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Psalm 40

Thanksgiving for Deliverance and Prayer for Help

To the leader. Of David. A Psalm.

I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he inclined to me and heard my cry.(A)
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.(B)
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.(C)

Happy are those who make
    the Lord their trust,
who do not turn to the proud,
    to those who go astray after false gods.(D)
You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
    your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
    none can compare with you.
Were I to proclaim and tell of them,
    they would be more than can be counted.(E)

Sacrifice and offering you do not desire,
    but you have given me an open ear.[b]
Burnt offering and sin offering
    you have not required.(F)
Then I said, “Here I am;
    in the scroll of the book it is written of me.[c]
I delight to do your will, O my God;
    your law is within my heart.”(G)

I have told the glad news of deliverance
    in the great congregation;
see, I have not restrained my lips,
    as you know, O Lord.(H)
10 I have not hidden your saving help 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.(I)

11 Do not, O Lord, withhold
    your mercy from me;
let your steadfast love and your faithfulness
    keep me safe forever.(J)
12 For evils have encompassed me
    without number;
my iniquities have overtaken me
    until I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head,
    and my heart fails me.(K)

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

16 But may all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
    say continually, “Great is the Lord!”(O)
17 As 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.(P)

Psalm 41

Assurance of God’s Help and a Plea for Healing

To the leader. A Psalm of David.

Happy are those who consider the poor;[d]
    the Lord delivers them in the day of trouble.(Q)
The Lord protects them and keeps them alive;
    they are called happy in the land.
    You do not give them up to the will of their enemies.(R)
The Lord sustains them on their sickbed;
    in their illness you heal all their infirmities.[e](S)

As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;
    heal me, for I have sinned against you.”(T)
My enemies wonder in malice
    when I will die and my name perish.(U)
And when they come to see me, they utter empty words
    while their hearts gather mischief;
    when they go out, they tell it abroad.(V)
All who hate me whisper together about me;
    they imagine the worst for me.(W)

They think that a deadly thing has fastened on me,
    that I will not rise again from where I lie.(X)
Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
    who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me.(Y)
10 But you, O Lord, be gracious to me,
    and raise me up, that I may repay them.(Z)

11 By this I know that you are pleased with me:
    because my enemy has not triumphed over me.(AA)
12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity
    and set me in your presence forever.(AB)

13 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting.
                Amen and Amen.(AC)

Footnotes

  1. 40.2 Cn: Heb pit of tumult
  2. 40.6 Heb ears you have dug for me
  3. 40.7 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  4. 41.1 Or weak
  5. 41.3 Heb you change all his bed

Psalm 40[a](A)

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

I waited patiently(B) for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.(C)
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,(D)
    out of the mud(E) and mire;(F)
he set my feet(G) on a rock(H)
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song(I) in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord(J)
    and put their trust(K) in him.

Blessed is the one(L)
    who trusts in the Lord,(M)
who does not look to the proud,(N)
    to those who turn aside to false gods.[b](O)
Many, Lord my God,
    are the wonders(P) you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
None can compare(Q) with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many(R) to declare.

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—(S)
    but my ears you have opened[c](T)
    burnt offerings(U) and sin offerings[d] you did not require.
Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
    it is written about me in the scroll.[e](V)
I desire to do your will,(W) my God;(X)
    your law is within my heart.”(Y)

I proclaim your saving acts(Z) in the great assembly;(AA)
    I do not seal my lips, Lord,
    as you know.(AB)
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
    I speak of your faithfulness(AC) and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
    from the great assembly.(AD)

11 Do not withhold your mercy(AE) from me, Lord;
    may your love(AF) and faithfulness(AG) always protect(AH) me.
12 For troubles(AI) without number surround me;
    my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.(AJ)
They are more than the hairs of my head,(AK)
    and my heart fails(AL) within me.
13 Be pleased to save me, Lord;
    come quickly, Lord, to help me.(AM)

14 May all who want to take my life(AN)
    be put to shame and confusion;(AO)
may all who desire my ruin(AP)
    be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”(AQ)
    be appalled at their own shame.
16 But may all who seek you(AR)
    rejoice and be glad(AS) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
    “The Lord is great!”(AT)

17 But as for me, I am poor and needy;(AU)
    may the Lord think(AV) of me.
You are my help(AW) and my deliverer;(AX)
    you are my God, do not delay.(AY)

Psalm 41[f]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Blessed(AZ) are those who have regard for the weak;(BA)
    the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.(BB)
The Lord protects(BC) and preserves them—(BD)
    they are counted among the blessed in the land—(BE)
    he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.(BF)
The Lord sustains them on their sickbed(BG)
    and restores them from their bed of illness.(BH)

I said, “Have mercy(BI) on me, Lord;
    heal(BJ) me, for I have sinned(BK) against you.”
My enemies say of me in malice,
    “When will he die and his name perish?(BL)
When one of them comes to see me,
    he speaks falsely,(BM) while his heart gathers slander;(BN)
    then he goes out and spreads(BO) it around.

All my enemies whisper together(BP) against me;
    they imagine the worst for me, saying,
“A vile disease has afflicted him;
    he will never get up(BQ) from the place where he lies.”
Even my close friend,(BR)
    someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
    has turned[g] against me.(BS)

10 But may you have mercy(BT) on me, Lord;
    raise me up,(BU) that I may repay(BV) them.
11 I know that you are pleased with me,(BW)
    for my enemy does not triumph over me.(BX)
12 Because of my integrity(BY) you uphold me(BZ)
    and set me in your presence forever.(CA)

13 Praise(CB) be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(CC)
    from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.(CD)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 40:1 In Hebrew texts 40:1-17 is numbered 40:2-18.
  2. Psalm 40:4 Or to lies
  3. Psalm 40:6 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts but a body you have prepared for me
  4. Psalm 40:6 Or purification offerings
  5. Psalm 40:7 Or come / with the scroll written for me
  6. Psalm 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-13 is numbered 41:2-14.
  7. Psalm 41:9 Hebrew has lifted up his heel

40 I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and 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 the Lord.

Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, 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 congregation.

11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.

13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me.

14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.

15 Let them be desolate for a reward 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, The Lord 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.

41 Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.

The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.

The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.

I said, Lord, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.

Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish?

And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.

All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.

An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.

Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

10 But thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.

11 By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.

12 And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever.

13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.