PSALM 40

¹For the lead player, for David, a psalm.

    ²I urgently hoped for the LORD.

          He bent down toward me and heard my voice,

    ³and He brought me up from the roiling pit,

          from the thickest mire.

    And He set my feet on a crag,

          made my steps firm.

    ⁴And He put in my mouth a new song—

          praise to our God.

    May many see and fear

          and trust in the LORD.

    ⁵Happy the man who puts

          in the LORD his trust

    and does not turn to the sea monster gods

          and to false idols.

    ⁶Many things You have done—You,

          O LORD our God—Your wonders!

    And Your plans for us—

          none can match You,

    I would tell and I would speak:

          they are too numerous to recount.

    ⁷Sacrifice and grain offering You do not desire.

          You opened ears for me:

              for burnt offering and offense offering You do not ask.

    ⁸Then did I think: Look, I come

          with the scroll of the book written for me.

    ⁹To do what pleases You, my God, I desire,

          and Your teaching is deep within me.

    ¹⁰I heralded justice in a great assembly.

          Look, I will not seal my lips.

              LORD, You Yourself know.

    ¹¹Your justice I concealed not in my heart.

          Your faithfulness and Your rescue I spoke.

              I withheld not from the great assembly Your steadfast truth.

    ¹²You, LORD, will not hold back

          Your mercies from me.

    Your steadfast truth

          shall always guard me.

    ¹³For evils drew round me

          beyond count.

    My crimes overtook me

          and I could not see—

    more numerous than the hairs of my head—

          and my heart forsook me.

    ¹⁴Show favor, O LORD, to save me.

          LORD, to my help, hasten.

    ¹⁵May they be shamed and abased one and all,

          who seek my life to destroy it,

    may they fall back and be disgraced,

          who desire my harm.

    ¹⁶Let them be devastated on the heels of their shame,

          who say of me, “Hurrah! Hurrah!”

    ¹⁷Let all who seek You

          exult and rejoice in You.

    May they always say, “God is great!”—

          those who love Your rescue.

    ¹⁸As for me, I am lowly and needy.

          May the Master account it for me.

    My help, he who frees me You are.

          My God, do not delay.