1I was patient while I waited for the LORD. He turned to me and heard my cry for help.2I was sliding down into the pit of death, and he pulled me out. He brought me up out of the mud and dirt. He set my feet on a rock. He gave me a firm place to stand on.3He gave me a new song to sing. It is a hymn of praise to our God. Many people will see and have respect for the LORD. They will put their trust in him.4Blessed is the person who trusts in the LORD. They don’t trust in proud people. Those proud people worship statues of gods.5LORD my God, no one can compare with you. You have done many wonderful things. You have planned to do these things for us. There are too many of them for me to talk about.6You didn’t want sacrifices and offerings. You didn’t require burnt offerings and sin offerings. You opened my ears so that I could hear you and obey you.7Then I said, ‘Here I am. It is written about me in the book.8My God, I have come to do what you want. Your law is in my heart.’9I have told the whole community of those who worship you. I have told them what you have done to save me. LORD, you know that I haven’t kept quiet.10I haven’t kept to myself that what you did for me was right. I have spoken about how faithful you were when you saved me. I haven’t hidden your love and your faithfulness from the whole community.11LORD, don’t hold back your mercy from me. May your love and faithfulness always keep me safe.12There are more troubles all around me than I can count. My sins have caught up with me, and I can’t see any longer. My sins are more than the hairs of my head. I have lost all hope.13LORD, please save me. LORD, come quickly to help me.14Let all those who are trying to kill me be put to shame. Let them lose their way. Let all those who want to destroy me be turned back in shame.15Some people make fun of me. Let them be shocked when their plans fail.16But let all those who seek you be joyful and glad because of what you have done. Let those who count on you to save them always say, ‘The LORD is great!’17But I am poor and needy. May the Lord be concerned about me. You are the God who helps me and saves me. You are my God, so don’t wait any longer.
Psalm 40
English Standard Version
My Help and My Deliverer
1To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. (Ps 27:14; Ps 37:7; Ps 39:12)2He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. (Ps 27:5; Ps 37:23; Ps 69:2; Ps 69:14; Jer 38:6)3He 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. (De 13:11; Ps 33:3; Ps 52:6; Ps 64:8)4Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! (Le 19:4; De 29:18; Job 23:11; Ps 2:12; Ps 101:3; Ps 125:5; Ho 3:1)5You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told. (Ex 15:11; Ps 9:1; Ps 71:15; Ps 92:5; Ps 139:17; Ps 139:18; Isa 55:8)6In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear.[1] Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. (1Sa 15:22; Job 33:16; Ps 51:16; Pr 21:3; Heb 10:5)7Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: (Lu 24:44)8I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” (Ps 37:31; Ps 119:16; Ps 119:24; Ps 119:35; Ps 119:92; Joh 4:34)9I have told the glad news of deliverance[2] in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord. (Jos 22:22; Ps 22:25; Ps 119:13; Ac 20:20; Ac 20:27)10I 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.11As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me! (Ps 36:5; Ps 57:3; Ps 61:7; Pr 20:28)12For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me. (Ps 38:4; Ps 38:10; Ps 69:4; Ps 73:26; Ps 116:3)13Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me! (Ps 22:19; Ps 22:20; Ps 38:22; Ps 70:1; Ps 71:12; Ps 141:1)14Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether who seek to snatch away my life; let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt! (Ps 6:10; Ps 35:4; Ps 35:26; Ps 71:13)15Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, “Aha, Aha!” (Ps 35:21; Ps 35:25; Ps 70:3)16But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!” (Ps 35:27)17As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God! (Ps 86:1; Ps 109:22; 1Pe 5:7)