Font Size
Psalm 40-42
New International Reader's Version
Psalm 40-42
New International Reader's Version
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
40 I was patient while I waited for the Lord.
He turned to me and heard my cry for help.
2 I was sliding down into the pit of death, and he pulled me out.
He brought me up out of the mud and dirt.
He set my feet on a rock.
He gave me a firm place to stand on.
3 He gave me a new song to sing.
It is a hymn of praise to our God.
Many people will see and have respect for the Lord.
They will put their trust in him.
4 Blessed is the person
who trusts in the Lord.
They don’t trust in proud people.
Those proud people worship statues of gods.
5 Lord my God,
no one can compare with you.
You have done many wonderful things.
You have planned to do these things for us.
There are too many of them
for me to talk about.
6 You didn’t want sacrifices and offerings.
You didn’t require burnt offerings and sin offerings.
You opened my ears so that I could hear you and obey you.
7 Then I said, “Here I am.
It is written about me in the book.
8 My God, I have come to do what you want.
Your law is in my heart.”
9 I have told the whole community of those who worship you.
I have told them what you have done to save me.
Lord, you know
that I haven’t kept quiet.
10 I haven’t kept to myself that what you did for me was right.
I have spoken about how faithful you were when you saved me.
I haven’t hidden your love and your faithfulness
from the whole community.
11 Lord, don’t hold back your mercy from me.
May your love and faithfulness always keep me safe.
12 There are more troubles all around me than I can count.
My sins have caught up with me, and I can’t see any longer.
My sins are more than the hairs of my head.
I have lost all hope.
13 Lord, please save me.
Lord, come quickly to help me.
14 Let all those who are trying to kill me be put to shame.
Let them lose their way.
Let all those who want to destroy me
be turned back in shame.
15 Some people make fun of me.
Let them be shocked when their plans fail.
16 But let all those who seek you
be joyful and glad because of what you have done.
Let those who count on you to save them always say,
“The Lord is great!”
17 But I am poor and needy.
May the Lord be concerned about me.
You are the God who helps me and saves me.
You are my God, so don’t wait any longer.
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
41 Blessed are those who care about weak people.
When they are in trouble, the Lord saves them.
2 The Lord guards them and keeps them alive.
They are counted among those who are blessed in the land.
The Lord won’t hand them over to the wishes of their enemies.
3 The Lord will take care of them when they are lying sick in bed.
He will make them well again.
4 I said, “Lord, have mercy on me.
Heal me, because I have sinned against you.”
5 My enemies are saying bad things about me.
They say, “When will he die and his name be forgotten?”
6 When one of them comes to see me,
he says things that aren’t true.
At the same time, he thinks up lies to tell against me.
Then he goes out and spreads those lies around.
7 All my enemies whisper to each other about me.
They want something terrible to happen to me.
8 They say, “He is sick and will die very soon.
He will never get up from his bed again.”
9 Even my close friend, someone I trusted, has failed me.
I even shared my bread with him.
10 But Lord, may you have mercy on me.
Make me well, so I can pay them back.
11 Then I will know that you are pleased with me,
because my enemies haven’t won the battle over me.
12 You will take good care of me because I’ve been honest.
You will let me be with you forever.
13 Give praise to the Lord, the God of Israel,
for ever and ever.
Amen and Amen.
Book II
Psalms 42–72
For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.
42 A deer longs for streams of water.
God, I long for you in the same way.
2 I am thirsty for God. I am thirsty for the living God.
When can I go and meet with him?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night.
All day long people say to me,
“Where is your God?”
4 When I remember what has happened,
I tell God all my troubles.
I remember how I used to walk to the house of God.
The Mighty One guarded my steps.
We shouted with joy and praised God
as we went along with the joyful crowd.
5 My spirit, why are you so sad?
Why are you so upset deep down inside me?
Put your hope in God.
Once again I will have reason to praise him.
He is my Savior and my God.
6 My spirit is very sad deep down inside me.
So I will remember you here where the Jordan River begins.
I will remember you here on the Hermon mountains
and on Mount Mizar.
7 You have sent wave upon wave of trouble over me.
It roars down on me like a waterfall.
All your waves and breakers have rolled over me.
8 During the day the Lord sends his love to me.
During the night I sing about him.
I say a prayer to the God who gives me life.
9 I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go around in sorrow?
Why am I treated so badly by my enemies?”
10 My body suffers deadly pain
as my enemies make fun of me.
All day long they say to me,
“Where is your God?”
11 My spirit, why are you so sad?
Why are you so upset deep down inside me?
Put your hope in God.
Once again I will have reason to praise him.
He is my Savior and my God.
