Add parallel Print Page Options

40 To the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David. I have diligently expected Jehovah, And He inclineth to me, and heareth my cry,

And He doth cause me to come up From a pit of desolation -- from mire of mud, And He raiseth up on a rock my feet, He is establishing my steps.

And He putteth in my mouth a new song, `Praise to our God.' Many do see and fear, and trust in Jehovah.

O the happiness of the man Who hath made Jehovah his trust, And hath not turned unto the proud, And those turning aside to lies.

Much hast Thou done, Jehovah my God; Thy wonders and Thy thoughts toward us, There is none to arrange unto Thee, I declare and speak: They have been more than to be numbered.

Sacrifice and present Thou hast not desired, Ears Thou hast prepared for me, Burnt and sin-offering Thou hast not asked.

Then said I, `Lo, I have come,' In the roll of the book it is written of me,

To do Thy pleasure, my God, I have delighted, And Thy law [is] within my heart.

I have proclaimed tidings of righteousness In the great assembly, lo, my lips I restrain not, O Jehovah, Thou hast known.

10 Thy righteousness I have not concealed In the midst of my heart, Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation I have told, I have not hidden Thy kindness and Thy truth, To the great assembly.

11 Thou, O Jehovah, restrainest not Thy mercies from me, Thy kindness and Thy truth do continually keep me.

12 For compassed me have evils innumerable, Overtaken me have mine iniquities, And I have not been able to see; They have been more than the hairs of my head, And my heart hath forsaken me.

13 Be pleased, O Jehovah, to deliver me, O Jehovah, for my help make haste.

14 They are ashamed and confounded together, Who are seeking my soul to destroy it, They are turned backward, And are ashamed, who are desiring my evil.

15 They are desolate because of their shame, Who are saying to me, `Aha, aha.'

16 All seeking Thee rejoice and are glad in Thee, Those loving Thy salvation say continually, `Jehovah is magnified.'

17 And I [am] poor and needy, The Lord doth devise for me. My help and my deliverer [art] Thou, O my God, tarry Thou not.

41 To the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David. O the happiness of him Who is acting wisely unto the poor, In a day of evil doth Jehovah deliver him.

Jehovah doth preserve him and revive him, He is happy in the land, And Thou givest him not into the will of his enemies.

Jehovah supporteth on a couch of sickness, All his bed Thou hast turned in his weakness.

I -- I said, `O Jehovah, favour me, Heal my soul, for I did sin against Thee,'

Mine enemies say evil of me: When he dieth -- his name hath perished!

And if he came to see -- vanity he speaketh, His heart gathereth iniquity to itself, He goeth out -- at the street he speaketh.

All hating me whisper together against me, Against me they devise evil to me:

A thing of Belial is poured out on him, And because he lay down he riseth not again.

Even mine ally, in whom I trusted, One eating my bread, made great the heel against me,

10 And Thou, Jehovah, favour me, And cause me to rise, And I give recompence to them.

11 By this I have known, That Thou hast delighted in me, Because my enemy shouteth not over me.

12 As to me, in mine integrity, Thou hast taken hold upon me, And causest me to stand before Thee to the age.

13 Blessed [is] Jehovah, God of Israel, From the age -- and unto the age. Amen and Amen.

42 To the Overseer. -- An Instruction. By sons of Korah. As a hart doth pant for streams of water, So my soul panteth toward Thee, O God.

My soul thirsted for God, for the living God, When do I enter and see the face of God?

My tear hath been to me bread day and night, In their saying unto me all the day, `Where [is] thy God?'

These I remember, and pour out my soul in me, For I pass over into the booth, I go softly with them unto the house of God, With the voice of singing and confession, The multitude keeping feast!

What! bowest thou thyself, O my soul? Yea, art thou troubled within me? Wait for God, for still I confess Him: The salvation of my countenance -- My God!

In me doth my soul bow itself, Therefore I remember Thee from the land of Jordan, And of the Hermons, from the hill Mizar.

Deep unto deep is calling At the noise of Thy water-spouts, All Thy breakers and Thy billows passed over me.

