Psalm 39

Ψαλμοί

Psalm 40 in the Hebrew numbering, which most Western Bibles follow.

1 Εἰς τὸ τέλος· ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυΐδ.

(40) For the end, a Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the Lord; and he attended to me, and listened to my supplication.

2 ΥΠΟΜΕΝΩΝ ὑπέμεινα τὸν Κύριον, καὶ προσέσχε μοι καὶ εἰσήκουσε τῆς δεήσεώς μου

In the English, this verse is part of verse 1.

3 καὶ ἀνήγαγέ με ἐκ λάκκου ταλαιπωρίας καὶ ἀπὸ πηλοῦ ἰλύος καὶ ἔστησεν ἐπὶ πέτραν τοὺς πόδας μου καὶ κατηύθυνε τὰ διαβήματά μου

And he brought me up out of a pit of misery, and from miry clay: and he set my feet on a rock, and ordered my goings aright. (verse 2 in Brenton's English)

4 καὶ ἐνέβαλεν εἰς τὸ στόμα μου ᾆσμα καινόν, ὕμνον τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν· ὄψονται πολλοὶ καὶ φοβηθήσονται καὶ ἐλπιοῦσιν ἐπὶ Κύριον.

And he put a new song into my mouth, [even] a hymn to our God: many shall see [it], and fear, and shall hope in the Lord. (verse 3 in Brenton's English)

5 μακάριος ἀνήρ, οὗ ἐστι τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου ἐλπὶς αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἐπέβλεψεν εἰς ματαιότητας καὶ μανίας ψευδεῖς.

Blessed [is] the man whose hope is in the name of the Lord, and [who] has not regarded vanities and false frenzies. (verse 4 in Brenton's English)

6 πολλὰ ἐποίησας σύ, Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου, τὰ θαυμάσιά σου, καὶ τοῖς διαλογισμοῖς σου οὐκ ἔστι τίς ὁμοιωθήσεταί σοι· ἀπήγγειλα καὶ ἐλάλησα, ἐπληθύνθησαν ὑπὲρ ἀριθμόν.

O Lord my God, you have multiplied your wonderful works, and in your thoughts there is none who shall be likened to you: I declared and spoke [of them]: they exceeded number. (verse 5 in Brenton's English)

7 θυσίαν καὶ προσφορὰν οὐκ ἠθέλησας, σῶμα δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι· ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας οὐκ ἐζήτησας.

Sacrifice and offering you would not; but a body have you prepared me: whole burnt offering and [sacrifice] for sin you did not require. (verse 6 in Brenton's English)

8 τότε εἶπον· ἰδοὺ ἥκω, ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ·

Then I said, Behold, I come: in the volume of the book it is written concerning me, (verse 7 in Brenton's English)

9 τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημά σου, ὁ Θεός μου, ἐβουλήθην καὶ τὸν νόμον σου ἐν μέσῳ τῆς κοιλίας μου.

I desired to do your will, O my God, and your law in the midst of my heart. (verse 8 in Brenton's English)

10 εὐηγγελισάμην δικαιοσύνην ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ μεγάλῃ· ἰδοὺ τὰ χείλη μου οὐ μὴ κωλύσω· Κύριε, σὺ ἔγνως.

I have preached righteousness in the great congregation; behold! I will not refrain my lips; O Lord, you know my righteousness. (verse 9 in Brenton's English)

11 τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου οὐκ ἔκρυψα ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου, τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου καὶ τὸ σωτήριόν σου εἶπα, οὐκ ἔκρυψα τὸ ἔλεός σου καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου ἀπὸ συναγωγῆς πολλῆς.

I have not hid your truth within my heart, and I have declared your salvation; I have not hid your mercy and your truth from the great congregation. (verse 10 in Brenton's English)

12 σὺ δέ, Κύριε, μὴ μακρύνῃς τοὺς οἰκτιρμούς σου ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ· τὸ ἔλεός σου καὶ ἡ ἀλήθειά σου διαπαντὸς ἀντιλάβοιντό μου.

But you, Lord, remove not your compassion far from me; your mercy and your truth have helped me continually. (verse 11 in Brenton's English)

13 ὅτι περιέσχον με κακά, ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός, κατέλαβόν με αἱ ἀνομίαι μου, καὶ οὐκ ἠδυνήθην τοῦ βλέπειν· ἐπληθύνθησαν ὑπὲρ τὰς τρίχας τῆς κεφαλῆς μου, καὶ ἡ καρδία μου ἐγκατέλιπέ με.

For innumerable evils have encompassed me; my transgressions have taken hold of me, and I could not see; they are multiplied more than the hairs of my head; and my heart has failed me. (verse 12 in Brenton's English)

14 εὐδόκησον, Κύριε, τοῦ ρύσασθαί με· Κύριε, εἰς τὸ βοηθῆσαί μοι πρόσχες.

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, draw near to help me. (verse 13 in Brenton's English)

15 καταισχυνθείησαν καὶ ἐντραπείησαν ἅμα οἱ ζητοῦντες τὴν ψυχήν μου τοῦ ἐξᾶραι αὐτήν· ἀποστραφείησαν εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω καὶ καταισχυνθείησαν οἱ θέλοντές μοι κακά·

Let those that seek my soul, to destroy it, be ashamed and confounded together; let those that wish me evil be turned backward and put to shame. (verse 14 in Brenton's English)

16 κομισάσθωσαν παραχρῆμα αἰσχύνην αὐτῶν οἱ λέγοντές μοι· εὖγε, εὖγε.

Let those that say to me, Aha, aha, quickly receive shame for their reward. (verse 15 in Brenton's English)

17 ἀγαλλιάσθωσαν καὶ εὐφρανθήτωσαν ἐπὶ σοὶ πάντες οἱ ζητοῦντές σε, Κύριε, καὶ εἰπάτωσαν διαπαντός· μεγαλυνθήτω ὁ Κύριος, οἱ ἀγαπῶντες τὸ σωτήριόν σου.

Let all those that seek you, O Lord, exult and rejoice in you; and let them that love your salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified. (verse 16 in Brenton's English)

18 ἐγὼ δὲ πτωχός εἰμι καὶ πένης, Κύριος φροντιεῖ μου. βοηθός μου καὶ ὑπερασπιστής μου εἶ σύ· ὁ Θεός μου, μὴ χρονίσῃς.

But I am poor and needy; the Lord will take care of me; you are my helper, and my defender, O my God, delay not. (verse 17 in Brenton's English)

Greek: the Septuagint as the Orthodox Media Network published it (Mount Athos); 2 Maccabees and the Prayer of Manasseh from Brenton's edition (1851). English: Brenton's translation (1851), its spelling updated by Michael Paul Johnson; public domain. About these texts.