TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Chapter 40
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1For the leader. A psalm of David.
אלַמְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר׃
2I put my hope in Hashem; He inclined toward me, and heeded my cry.
ka-VOH ki-VEE-tee a-do-NAI va-YAYT ay-LAI va-yish-MA shav-a-TEE
בקַוּׂה קִוִּיתִי יְהֹוָה וַיֵּט אֵלַי וַיִּשְׁמַע שַׁוְעָתִי׃
40:2 I put my hope in Hashem
In Tehillim, King David often calls out to Hashem in pain; expressing his suffering and calling for salvation. Here, David reminds us that God not only listens to his pleas, but also responds. Psalm 40 opens with a direct response to Psalm 27’s last line: “Look to Hashem; be strong and of good courage! O look to Hashem!” David tells us that he indeed put his hope in Hashem, and Hashem listened, heard his cry and saved him. Perhaps in this verse David is acknowledging his salvation from Shaul, perhaps he is rejoicing in the return of the Ark to Yerushalayim, or perhaps he is just sharing the momentary bliss of his wives, his children or his nation. We believe that our prayers are always heard by God; sometimes the time is right for Him only to listen, and sometimes He responds with great salvation. Those times require us to sing great praise to Him.
3He lifted me out of the miry pit, the slimy clay, and set my feet on a rock, steadied my legs.
גוַיַּעֲלֵנִי מִבּוֹר שָׁאוֹן מִטִּיט הַיָּוֵן וַיָּקֶם עַל־סֶלַע רַגְלַי כּוֹנֵן אֲשֻׁרָי׃
4He put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God. May many see it and stand in awe, and trust in Hashem.
דוַיִּתֵּן בְּפִי שִׁיר חָדָשׁ תְּהִלָּה לֵאלֹהֵינוּ יִרְאוּ רַבִּים וְיִירָאוּ וְיִבְטְחוּ בַּיהֹוָה׃
5Happy is the man who makes Hashem his trust, who turns not to the arrogant or to followers of falsehood.
האַשְׁרֵי הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר־שָׂם יְהֹוָה מִבְטַחוֹ וְלֹא־פָנָה אֶל־רְהָבִים וְשָׂטֵי כָזָב׃
6You, Hashem my God, have done many things; the wonders You have devised for us cannot be set out before You; I would rehearse the tale of them, but they are more than can be told.
ורַבּוֹת עָשִׂיתָ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהַי נִפְלְאֹתֶיךָ וּמַחְשְׁבֹתֶיךָ אֵלֵינוּ אֵין עֲרֹךְ אֵלֶיךָ אַגִּידָה וַאֲדַבֵּרָה עָצְמוּ מִסַּפֵּר׃
7You gave me to understand that You do not desire sacrifice and meal offering; You do not ask for burnt offering and sin offering.
זזֶבַח וּמִנְחָה לֹא־חָפַצְתָּ אָזְנַיִם כָּרִיתָ לִּי עוֹלָה וַחֲטָאָה לֹא שָׁאָלְתָּ׃
8Then I said, “See, I will bring a scroll recounting what befell me.”
חאָז אָמַרְתִּי הִנֵּה־בָאתִי בִּמְגִלַּת־סֵפֶר כָּתוּב עָלָי׃
9To do what pleases You, my God, is my desire; Your teaching is in my inmost parts.
טלַעֲשׂוֹת־רְצוֹנְךָ אֱלֹהַי חָפָצְתִּי וְתוֹרָתְךָ בְּתוֹךְ מֵעָי׃
10I proclaimed [Your] righteousness in a great congregation; see, I did not withhold my words; Hashem, You must know it.
יבִּשַּׂרְתִּי צֶדֶק בְּקָהָל רָב הִנֵּה שְׂפָתַי לֹא אֶכְלָא יְהֹוָה אַתָּה יָדָעְתָּ׃
11I did not keep Your beneficence to myself; I declared Your faithful deliverance; I did not fail to speak of Your steadfast love in a great congregation.
יאצִדְקָתְךָ לֹא־כִסִּיתִי בְּתוֹךְ לִבִּי אֱמוּנָתְךָ וּתְשׁוּעָתְךָ אָמָרְתִּי לֹא־כִחַדְתִּי חַסְדְּךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ לְקָהָל רָב׃
12Hashem, You will not withhold from me Your compassion; Your steadfast love will protect me always.
יבאַתָּה יְהֹוָה לֹא־תִכְלָא רַחֲמֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי חַסְדְּךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ תָּמִיד יִצְּרוּנִי׃
13For misfortunes without number envelop me; my iniquities have caught up with me; I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; I am at my wits' end.
יגכִּי אָפְפוּ־עָלַי רָעוֹת עַד־אֵין מִסְפָּר הִשִּׂיגוּנִי עֲוׂנֹתַי וְלֹא־יָכֹלְתִּי לִרְאוֹת עָצְמוּ מִשַּׂעֲרוֹת רֹאשִׁי וְלִבִּי עֲזָבָנִי׃
14O favor me, Hashem, and save me; Hashem, hasten to my aid.
ידרְצֵה יְהֹוָה לְהַצִּילֵנִי יְהֹוָה לְעֶזְרָתִי חוּשָׁה׃
15Let those who seek to destroy my life be frustrated and disgraced; let those who wish me harm fall back in shame.
טויֵבֹשׁוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ יַחַד מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשִׁי לִסְפּוֹתָהּ יִסֹּגוּ אָחוֹר וְיִכָּלְמוּ חֲפֵצֵי רָעָתִי׃
16Let those who say “Aha! Aha!” over me be desolate because of their frustration.
טזיָשֹׁמּוּ עַל־עֵקֶב בָּשְׁתָּם הָאֹמְרִים לִי הֶאָח הֶאָח׃
17But let all who seek You be glad and rejoice in You; let those who are eager for Your deliverance always say, “Extolled be Hashem!”
יזיָשִׂישׂוּ וְיִשְׂמְחוּ בְּךָ כָּל־מְבַקְשֶׁיךָ יֹאמְרוּ תָמִיד יִגְדַּל יְהֹוָה אֹהֲבֵי תְּשׁוּעָתֶךָ׃
18But I am poor and needy; may Hashem devise [deliverance] for me. You are my help and my rescuer; my God, do not delay.
יחוַאֲנִי עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן אֲדֹנָי יַחֲשָׁב לִי עֶזְרָתִי וּמְפַלְטִי אַתָּה אֱלֹהַי אַל־תְּאַחַר׃
