Compare Psalm 40:1-2 in Four Translations

I waited patiently for the LORD.
He turned to me and heard my cry for help.
He pulled me out of a horrible pit,
out of the mud and clay.
He set my feet on a rock
and made my steps secure.
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
Meaning-for-Meaning (Closest Natural Equivalence)

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.
King James Version (KJV)
Word-for-Word (Formal Equivalence)

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I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
New International Version (NIV)
Thought-for-Thought (Functional Equivalence)

I waited patiently for God to help me; then he listened and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out from the bog and the mire, and set my feet on a hard, firm path, and steadied me as I walked along.
The Living Bible (TLB)
Paraphrase (Retelling)

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