Psalm 40

Modern

Literal

I Waited Patiently for the LORD

¹For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

I waited patiently for the LORD;

He inclined to me and heard my cry.

¹For the one directing. A Psalm of David. I have waited patiently for, YHWH! And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

²He lifted me up from the pit of despair,

out of the miry clay;

He set my feet upon a rock,

and made my footsteps firm.

²And He brought me up from the pit of desolation, from the mud of the mire; and He raised up my feet upon a rock, and has made firm my steps.

³He put a new song in my mouth,

a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear

and put their trust in the LORD.

³And He put in my mouth a new song—praise to our God. Many will see it and will fear, and they will trust in YHWH.

⁴Blessed is the man

who has made the LORD his trust,

who has not turned to the proud,

nor to those who lapse into falsehood.^a

⁴Blessed is the man who makes YHWH his refuge, and does not turn toward the proud, and those turning aside to falsehood!

⁵Many, O LORD my God,

are the wonders You have done,

and the plans You have for us—

none can compare to You—

if I proclaim and declare them,

they are more than I can count.

⁵Much You have done, O YHWH my God, and wonderful are your thoughts toward us—none can compare to You! Were I to declare and speak, they are vast beyond numbering.

⁶Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,

but my ears You have opened.^a

Burnt offerings and sin offerings

You did not require.

⁶In sacrifice and offering You did not take delight, You have opened the ears for me; burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.

⁷Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—

it is written about me in the scroll:

⁷Then I said, “Behold, I have come—in the roll of the book it is written of me.

⁸I delight to do Your will, O my God;^a

Your law is within my heart.”

⁸I have delighted to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is in the midst of my heart.”

⁹I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;

behold, I do not seal my lips,

as You, O LORD, do know.

⁹I have proclaimed tidings of righteousness in the great assembly; behold, I do not restrain my lips, O YHWH, You have known.

¹⁰I have not covered up Your righteousness in my heart;

I have declared Your faithfulness and salvation;

I have not concealed Your loving devotion and faithfulness

from the great assembly.

¹⁰Your righteousness I have not kept hidden in the midst of my heart; Your faithfulness and Your salvation I have declared; I have not concealed Your loving devotion and Your truth from the great assembly.

¹¹O LORD, do not withhold Your mercy from me;

Your loving devotion and faithfulness will always guard me.

¹¹You, O YHWH, do not withhold Your mercies from me; may Your loving devotion and Your truth continually guard me.

¹²For evils without number surround me;

my sins have overtaken me, so that I cannot see.

They are more than the hairs of my head,

and my heart has failed within me.

¹²For evils have surrounded against me, until there is no numbering them; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I am not able to see; they are vast beyond the hairs of my head, and my heart has left me.

¹³Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;

hurry, O LORD, to help me.

¹³Take pleasure, O YHWH, to deliver me! O YHWH, may You hurry to help me!

¹⁴May those who seek my life

be ashamed and confounded;

may those who wish me harm

be repelled and humiliated.

¹⁴Let them be put to shame and confounded together, those seeking my soul, to snatch it away! Let them be driven back and humiliated, those delighting in my harm!

¹⁵May those who say to me, “Aha, aha!”

be appalled at their own shame.

¹⁵Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame, those saying to me, “Aha, aha!”

¹⁶May all who seek You

rejoice and be glad in You;

may those who love Your salvation

always say, “The LORD be magnified!”

¹⁶All those seeking You, may they rejoice and be glad in You; let those loving Your salvation say continually, “YHWH be magnified!”

¹⁷But I am poor and needy;

may the Lord think of me.

You are my helper and deliverer;

O my God, do not delay.

¹⁷And I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me; You are my help and my deliverer—O my God, do not delay!