Psalm 40
King James Version
40 I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2 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.
3 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.
4 Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5 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.
6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
9 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.
12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.
13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me.
14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.
15 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.
16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified.
17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.
Psalm 40
English Standard Version
My Help and My Deliverer
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
40 I (A)waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and (B)heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from (C)the pit of destruction,
out of (D)the miry bog,
and (E)set my feet upon a rock,
(F)making my steps secure.
3 He put (G)a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will (H)see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.
4 Blessed is the man who (I)makes
the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who (J)go astray after a lie!
5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
your (K)wondrous deeds and your (L)thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are (M)more than can be told.
6 (N)In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
but you have given me an open (O)ear.[a]
Burnt offering and sin offering
you have not required.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
in the scroll of the book it is written (P)of me:
8 (Q)I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is (R)within my heart.”
9 I have told the glad news of deliverance[b]
in (S)the great congregation;
behold, I have not (T)restrained my lips,
(U)as you know, O Lord.
10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
from the great congregation.
11 As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain
your mercy from me;
your (V)steadfast love and your faithfulness will
ever preserve me!
12 For evils have (W)encompassed me
beyond number;
my (X)iniquities have overtaken me,
and I cannot (Y)see;
they are (Z)more than the hairs of my head;
my heart (AA)fails me.
13 (AB)Be pleased, O Lord, to (AC)deliver me!
O Lord, (AD)make haste to help me!
14 (AE)Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be (AF)turned back and brought to dishonor
who delight in my hurt!
15 Let those be appalled because of their shame
who (AG)say to me, “Aha, Aha!”
16 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
(AH)say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
17 As for me, I am (AI)poor and needy,
but (AJ)the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God!
Footnotes
- Psalm 40:6 Hebrew ears you have dug for me
- Psalm 40:9 Hebrew righteousness; also verse 10
Psalm 40
1599 Geneva Bible
40 1 David delivered from great danger doth magnify and praise the grace of God for his deliverance, and commendeth his providence toward all mankind. 5 Then doth he promise to give himself wholly to God’s service, and so declareth how God is truly worshipped. 14 Afterwards he giveth thanks and praiseth God, and having complained of his enemies, with good courage he calleth for aid and succor.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 I waited [a]patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2 He brought me also out of the [b]horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon the rock, and ordered my goings.
3 And he hath put in my mouth [c]a new song of praise unto our God: many shall see it and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.
4 Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and regardeth [d]not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5 [e]O Lord my God, thou hast made thy wonderful works so many, that none can count in order to thee thy thoughts toward us: I would declare and speak of them, but they are more than I am able to express.
6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire: (for [f]mine ears hast thou prepared) burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
7 [g]Then said I, Lo, I come: for in the roll of the book it is written of me.
8 I desired to do thy good will, O my God: yea, thy Law is within mine heart.
9 I have declared thy righteousness in the [h]great congregation: lo, I will not refrain my lips: O Lord, thou knowest.
10 I have not hid thy righteousness within mine heart, but I have declared thy [i]truth and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy mercy, and thy truth from the great Congregation.
11 Withdraw not thou thy tender mercy from me, O Lord, let thy mercy and thy truth always preserve me.
12 For innumerable troubles have compassed me: my sins have taken such hold upon me, that I am not able to look up: yea, they are more in number than the hairs of mine head: therefore mine heart hath [j]failed me.
13 Let it please thee, O Lord, to deliver me: make haste, O Lord, to help me.
14 Let them be [k]confounded and put to shame together, that seek my soul to destroy it: let them be driven backward and put to rebuke that desire mine hurt.
15 Let them be [l]destroyed for a reward of their shame, which say unto me, Aha, aha.
16 Let all them that seek thee, rejoice and be glad in thee, and let them that love thy salvation, say always, [m]The Lord be praised.
17 Though I be poor and needy, the Lord thinketh on me: thou art mine helper and my deliverer: my God, make no tarrying.
Footnotes
- Psalm 40:1 Though God deferred his help, yet he patiently abode till he was heard.
- Psalm 40:2 He hath delivered me from most great dangers.
- Psalm 40:3 That is, a special occasion to praise him: for God’s benefits are so many occasions for us to praise his Name.
- Psalm 40:4 To follow their example, which he must needs do that trusteth not only in the Lord.
- Psalm 40:5 David goeth from one kind of God’s favor to the contemplation of his providence over all, and confesseth that his counsels towards us are far above our capacities: we cannot so much as tell them in order.
- Psalm 40:6 Thou hast opened mine ears to understand the spiritual meaning of the sacrifices: and here David esteemeth the ceremonies of the law nothing in respect of the spiritual service.
- Psalm 40:7 When thou hadst opened mine ears and heart, I was ready to obey thee, being assured that I was written in the book of thine elect for this end.
- Psalm 40:9 In the Church assembled in the Sanctuary.
- Psalm 40:10 David here numbereth 3 degrees of our salvation: God’s mercy, whereby he pitieth us: his righteousness, which signifieth his continual protection: and his truth, whereby appeareth his constant favor, so that hereof proceedeth our salvation.
- Psalm 40:12 As touching the judgment of the flesh, I was utterly destitute of all counsel, yet faith inwardly moved mine heart to pray.
- Psalm 40:14 He desireth that God’s mercy may contend for him against the rage of his enemies.
- Psalm 40:15 Let the same shame and confusion light upon them, which they intended to have brought upon me.
- Psalm 40:16 As the faithful always praise God for his benefits, so the wicked mocked God’s children in their afflictions.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
