38 O Yahweh, do not rebuke me in your anger
or chastise me in your wrath.
² For your arrows have sunk into me,
and your hand has pressed down on 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 passed over my head;
like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
⁵ My wounds start to stink; they rot
because of my foolishness.
⁶ I am bowed down; I am bent over greatly.
All the day I go about mourning.
⁷ For my loins are full of burning,
and there is no soundness in my flesh.
⁸ I am faint and crushed greatly;
I groan because of the roaring of my heart.
⁹ O Lord, all my longing is before you,
and my sighing is not hidden from you.
¹⁰ My heart throbs violently, my strength leaves me;
and the light of my eyes, that also is not with me.
¹¹ My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction,
and my relatives stand afar off.
¹² Those who seek my life lay snares as well,
and those intent on my harm speak threats.
They also plot deceit all day.
¹³ But as for me, like the deaf I cannot hear,
and I am like the mute who cannot open his mouth.
¹⁴ And so I am like a man who hears not,
and in whose mouth there are no retorts.
¹⁵ Rather for you I wait, O Yahweh.
You will answer, O Lord my God.
¹⁶ For I said, “Help, lest they rejoice over me,
lest they boast against me when my foot slips.”
¹⁷ For I am ready to stumble,
and my pain is before me continually.
¹⁸ For my iniquity I confess;
I am anxious because of my sin.
¹⁹ And my enemies without cause^[b] are numerous,
and those who hate me wrongfully^[c] are many.
²⁰ And those who repay evil in return for good
accuse me in return for my pursuing good.
²¹ Do not forsake me, O Yahweh.
O my God, do not be far from me.
²² Hurry to help me,
O Lord, my salvation.