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Thanksgiving for Deliverance and Prayer for Help

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

40 I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the desolate pit,[a]
    out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
    making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
    a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
    and put their trust in the Lord.

Blessed is the man who makes
    the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
    to those who go astray after false gods!
Thou hast multiplied, O Lord my God,
    thy wondrous deeds and thy thoughts toward us;
    none can compare with thee!
Were I to proclaim and tell of them,
    they would be more than can be numbered.

Sacrifice and offering thou dost not desire;
    but thou hast given me an open ear.[b]
Burnt offering and sin offering
    thou hast not required.
Then I said, “Lo, I come;
    in the roll of the book it is written of me;
I delight to do thy will, O my God;
    thy law is within my heart.”

I have told the glad news of deliverance
    in the great congregation;
lo, I have not restrained my lips,
    as thou knowest, O Lord.
10 I have not hid thy saving help within my heart,
    I have spoken of thy faithfulness and thy salvation;
I have not concealed thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness
    from the great congregation.

11 Do not thou, O Lord, withhold
    thy mercy from me,
let thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness
    ever preserve me!
12 For evils have encompassed me
    without number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
    till I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head;
    my heart fails me.

13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me!
    O Lord, make haste to help me!
14 Let them be put to shame and confusion altogether
    who seek to snatch away my life;
let them be turned back and brought to dishonor
    who desire my hurt!
15 Let them be appalled because of their shame
    who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”

16 But may all who seek thee
    rejoice and be glad in thee;
may those who love thy salvation
    say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
17 As for me, I am poor and needy;
    but the Lord takes thought for me.
Thou art my help and my deliverer;
    do not tarry, O my God!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 40:2 Cn: Heb pit of tumult
  2. Psalm 40:6 Heb ears thou hast dug for me

A sacrifice of praise, and prayer for help.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

40 I waited patiently for Jehovah;
And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
He brought me up also out of [a]a horrible pit, out of the miry clay;
And he 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 Jehovah.
Blessed is the man that maketh Jehovah his trust,
And respecteth not the proud, nor such as [b]turn aside to lies.
Many, O Jehovah my God, are the wonderful works which thou hast done,
And thy thoughts which are to us-ward:
[c]They cannot be set in order unto thee;
If I would declare and speak of them,
They are more than can be numbered.
Sacrifice and [d]offering thou hast no delight in;
[e]Mine ears hast thou opened:
Burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required.
Then said I, Lo, I am come;
In the roll of the book it is [f]written of me:
I delight to do thy will, O my God;
Yea, thy law is within my heart.
I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great assembly;
Lo, I will not refrain my lips,
O Jehovah, 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 assembly.
11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Jehovah;
Let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about;
Mine iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
And my heart hath [g]failed me.
13 Be pleased, O Jehovah, to deliver me:
Make haste to help me, O Jehovah.
14 Let them be put to shame and confounded together
That seek after my soul to destroy it:
Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor
That delight in my hurt.
15 Let them be [h]desolate [i]by reason 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,
Jehovah 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.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 40:2 Hebrew a pit of tumult (or destruction).
  2. Psalm 40:4 Or, fall away treacherously
  3. Psalm 40:5 Or, There is none to be compared unto thee
  4. Psalm 40:6 Or, meal-offering
  5. Psalm 40:6 Hebrew Ears hast thou digged (or, pierced) for me.
  6. Psalm 40:7 Or, prescribed to
  7. Psalm 40:12 Hebrew forsaken.
  8. Psalm 40:15 Or, astonished
  9. Psalm 40:15 Or, for a reward of