Psalm 40[a](A)

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

I waited patiently(B) for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.(C)
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.
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.

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)
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.

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.
Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
    it is written about me in the scroll.[e](V)
I desire to do your will,(W) my God;(X)
    your law is within my heart.”(Y)

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.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 40:1 In Hebrew texts 40:1-17 is numbered 40:2-18.
  2. Psalm 40:4 Or to lies
  3. Psalm 40:6 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts but a body you have prepared for me
  4. Psalm 40:6 Or purification offerings
  5. Psalm 40:7 Or come / with the scroll written for me

40 I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.

Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou knowest.

10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

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15 This is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:

“Go, say to this steward,
    to Shebna(A) the palace(B) administrator:(C)
16 What are you doing here and who gave you permission
    to cut out a grave(D) for yourself(E) here,
hewing your grave on the height
    and chiseling your resting place in the rock?

17 “Beware, the Lord is about to take firm hold of you
    and hurl(F) you away, you mighty man.
18 He will roll you up tightly like a ball
    and throw(G) you into a large country.
There you will die
    and there the chariots(H) you were so proud of
    will become a disgrace to your master’s house.
19 I will depose you from your office,
    and you will be ousted(I) from your position.(J)

20 “In that day(K) I will summon my servant,(L) Eliakim(M) son of Hilkiah. 21 I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash(N) around him and hand your authority(O) over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the people of Judah. 22 I will place on his shoulder(P) the key(Q) to the house of David;(R) what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.(S) 23 I will drive him like a peg(T) into a firm place;(U) he will become a seat[a] of honor(V) for the house of his father. 24 All the glory of his family will hang on him: its offspring and offshoots—all its lesser vessels, from the bowls to all the jars.

25 “In that day,(W)” declares the Lord Almighty, “the peg(X) driven into the firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and will fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut down.” The Lord has spoken.(Y)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 22:23 Or throne

15 Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say,

16 What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?

17 Behold, the Lord will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.

18 He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord's house.

19 And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.

20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:

21 And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.

22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

23 And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house.

24 And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.

25 In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the Lord hath spoken it.

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No Other Gospel

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called(A) you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel(B) which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion(C) and are trying to pervert(D) the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you,(E) let them be under God’s curse!(F) As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted,(G) let them be under God’s curse!

10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people?(H) If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Paul Called by God

11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters,(I) that the gospel I preached(J) is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man,(K) nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation(L) from Jesus Christ.(M)

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I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

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