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Praise and Prayer for Help

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

40 I waited patiently for the Lord.
    He ·turned [bent down; inclined; stooped] to me and heard my cry.
He ·lifted [drew] me out of the pit of ·destruction [or desolation],
    out of the ·sticky mud [miry/muddy pit/bog/swamp].
He ·stood me [L placed my feet] on a rock
    and made my ·feet [L step] steady.
He put a new song [C celebrating victory; 33:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Is. 42:10; Rev. 5:9; 14:3] in my mouth,
    a song of praise to our God.
Many people will see this and ·worship [fear] him.
    Then they will ·trust [find refuge in] the Lord.

·Happy [Blessed] is the person
    who ·trusts [finds refuge in] the Lord,
who doesn’t turn to those who are proud
    or to those who ·worship [go astray to] ·false gods [L a lie].
Lord my God, you have done many ·miracles [wonders; great acts].
    Your plans for us are many.
If I tried to tell them all,
    there would be too many to count [104:24; 139:17–18; John 21:25].

You do not want sacrifices and ·offerings [grain offerings; or gifts; tribute; Lev. 2:1].
    But you have ·made a hole in [or pierced; L dug] my ear [C to make him hear better or perhaps a reference to the ritual that made one a slave forever; Ex. 21:6; Heb. 10:5–7].
You do not ask for burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17]
    and ·sin [or purification] offerings [Lev. 4:3].
Then I said, “Look, I have come.
    It is written about me in the ·book [scroll].
My God, I ·want [delight; take pleasure] to do ·what you want [your pleasure].
    Your ·teachings [instructions; laws] are in my heart.”

I will tell ·about your goodness [the good news] in the great ·meeting of your people [assembly].
    Lord, you know ·my lips are not silent [L I have not restrained my lips].
10 I do not hide your ·goodness [righteousness] in my heart;
    I speak about your ·loyalty [faithfulness] and ·salvation [victory].
I do not hide your ·love [loyalty] and ·truth [faithfulness]
    from the people in the great ·meeting [assembly].

11 Lord, do not ·hold back [restrain] your ·mercy [compassion] from me;
    let your ·love [loyalty] and ·truth [faithfulness] always protect me.
12 ·Troubles [Evils] have surrounded me;
    ·there are too many to count [L without number].
My ·sins [iniquities] have ·caught [overtaken] me
    so that I cannot see [C a way to escape].
I have more ·sins [iniquities] than hairs on my head,
    and ·I have lost my courage [L my heart fails/abandons/forsakes me].
13 ·Please [L Be pleased], Lord, ·save [rescue; T deliver] me.
    Hurry, Lord, to help me.
14 People are ·trying to kill me [L seeking my life].
    Shame them and disgrace them.
People want to hurt me.
    Let them ·run away [be turned back] in disgrace.
15 People are ·making fun of me [L saying to me, “Aha! Aha!”].
    Let them be ·shamed into silence [L devastated by their own shame].
16 But let those who ·follow [L seek] you
    be happy and glad.
They love you for ·saving [delivering] them.
    May they always say, “·Praise [Magnify; Great is] the Lord!”

17 Lord, because I am poor and ·helpless [needy],
    please ·remember [L think of; consider] me.
You are my helper and ·savior [rescuer; T deliverer].
    My God, do not ·wait [delay].

God Sustains His Servant.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

40 I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

He brought me up out of a horrible pit [of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock, steadying my footsteps and establishing my path.

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear [with great reverence]
And will trust confidently in the Lord.(A)


Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not regard the proud nor those who lapse into lies.

Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of your wonders,
They would be too many to count.


Sacrifice and meal offering You do not desire, nor do You delight in them;
You have opened my ears and given me the capacity to hear [and obey Your word];
Burnt offerings and sin offerings You do not require.(B)

Then I said, “Behold, I come [to the throne];
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

“I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your law is within my heart.”(C)


I have proclaimed good news of righteousness [and the joy that comes from obedience to You] in the great assembly;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips [from proclaiming Your righteousness],
As You know, O Lord.
10 
I have not concealed Your righteousness within my heart;
I have proclaimed Your faithfulness and Your salvation.
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly.(D)

11 
Do not withhold Your compassion and tender mercy from me, O Lord;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.
12 
For innumerable evils have encompassed me;
My sins 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 failed me.

13 
Be pleased, O Lord, to save me;
O Lord, make haste to help me.
14 
Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back [in defeat] and dishonored
Who delight in my hurt.
15 
Let those be appalled and desolate because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha [rejoicing in my misfortune]!”
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 
Even though I am afflicted and needy,
Still the Lord takes thought and is mindful of me.
You are my help and my rescuer.
O my God, do not delay.(E)