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!