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A Prayer in Time of Sickness

A psalm of David ·to remember [or for the memorial offering].

38 Lord, don’t ·correct [rebuke; reprove] me when you are angry.
Don’t ·punish [discipline] me when you are ·furious [enraged; 6:1].

Your arrows have ·wounded [pierced] me,
    and your hand has come down on me.
My ·body [flesh] is ·sick [L not sound] from your ·punishment [L indignation].
    Even my bones are not healthy because of my sin.
My guilt has ·overwhelmed me [L passed over my head];
    like a ·load [burden] it ·weighs me down [is too heavy for me].

My sores stink and become infected
    because I was foolish.
I am bent over and bowed down;
    I ·am sad [L walk around mourning] all day long.
·I am burning with fever [L My loins are burned with fever],
    and my ·whole body [flesh] is ·sore [L not sound].
I am weak and ·faint [L completely crushed].
    I ·moan [groan] from the ·pain I feel [L anguish of my heart].

Lord, you know everything I ·want [desire; long for];
    my ·cries [sighs] are not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds, and my strength ·is gone [abandons/forsakes me].
    ·I am losing my sight [L The light of my eyes is not with me].
11 Because of my wounds, ·my friends [L those who love me] and neighbors ·avoid [L stand away from] me,
    and my relatives ·stay [L stand] far away.
12 ·Some people set traps to kill me [L Those who seek my life set traps for me].
    Those who ·want [seek] to ·hurt [harm; trouble] me plan trouble;
all day long they ·think up [meditate on] ·lies [deception].

13 I am like the deaf; I cannot hear.
    Like the mute, I cannot ·speak [open my mouth].
14 I am like those who do not hear,
    who have no ·answer [reproof] ·to give [L in their mouth].
15 I ·trust [hope in; wait for] you, Lord.
    You will answer, my Lord and God.
16 I said, “Don’t let them ·laugh at [rejoice in] me
    or ·brag [boast] when ·I am defeated [L my foot totters/slips].”
17 I am ·about to die [L ready to stumble],
    and ·I cannot forget my pain [L my pain is constantly with me].
18 I confess my guilt;
    I am troubled by my sin.
19 My ·enemies are strong and [L living enemies are] healthy,
    and many hate me for no reason.
20 They repay me with evil for the good I did.
    They ·lie about me [L are my accusers/adversaries] because I ·try to do [L pursued] good.

21 Lord, don’t ·leave [abandon; forsake] me;
    my God, don’t ·go away [be far from me].
22 Quickly come and help me,
    my Lord and Savior.

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.

For Your arrows have sunk into me and penetrate deeply,
And Your hand has pressed down on me and greatly disciplined me.

There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation;
There is no health in my bones because of my sin.

For my iniquities have gone over my head [like the waves of a flood];
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.

My wounds are loathsome and foul
Because of my foolishness.

I am bent over and greatly bowed down;
I go about mourning all day long.

For my sides are filled with burning,
And there is no health in my flesh.

I am numb and greatly bruised [deadly cold and completely worn out];
I groan because of the disquiet and moaning of my heart.


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.