Psalm

²The Lord protects and preserves them –they are counted among the blessed in the land –he does not give them over to the desire of their foes. ³The Lord sustains them on their sick-bedand restores them from their bed of illness. ⁴I said, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord;heal me, for I have sinned against you.’ ⁵My enemies say of me in malice,‘When will he die and his name perish?’ ⁶When one of them comes to see me,he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander;then he goes out and spreads it around. ⁷All my enemies whisper together against me;they imagine the worst for me, saying, ⁸‘A vile disease has afflicted him;he will never get up from the place where he lies.’