Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God!

Psalm 44

For the choir director: A psalm* of the descendants of Korah.

1 O God, we have heard it with our own ears—

our ancestors have told us

of all you did in their day,

in days long ago:

2 You drove out the pagan nations by your power

and gave all the land to our ancestors.

You crushed their enemies

and set our ancestors free.

3 They did not conquer the land with their swords;

it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory.

It was your right hand and strong arm

and the blinding light from your face that helped them,

for you loved them.

4 You are my King and my God.

You command victories for Israel.*

5 Only by your power can we push back our enemies;

only in your name can we trample our foes.

6 I do not trust in my bow;

I do not count on my sword to save me.

7 You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies;

you disgrace those who hate us.

8 O God, we give glory to you all day long

and constantly praise your name.

Interlude

9 But now you have tossed us aside in dishonor.

You no longer lead our armies to battle.

10 You make us retreat from our enemies

and allow those who hate us to plunder our land.

11 You have butchered us like sheep

and scattered us among the nations.

12 You sold your precious people for a pittance,

making nothing on the sale.

13 You let our neighbors mock us.

We are an object of scorn and derision to those around us.

14 You have made us the butt of their jokes;

they shake their heads at us in scorn.

15 We can’t escape the constant humiliation;

shame is written across our faces.

16 All we hear are the taunts of our mockers.

All we see are our vengeful enemies.

17 All this has happened though we have not forgotten you.

We have not violated your covenant.

18 Our hearts have not deserted you.

We have not strayed from your path.

19 Yet you have crushed us in the jackal’s desert home.

You have covered us with darkness and death.

20 If we had forgotten the name of our God

or spread our hands in prayer to foreign gods,

21 God would surely have known it,

for he knows the secrets of every heart.

22 But for your sake we are killed every day;

we are being slaughtered like sheep.

23 Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep?

Get up! Do not reject us forever.

24 Why do you look the other way?

Why do you ignore our suffering and oppression?

25 We collapse in the dust,

lying face down in the dirt.

26 Rise up! Help us!

Ransom us because of your unfailing love.