Prayer of a Suffering Penitent.

A Psalm of David, for a memorial.

38 Lord, (A)do not rebuke me in Your wrath,
And do not punish me in Your burning anger.
For Your (B)arrows have sunk deep into me,
And (C)Your hand has pressed down on me.
There is (D)no healthy part in my flesh (E)because of Your indignation;
There is no health (F)in my bones because of my sin.
For my (G)guilty deeds have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
My [a]wounds grow foul and fester
Because of (H)my foolishness.
I am bent over and (I)greatly bowed down;
I (J)go in mourning all day long.
For my [b]sides are filled with (K)burning,
And there is (L)no healthy part in my flesh.
I feel (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 fails 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 far away.
12 Those who (U)seek my life (V)lay snares for me;
And those who (W)seek to injure me have [j]threatened destruction,
And they (X)plot deception all day long.

13 But I, like a person who is deaf, do not hear;
And I am like a (Y)person who cannot speak, who does not open his mouth.
14 Yes, I am like a person who does not hear,
And in whose mouth are no arguments.
15 For (Z)I wait for You, Lord;
You (AA)will answer, Lord my God.
16 For I said, “May they not rejoice over me,
Who, when my foot slips, (AB)would exalt themselves over me.”
17 For I am (AC)ready to fall,
And (AD)my [k]sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I (AE)admit my guilt;
I am full of (AF)anxiety because of my sin.
19 But my (AG)enemies are vigorous and [l]strong,
And those who wrongfully (AH)hate me are many.
20 And those who (AI)repay evil for good,
They (AJ)become my enemies, because I follow what is good.
21 Do not abandon me, Lord;
My God, (AK)do not be far from me!
22 (AL)Hurry to help me,
Lord, (AM)my salvation!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 38:5 Or stripes
  2. Psalm 38:7 Lit loins
  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 Lit spoken
  11. Psalm 38:17 Lit pain
  12. Psalm 38:19 Or numerous

A Davidic Psalm: As a Reminder.

The Outcast Cries Out

38 Lord! Do not rebuke me in your anger;
    do not correct me in your wrath,
because your arrows have sunk deep into me,
    and your hand has come down hard on me.

My body is unhealthy due to your anger,
    and my bones have no rest due to my sin.
My iniquities loom over my head;
    like a cumbersome burden, they are too heavy for me.

My wounds have putrefied and festered
    because of my foolishness.
I am bent over and walk about greatly bowed down;
    all day long I go around mourning.
My insides[a] are burning
    and my body is unhealthy.
I am weak and utterly crushed;
    I cry out in distress because of my heart’s anguish.

Lord, all my longings are before you,
    and my groaning is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds,
    my strength fails me,
        even the gleam in my eye is gone.
11 As for my friends and my neighbors,
    they stand aloof from my distress;
        even my close relatives stand at a distance.
12 Those who seek my life lay snares for me;
    those who seek to do me harm brag all day long about their wicked planning.

13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,
    and like the mute, who cannot open his mouth.
14 Indeed, I have become like a man who hears nothing,
    and in whose mouth there is no rebuke.

15 Because I have placed my hope in you, Lord,
    you will answer, Lord, my God.
16 For I said, “Do not let them gloat over me,
    as they congratulate themselves when my foot slips.”

17 Indeed, I am being set up for a fall,
    and I am continuously reminded of my pain.
18 I confess my iniquity,
    and my sin troubles me.

19 But my enemies are alive and well;[b]
    those who hate me[c] for no reason are numerous.[d]
20 They[e] reward my good with evil,
    opposing me because I seek to do good.[f]

21 Don’t forsake me, Lord.
    My God, do not be so distant from me.
22 Come quickly and help me,
    Lord, my deliverer.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 38:7 Lit. loins
  2. Psalm 38:19 So MT LXX; DSS 4QPsa lack this line
  3. Psalm 38:19 So MT LXX; DSS 4QPsa read Those who are my enemies
  4. Psalm 38:19 DSS 4QPsa read numerous, and many are those who hate me by deceiving me; cf. Ps 35:19; 69:5
  5. Psalm 38:20 So LXX DSS 4QPsa; MT reads And they
  6. Psalm 38:20 So MT; DSS 4QPsa read evil plunder me instead of a good thing