Psalm 40

Thanksgiving and a Cry for Help

For the choir director. A psalm of David.

I waited patiently for the Lord,
and he turned to me and heard my cry for help.(A)
He brought me up from a desolate[a] pit,
out of the muddy clay,(B)
and set my feet on a rock,
making my steps secure.(C)
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.(D)
Many will see and fear,
and they will trust in the Lord.(E)

How happy is anyone
who has put his trust in the Lord
and has not turned to the proud
or to those who run after lies!(F)
Lord my God, you have done many things—
your wondrous works and your plans for us;
none can compare with you.
If I were to report and speak of them,
they are more than can be told.(G)

You do not delight in sacrifice and offering;
you open my ears to listen.[b]
You do not ask for a whole burnt offering or a sin offering.(H)
Then I said, “See, I have come;
in the scroll it is written about me.(I)
I delight to do your will, my God,(J)
and your instruction is deep within me.”(K)

I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;
see, I do not keep my mouth closed[c]
as you know, Lord.(L)
10 I did not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I spoke about your faithfulness and salvation;
I did not conceal your constant love and truth
from the great assembly.(M)

11 Lord, you do not[d] withhold your compassion from me.
Your constant love and truth will always guard me.(N)
12 For troubles without number have surrounded me;
my iniquities have overtaken me; I am unable to see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my courage leaves me.(O)
13 Lord, be pleased to rescue me;
hurry to help me, Lord.(P)

14 Let those who intend to take my life
be disgraced and confounded.
Let those who wish me harm
be turned back and humiliated.(Q)
15 Let those who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
be appalled because of their shame.(R)

16 Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;
let those who love your salvation continually say,
“The Lord is great!” (S)
17 I am oppressed and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my helper and my deliverer;
my God, do not delay.(T)

Footnotes

  1. 40:2 Or watery
  2. 40:6 Lit you hollow out ears for me
  3. 40:9 Lit not restrain my lips
  4. 40:11 Or Lord, do not

It is not good to show partiality to the guilty,(A)
denying an innocent person justice.(B)

A fool’s lips lead to strife,
and his mouth provokes a beating.(C)

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The Plot to Kill Jesus

14 It(A) was two days before the Passover(B) and the Festival(C) of Unleavened Bread.(D) The chief priests and the scribes(E) were looking for a cunning(F) way to arrest Jesus and kill him.(G) “Not during the festival,” they said, “so that there won’t be a riot among the people.”

The Anointing at Bethany

While(H) he was in Bethany(I) at the house of Simon the leper,[a](J) as he was reclining at the table,(K) a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured it on his head.(L) But some were expressing indignation to one another: “Why has this perfume been wasted? For this perfume might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii[b](M) and given to the poor.”(N) And they began to scold her.

Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing(O) for me. You always have the poor(P) with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have me.(Q) She has done what she could; she has anointed my body(R) in advance for burial.(S) Truly I tell you,(T) wherever the gospel(U) is proclaimed in the whole world,(V) what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

10 Then(W) Judas Iscariot,(X) one of the Twelve,(Y) went to the chief priests(Z) to betray Jesus(AA) to them. 11 And when they heard this, they were glad and promised to give him money.(AB) So he started looking for a good opportunity to betray(AC) him.

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Footnotes

  1. 14:3 Gk lepros; a term for various skin diseases; see Lv 13–14
  2. 14:5 A denarius = one day’s wage

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