Psalm 40

God Sustains His Servant.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

1I waited [a]patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the [b]miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.

How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,
And has not [c]turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.

[d]Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired;
My ears You have [e]opened;
Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.
Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is [f]written of me.
I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your Law is within my heart.”

I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
O Lord, You know.
10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.

11 You, O Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
[g]Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.
12 For evils beyond number have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see;
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my heart has [h]failed me.

13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
Make haste, O Lord, to help me.
14 Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my [i]life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight [j]in my hurt.
15 Let those be [k]appalled because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
16 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“The Lord be magnified!”
17 Since I am afflicted and needy,
[l]Let the Lord be mindful of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 40:1 Or intently
  2. Psalm 40:2 Lit mud of the mire
  3. Psalm 40:4 Lit regard
  4. Psalm 40:6 I.e. Blood sacrifice
  5. Psalm 40:6 Lit dug; or possibly pierced
  6. Psalm 40:7 Or prescribed for
  7. Psalm 40:11 Or May...preserve
  8. Psalm 40:12 Lit forsaken
  9. Psalm 40:14 Or soul
  10. Psalm 40:14 Or to injure me
  11. Psalm 40:15 Or desolated
  12. Psalm 40:17 Or The Lord is mindful