Psalms 41:1-8

¹For the music director. A psalm of David. How happy are those who take care of the poor! When they are in trouble the Lord will save them.

²The Lord protects them and keeps them alive. They will live happily in the land, and they will not be handed over to their enemies.

³The Lord looks after them when they're sick; he makes them well from their illness.

⁴“Lord, please be gracious to me,” I asked. “Please heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

⁵Those who hate me only say evil things about me. “When is he going to die, and people forget all about him?” they ask.

⁶They come to visit me, but their sympathy is not sincere. They're only interested in the bad news, which they spread around as soon as they leave.

⁷All who hate me talk in whispers about my condition, hoping for the worst.

⁸“He's been cursed with some terrible disease,” they say. “Now he's bed-ridden he'll never recover!”