By day Jehovah commandeth His kindness, And by night a song [is] with me, A prayer to the God of my life.

I say to God my rock, `Why hast Thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning in the oppression of an enemy?

10 With a sword in my bones Have mine adversaries reproached me, In their saying unto me all the day, `Where [is] thy God?'

11 What! bowest thou thyself, O my soul? And what! art thou troubled within me? Wait for God, for still I confess Him, The salvation of my countenance, and my God!

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.
12 For troubles(AI) without number surround me;
    my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.(AJ)
They are more than the hairs of my head,(AK)
    and my heart fails(AL) within me.
13 Be pleased to save me, Lord;
    come quickly, Lord, to help me.(AM)

14 May all who want to take my life(AN)
    be put to shame and confusion;(AO)
may all who desire my ruin(AP)
    be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”(AQ)
    be appalled at their own shame.
16 But may all who seek you(AR)
    rejoice and be glad(AS) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
    “The Lord is great!”(AT)

17 But as for me, I am poor and needy;(AU)
    may the Lord think(AV) of me.
You are my help(AW) and my deliverer;(AX)
    you are my God, do not delay.(AY)

Psalm 41[f]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Blessed(AZ) are those who have regard for the weak;(BA)
    the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.(BB)
The Lord protects(BC) and preserves them—(BD)
    they are counted among the blessed in the land—(BE)
    he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.(BF)
The Lord sustains them on their sickbed(BG)
    and restores them from their bed of illness.(BH)

I said, “Have mercy(BI) on me, Lord;
    heal(BJ) me, for I have sinned(BK) against you.”
My enemies say of me in malice,
    “When will he die and his name perish?(BL)
When one of them comes to see me,
    he speaks falsely,(BM) while his heart gathers slander;(BN)
    then he goes out and spreads(BO) it around.

All my enemies whisper together(BP) against me;
    they imagine the worst for me, saying,
“A vile disease has afflicted him;
    he will never get up(BQ) from the place where he lies.”
Even my close friend,(BR)
    someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
    has turned[g] against me.(BS)

10 But may you have mercy(BT) on me, Lord;
    raise me up,(BU) that I may repay(BV) them.
11 I know that you are pleased with me,(BW)
    for my enemy does not triumph over me.(BX)
12 Because of my integrity(BY) you uphold me(BZ)
    and set me in your presence forever.(CA)

13 Praise(CB) be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(CC)
    from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.(CD)

BOOK II

Psalms 42–72

Psalm 42[h][i]

For the director of music. A maskil[j] of the Sons of Korah.

As the deer(CE) pants for streams of water,(CF)
    so my soul pants(CG) for you, my God.
My soul thirsts(CH) for God, for the living God.(CI)
    When can I go(CJ) and meet with God?
My tears(CK) have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”(CL)
These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:(CM)
how I used to go to the house of God(CN)
    under the protection of the Mighty One[k]
with shouts of joy(CO) and praise(CP)
    among the festive throng.(CQ)

Why, my soul, are you downcast?(CR)
    Why so disturbed(CS) within me?
Put your hope in God,(CT)
    for I will yet praise(CU) him,
    my Savior(CV) and my God.(CW)

My soul is downcast within me;
    therefore I will remember(CX) you
from the land of the Jordan,(CY)
    the heights of Hermon(CZ)—from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep(DA)
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.(DB)

By day the Lord directs his love,(DC)
    at night(DD) his song(DE) is with me—
    a prayer to the God of my life.(DF)

I say to God my Rock,(DG)
    “Why have you forgotten(DH) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(DI)
    oppressed(DJ) by the enemy?”(DK)
10 My bones suffer mortal agony(DL)
    as my foes taunt(DM) me,
saying to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”(DN)

11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.(DO)

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
  6. Psalm 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-13 is numbered 41:2-14.
  7. Psalm 41:9 Hebrew has lifted up his heel
  8. Psalm 42:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
  9. Psalm 42:1 In Hebrew texts 42:1-11 is numbered 42:2-12.
  10. Psalm 42:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  11. Psalm 42:4 See Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.