Psalms 40

1 Unto the end. A Psalm of David himself. I have waited expectantly for the Lord, and he was attentive to me.

For the chief musician. A psalm of David. I waited patiently for Yahweh; he listened to me and heard my cry.

2 And he heard my prayers and he led me out of the pit of misery and the quagmire. And he stationed my feet upon a rock, and he directed my steps.

He brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and he set my feet on a rock and made my steps secure.

3 And he sent a new canticle into my mouth, a song to our God. Many will see, and they will fear; and they will hope in the Lord.

He has put a new song in my mouth, praise to our God. Many will see it and honor him and will trust in Yahweh.

4 Blessed is the man whose hope is in the name of the Lord, and who has no respect for vanities and absurd falsehoods.

Blessed is the man who makes Yahweh his trust and does not honor the proud or those who turn away from him to lies.

5 You have accomplished your many wonders, O Lord my God, and there is no one similar to you in your thoughts. I have announced and I have spoken: they are multiplied beyond number.

Many, Yahweh my God, are the wonderful deeds that you have done, and your thoughts which are about us cannot be numbered; if I declared and spoke of them, they would be more than could be counted.

6 Sacrifice and oblation, you did not want. But you have perfected ears for me. Holocaust and sin offering, you did not require.

You have no delight in sacrifice or offering, but you have opened my ears; you have not required burnt offerings or sin offerings.

7 Then I said, “Behold, I draw near.” At the head of the book, it has been written of me:

Then said I, “See, I have come; it is written about me in the scroll of the document.

8 that I should do your will. My God, I have willed it. And your law is in the midst of my heart.

I delight to do your will, my God; your laws are in my heart.”

9 I have announced your justice in a great Church: behold, I will not restrain my lips. O Lord, you have known it.

I have proclaimed good news of your righteousness in the great assembly; Yahweh, you know that my lips have not kept back from doing this.

10 I have not concealed your justice within my heart. I have spoken your truth and your salvation. I have not concealed your mercy and your truth from a great assembly.

I have not concealed your righteousness in my heart; I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your covenant faithfulness or your trustworthiness from the great assembly.

11 O Lord, do not take your tender mercies far from me. Your mercy and your truth ever sustain me.

Do not keep back your acts of mercy from me, Yahweh; let your covenant faithfulness and your trustworthiness always preserve me.

12 For evils without number have surrounded me. My iniquities have taken hold of me, and I was not able to see. They have been multiplied beyond the hairs of my head. And my heart has forsaken me.

Troubles that cannot be numbered surround me; my iniquities have caught up with me so that I am no longer able to see anything; they are more than the hairs on my head, and my heart has failed me.

13 Be pleased, O Lord, to rescue me. Look down, O Lord, to help me.

Be pleased, Yahweh, to rescue me; hurry to help me, Yahweh.

14 Let them together be confounded and awed, who seek after my soul to steal it away. Let them be turned back and be in awe, who wish evils upon me.

Let them be ashamed and completely disappointed who pursue my life to take it away. Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor, those who delight in hurting me.

15 Let them bear their confusion all at once, who say to me, “Well, well.”

Let them be shocked because of their shame, those who say to me, “Aha, aha!”

16 Let all who seek you exult and rejoice over you. And let those who love your salvation always say, “May the Lord be magnified.”

But may all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; let everyone who loves your salvation say continually, “May Yahweh be praised.”

17 But I am a beggar and poor. The Lord has been concerned about me. You are my helper and my protector. My God, do not delay.

I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks about me. You are my help and you come to my rescue; do not delay, my God.