Psalm 38-39
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 38
Prayer of a Suffering Sinner
A Davidic psalm for remembrance.(A)
1 Lord, do not punish me in Your anger
or discipline me in Your wrath.(B)
2 For Your arrows have sunk into me,
and Your hand has pressed down on me.(C)
3 There is no health in my body
because of Your indignation;
there is no strength[a] in my bones
because of my sin.(D)
4 For my sins have flooded over my head;
they are a burden too heavy for me to bear.(E)
5 My wounds are foul and festering
because of my foolishness.(F)
6 I am bent over and brought low;
all day long I go around in mourning.(G)
7 For my loins are full of burning pain,
and there is no health in my body.(H)
8 I am faint and severely crushed;
I groan because of the anguish of my heart.(I)
9 Lord, my every desire is known to[b] You;
my sighing is not hidden from You.(J)
10 My heart races, my strength leaves me,
and even the light of my eyes has faded.[c](K)
11 My loved ones and friends stand back from my affliction,
and my relatives stand at a distance.(L)
12 Those who seek my life set traps,
and those who want to harm me threaten to destroy me;
they plot treachery all day long.(M)
13 I am like a deaf person; I do not hear.
I am like a speechless person
who does not open his mouth.(N)
14 I am like a man who does not hear
and has no arguments in his mouth.(O)
15 I put my hope in You, Lord;
You will answer, Lord my God.(P)
16 For I said, “Don’t let them rejoice over me—
those who are arrogant toward me when I stumble.”(Q)
17 For I am about to fall,
and my pain is constantly with me.(R)
18 So I confess my guilt;
I am anxious because of my sin.(S)
19 But my enemies are vigorous and powerful;[d]
many hate me for no reason.(T)
20 Those who repay evil for good
attack me for pursuing good.(U)
Psalm 39
The Fleeting Nature of Life
For the choir director, for Jeduthun. A Davidic psalm.
1 I said, “I will guard my ways
so that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle
as long as the wicked are in my presence.”(X)
2 I was speechless and quiet;
I kept silent, even from speaking good,
and my pain intensified.(Y)
3 My heart grew hot within me;
as I mused, a fire burned.(Z)
I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Lord, reveal to me the end of my life
and the number of my days.
Let me know how short-lived I am.(AA)
5 You, indeed, have made my days short in length,
and my life span as nothing in Your sight.
Yes, every mortal man is only a vapor.(AB)
6 “Certainly, man walks about like a mere shadow.
Indeed, they frantically rush around in vain,
gathering possessions
without knowing who will get them.(AC)
7 Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You.(AD)
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions;
do not make me the taunt of fools.(AE)
9 I am speechless; I do not open my mouth
because of what You have done.(AF)
10 Remove Your torment from me;
I fade away because of the force of Your hand.(AG)
11 You discipline a man with punishment for sin,
consuming like a moth what is precious to him;(AH)
every man is only a vapor.(AI)
12 “Hear my prayer, Lord,
and listen to my cry for help;
do not be silent at my tears.(AJ)
For I am a foreigner residing with You,
a temporary resident like all my fathers.(AK)
13 Turn Your angry gaze from me
so that I may be cheered up
before I die and am gone.”(AL)
Footnotes
- Psalm 38:3 Hb shalom
- Psalm 38:9 Lit is in front of
- Psalm 38:10 Or and the light of my eyes—even that is not with me
- Psalm 38:19 Or numerous
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