Psalm 38-40

Amplified Bible

Prayer in Time of Discipline.

A Psalm of David; to bring to remembrance.

38 O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath,
Nor discipline me in Your burning anger.
²
For Your arrows have sunk into me and penetrate deeply,
And Your hand has pressed down on me and greatly disciplined me.
³
There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation;
There is no health in my bones because of my sin.
⁴
For my iniquities have gone over my head [like the waves of a flood];
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
⁵
My wounds are loathsome and foul
Because of my foolishness.
⁶
I am bent over and greatly bowed down;
I go about mourning all day long.
⁷
For my sides are filled with burning,
And there is no health in my flesh.
⁸
I am numb and greatly bruised [deadly cold and completely worn out];
I groan because of the disquiet and moaning of my heart.

⁹
Lord, all my desire is before You;
And my sighing is not hidden from You.
¹⁰
My heart throbs violently, my strength fails me;
And as for the light of my eyes, even that has also gone from me.
¹¹
My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my neighbors stand far away.^(A)
¹²
Those who seek my life lay snares for me,
And those who seek to injure me threaten mischievous things and destruction;
They devise treachery all the day long.

¹³
But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
I am like a mute man who does not open his mouth.
¹⁴
Yes, I am like a man who does not hear,
In whose mouth are no arguments.
¹⁵
For in You, O Lord, I hope;
You will answer, O Lord my God.
¹⁶
For I pray, “May they not rejoice over me,
Who, when my foot slips, would boast against me.”
¹⁷
For I am ready to fall;
My sorrow is continually before me.
¹⁸
For I do confess my guilt and iniquity;
I am filled with anxiety because of my sin.^(B)
¹⁹
But my [numerous] enemies are vigorous and strong,
And those who hate me without cause are many.
²⁰
They repay evil for good, they attack and try to kill me,
Because I follow what is good.
²¹
Do not abandon me, O Lord;
O my God, do not be far from me.
²²
Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my Salvation.

The Vanity of Life.

To the Chief Musician; for Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

39 I said, “I will guard my ways
That I may not sin with my tongue;
I will muzzle my mouth
While the wicked are in my presence.”
²
I was mute and silent [before my enemies],
I refrained even from good,
And my ^[a]distress grew worse.
³
My heart was hot within me.
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue:
⁴
“Lord, let me know my [life’s] end
And [to appreciate] the extent of my days;
Let me know how frail I am [how transient is my stay here].
⁵
“Behold, You have made my days as [short as] hand widths,
And my lifetime is as nothing in Your sight.
Surely every man at his best is a mere breath [a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes]!^(C) Selah.
⁶
“Surely every man walks around like a shadow [in a charade];
Surely they make an uproar for nothing;
Each one builds up riches, not knowing who will receive them.^(D)

⁷
“And now, Lord, for what do I expectantly wait?
My hope [my confident expectation] is in You.
⁸
“Save me from all my transgressions;
Do not make me the scorn and reproach of the [self-righteous, arrogant] fool.
⁹
“I am mute, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is You who has done it.
¹⁰
“Remove Your plague from me;
I am wasting away because of the conflict and opposition of Your hand.
¹¹
“With rebukes You discipline man for sin;
You consume like a moth what is precious to him;
Surely every man is a mere breath [a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes]. Selah.

¹²
“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and listen to my cry;
Do not be silent at my tears;
For I am Your temporary guest,
A sojourner like all my fathers.
¹³
“O look away from me, that I may smile and again know joy
Before I depart and am no more.”

God Sustains His Servant.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

40 I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
²
He brought me up out of a horrible pit [of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock, steadying my footsteps and establishing my path.
³
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear [with great reverence]
And will trust confidently in the Lord.^(E)

⁴
Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not regard the proud nor those who lapse into lies.
⁵
Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of your wonders,
They would be too many to count.

⁶
Sacrifice and meal offering You do not desire, nor do You delight in them;
You have opened my ears and given me the capacity to hear [and obey Your word];
Burnt offerings and sin offerings You do not require.^(F)
⁷
Then I said, “Behold, I come [to the throne];
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
⁸
“I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your law is within my heart.”^(G)

⁹
I have proclaimed good news of righteousness [and the joy that comes from obedience to You] in the great assembly;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips [from proclaiming Your righteousness],
As You know, O Lord.
¹⁰
I have not concealed Your righteousness within my heart;
I have proclaimed Your faithfulness and Your salvation.
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly.^(H)

¹¹
Do not withhold Your compassion and tender mercy from me, O Lord;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.
¹²
For innumerable evils have encompassed me;
My sins have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see.
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my heart has failed me.

¹³
Be pleased, O Lord, to save me;
O Lord, make haste to help me.
¹⁴
Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back [in defeat] and dishonored
Who delight in my hurt.
¹⁵
Let those be appalled and desolate because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha [rejoicing in my misfortune]!”
¹⁶
Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“The Lord be magnified!”
¹⁷
Even though I am afflicted and needy,
Still the Lord takes thought and is mindful of me.
You are my help and my rescuer.
O my God, do not delay.^(I)