Psalms 40

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

“To the chief musician, a psalm of David.” I had waited patiently for the Lord, when he inclined himself unto 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.

And he brought me up out of the noiseful deep, out of the miry clay, and he set up my feet upon a rock, making firm my steps.

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.

And he placed in my mouth a new song, a praise unto our God: many will see it, and fear; and they will trust in the Lord.

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

Happy is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and turneth not unto the proud, nor such as stray aside unto 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 things hast thou done, O Lord my God; thy wonderful deeds and thy thoughts toward us—there is none to be compared unto thee—will I tell and speak of, [though] they are too numerous to 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.

Sacrifice and meat-offering thou desirest not—ears hast thou hollowed out unto me—burnt-offering and sin-offering thou demandest not.

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

Then said I, Lo, I come: in the roll of the book it is written down for me;

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

To fulfill thy will, O my God, do I desire; and thy law is within 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 announce [thy] righteousness in the great assembly: lo, I will not refrain my lips, O Lord, thou well knowest it.

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.

Thy righteousness have I never hidden within my heart; thy faithfulness and thy salvation have I spoken of openly: I have not concealed thy kindness and thy truth before the great assembly.

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

Do thou, O Lord, not withhold thy mercies from me: let thy kindness and thy truth continually watch over 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.

For evils without number have compassed me about; my iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see: they are more numerous than the hairs of my head; and my courage hath forsaken me.

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

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, hasten to my help.

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.

May those be made ashamed and put to the blush together that seek after my soul to take her away: let them be driven backward and be confounded, that wish for my mishap.

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

May they be astonished in consequence of their shame that say unto 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 that seek thee be glad and rejoice in thee: may they say continually, The Lord be magnified, —those that love thy salvation.

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.

But though I be poor and needy, the Lord will think of me: my help and my deliverer art thou: O my God, delay not.