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Do Not Forsake Me, O Yahweh

A Psalm of David. To bring to remembrance.

38 O Yahweh, (A)reprove me not in Your wrath,
And discipline me not in Your burning anger.
For Your (B)arrows have pressed deep into me,
And (C)Your hand has pressed down upon me.
There is (D)no soundness in my flesh (E)because of Your indignation;
There is no health (F)in my bones because of my sin.
For my (G)iniquities go over my head;
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
My [a]wounds stink and rot
Because of (H)my [b]folly.
I am bent over and (I)greatly bowed down;
I (J)go mourning all day long.
For my loins are filled with (K)burning,
And there is (L)no soundness in my flesh.
I am (M)faint and [c]badly crushed;
I [d](N)groan because of the [e]agitation of my heart.

Lord, all (O)my desire is [f]before You;
And my (P)sighing is not hidden from You.
10 My heart throbs, (Q)my strength forsakes me;
And the (R)light of my eyes, even [g]that [h]has gone from me.
11 My [i](S)loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen (T)stand afar off.
12 Those who (U)search for my life (V)lay snares for me;
And those who (W)seek [j]to do me evil have [k]threatened destruction,
And they (X)meditate on deception all day long.

13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a (Y)mute man who does not open his mouth.
14 And I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth are no reproofs.
15 For (Z)I [l]wait on You, O Yahweh;
You (AA)will answer, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Save, lest they be glad over me,
Who, when my foot stumbles, (AB)magnify themselves against me.”
17 For I am (AC)ready to fall,
And (AD)my [m]sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I [n](AE)confess my iniquity;
I am full of (AF)anxiety because of my sin.
19 But my (AG)enemies are vigorous and [o]strong,
And those who wrongfully (AH)hate me abound.
20 And those who (AI)repay evil for good,
They (AJ)accuse me, for I pursue what is good.
21 Do not forsake me, O Yahweh;
O my God, (AK)do not be far from me!
22 Make (AL)haste to help me,
O Lord, (AM)my salvation!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 38:5 Or stripes
  2. Psalm 38:5 A lack of wisdom due to negligence or carelessness; the activity of an ignorant fool
  3. Psalm 38:8 Or greatly
  4. Psalm 38:8 Lit roar
  5. Psalm 38:8 Lit growling
  6. Psalm 38:9 Or known to You
  7. Psalm 38:10 Lit they have
  8. Psalm 38:10 Lit is not with me
  9. Psalm 38:11 Or lovers
  10. Psalm 38:12 Or my calamity
  11. Psalm 38:12 Lit spoken
  12. Psalm 38:15 Or hope for
  13. Psalm 38:17 Lit pain
  14. Psalm 38:18 Or declare
  15. Psalm 38:19 Or numerous

Psalm 38

A psalm of David. For the memorial offering.

38 Please, Lord, don’t punish me when you are mad;
    don’t discipline me when you are furious.
Your arrows have pierced me;
    your fist has come down hard on me.
There’s nothing in my body that isn’t broken
        because of your rage;
    there’s no health in my bones
        because of my sin.
My wrongdoings are stacked higher than my head;
    they are a weight that’s way too heavy for me.
My wounds reek; they are all infected
    because of my stupidity.
I am hunched over, completely down;
    I wander around all day long, sad.
My insides are burning up;
    there’s nothing in my body that isn’t broken.
I’m worn out, completely crushed;
    I groan because of my miserable heart.

Everything I long for is laid out before you, my Lord;
    my sighs aren’t hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds; my strength abandons me.
    Even the light of my eyes is gone.
11 My loved ones and friends keep their distance
        from me in my sickness;
    those who were near me now stay far away.
12 Those who want me dead lay traps;
    those who want me harmed utter threats,
        muttering lies all day long.
13 But I’m like someone who is deaf,
    who can’t hear;
    like someone who can’t speak,
    whose mouth won’t open.
14 I’ve become like a person
    who doesn’t hear what is being said,
    whose mouth has no good comeback.
15 But I wait for you, Lord!
    You will answer, my Lord, my God!
16 Because I prayed:
    “Don’t let them celebrate over me
    or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips,”
17 because I’m very close to falling,
    and my pain is always with me.
18 Yes, I confess my wrongdoing;
    I’m worried about my sin.
19 But my mortal enemies are so strong;
    those who hate me for no reason seem countless.
20 Those who give, repay good with evil;
    they oppose me for pursuing good.

21 Don’t leave me all alone, Lord!
    Please, my God, don’t be far from me!
22 Come quickly and help me,
    my Lord, my salvation!