Psalm 40-42
New International Version
Psalm 40-42
New International Version
Psalm 40[a](A)
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 I waited patiently(B) for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.(C)
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,(D)
out of the mud(E) and mire;(F)
he set my feet(G) on a rock(H)
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song(I) in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord(J)
and put their trust(K) in him.
4 Blessed is the one(L)
who trusts in the Lord,(M)
who does not look to the proud,(N)
to those who turn aside to false gods.[b](O)
5 Many, Lord my God,
are the wonders(P) you have done,
the things you planned for us.
None can compare(Q) with you;
were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
they would be too many(R) to declare.
6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—(S)
but my ears you have opened[c]—(T)
burnt offerings(U) and sin offerings[d] you did not require.
7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
it is written about me in the scroll.[e](V)
8 I desire to do your will,(W) my God;(X)
your law is within my heart.”(Y)
9 I proclaim your saving acts(Z) in the great assembly;(AA)
I do not seal my lips, Lord,
as you know.(AB)
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness(AC) and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
from the great assembly.(AD)
11 Do not withhold your mercy(AE) from me, Lord;
may your love(AF) and faithfulness(AG) always protect(AH) me.
12 For troubles(AI) without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.(AJ)
They are more than the hairs of my head,(AK)
and my heart fails(AL) within me.
13 Be pleased to save me, Lord;
come quickly, Lord, to help me.(AM)
14 May all who want to take my life(AN)
be put to shame and confusion;(AO)
may all who desire my ruin(AP)
be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”(AQ)
be appalled at their own shame.
16 But may all who seek you(AR)
rejoice and be glad(AS) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
“The Lord is great!”(AT)
17 But as for me, I am poor and needy;(AU)
may the Lord think(AV) of me.
You are my help(AW) and my deliverer;(AX)
you are my God, do not delay.(AY)
Psalm 41[f]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Blessed(AZ) are those who have regard for the weak;(BA)
the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.(BB)
2 The Lord protects(BC) and preserves them—(BD)
they are counted among the blessed in the land—(BE)
he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.(BF)
3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed(BG)
and restores them from their bed of illness.(BH)
4 I said, “Have mercy(BI) on me, Lord;
heal(BJ) me, for I have sinned(BK) against you.”
5 My enemies say of me in malice,
“When will he die and his name perish?(BL)”
6 When one of them comes to see me,
he speaks falsely,(BM) while his heart gathers slander;(BN)
then he goes out and spreads(BO) it around.
7 All my enemies whisper together(BP) against me;
they imagine the worst for me, saying,
8 “A vile disease has afflicted him;
he will never get up(BQ) from the place where he lies.”
9 Even my close friend,(BR)
someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
has turned[g] against me.(BS)
10 But may you have mercy(BT) on me, Lord;
raise me up,(BU) that I may repay(BV) them.
11 I know that you are pleased with me,(BW)
for my enemy does not triumph over me.(BX)
12 Because of my integrity(BY) you uphold me(BZ)
and set me in your presence forever.(CA)
13 Praise(CB) be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(CC)
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.(CD)
BOOK II
Psalms 42–72
Psalm 42[h][i]
For the director of music. A maskil[j] of the Sons of Korah.
1 As the deer(CE) pants for streams of water,(CF)
so my soul pants(CG) for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts(CH) for God, for the living God.(CI)
When can I go(CJ) and meet with God?
3 My tears(CK) have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”(CL)
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:(CM)
how I used to go to the house of God(CN)
under the protection of the Mighty One[k]
with shouts of joy(CO) and praise(CP)
among the festive throng.(CQ)
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?(CR)
Why so disturbed(CS) within me?
Put your hope in God,(CT)
for I will yet praise(CU) him,
my Savior(CV) and my God.(CW)
6 My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember(CX) you
from the land of the Jordan,(CY)
the heights of Hermon(CZ)—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep(DA)
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.(DB)
8 By day the Lord directs his love,(DC)
at night(DD) his song(DE) is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.(DF)
9 I say to God my Rock,(DG)
“Why have you forgotten(DH) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(DI)
oppressed(DJ) by the enemy?”(DK)
10 My bones suffer mortal agony(DL)
as my foes taunt(DM) me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”(DN)
11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.(DO)
Footnotes
- Psalm 40:1 In Hebrew texts 40:1-17 is numbered 40:2-18.
- Psalm 40:4 Or to lies
- Psalm 40:6 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts but a body you have prepared for me
- Psalm 40:6 Or purification offerings
- Psalm 40:7 Or come / with the scroll written for me
- Psalm 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-13 is numbered 41:2-14.
- Psalm 41:9 Hebrew has lifted up his heel
- Psalm 42:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
- Psalm 42:1 In Hebrew texts 42:1-11 is numbered 42:2-12.
- Psalm 42:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 42:4 See Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV) 
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.