Psalms 41

A prayer for healing

God loves compassionate people

A psalm of David. [1] For the music leader.

1It’ll be a happy life and sunny days
For people who keep the poor in mind.
Then when problems come
The LORD comes, too, as problem-solver.
2The LORD protects compassionate folks.
He keeps them alive.
He blesses them.
He won’t let their enemies have them.
3When they get sick,
The LORD keeps them alive.
Then he makes them stronger,
Healthier, and well.
4As for me, however, I said,
“LORD, lay some kindness on me.
I’ve sinned against you.
So, I need you to make me right again.”

Enemies trash my name

5People who hate me
Say hateful things about me.
“When will he drop dead,
So we can forget he ever lived?”
6Some pay me a visit and tell me lies.
They come for just one reason:
To leave with nasty gossip about me,
Which they broadcast as breaking news.
7They gather in cliques to badmouth me
And to wonder how much worse I could get.
8They say, “Something bad got hold of him.
Soon enough, he’ll wake up dead.”
9Even a buddy I trusted
Turned against me.
Someone who ate my food
Now stomps my good name.
10LORD, I’m asking you
To treat me kindly.
Lift me out of this mess
And let me give those people some payback.
11Then I’ll know we’re on good terms
Because you didn’t let my enemies win.
12Because I have kept my integrity,
I know I can count on your help,
Trusting you’re always close by.
13LORD, God of Israel,
You deserve non-stop praise
From eternity past to forever.
And that’s the truth. Absolutely. [2]

Footnotes

Intro Notes for Psalms

Intro Notes for Book 1 of 5 in Psalms

141:1

The subtitle wasn’t part of the original psalm. And the possible byline “of David,” isn’t necessarily a byline. The vague phrase could mean the song was written by David, about David, or was inspired by David. Almost half of the psalms are attributed to David in this way, 73 of 150. Ancient Jewish history tells of David playing a lyre and writing songs. For one, he wrote a song of mourning at the battlefield death of King Saul and his sons: “How have the mighty fallen!” (2 Samuel 1:19-27 New American Standard Bible). An ancient Jewish scroll from about the time of Jesus, discovered among the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, reports that David wrote 3,600 songs.

241:13

This fourth line is literally, in the original Hebrew, “Amen and amen.” The word, in Hebrew and in English, works a bit like an exclamation point at the end of a sentence. It’s a shout