Psalm 38
New King James Version
Prayer in Time of Chastening
A Psalm of David. (A)To bring to remembrance.
38 O Lord, do not (B)rebuke me in Your wrath,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!
2 For Your arrows pierce me deeply,
And Your hand presses me down.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh
Because of Your anger,
Nor any health in my bones
Because of my sin.
4 For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
5 My wounds are foul and festering
Because of my foolishness.
6 I am [a]troubled, I am bowed down greatly;
I go mourning all the day long.
7 For my loins are full of inflammation,
And there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am feeble and severely broken;
I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.
9 Lord, all my desire is before You;
And my sighing is not hidden from You.
10 My heart pants, my strength fails me;
As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.
11 My loved ones and my friends (C)stand aloof from my plague,
And my relatives stand afar off.
12 Those also who seek my life lay snares for me;
Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction,
And plan deception all the day long.
13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.
14 Thus I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth is no response.
15 For [b]in You, O Lord, (D)I hope;
You will [c]hear, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me,
Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.”
17 (E)For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I will (F)declare my iniquity;
I will be (G)in [d]anguish over my sin.
19 But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong;
And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.
20 Those also (H)who render evil for good,
They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.
21 Do not forsake me, O Lord;
O my God, (I)be not far from me!
22 Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!
Footnotes
- Psalm 38:6 Lit. bent down
- Psalm 38:15 I wait for You, O Lord
- Psalm 38:15 answer
- Psalm 38:18 anxiety
Psalm 38
Amplified Bible
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.
2
For Your arrows have sunk into me and penetrate deeply,
And Your hand has pressed down on me and greatly disciplined 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 gone over my head [like the waves of a flood];
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
5
My wounds are loathsome and foul
Because of my foolishness.
6
I am bent over and greatly bowed down;
I go about mourning all day long.
7
For my sides are filled with burning,
And there is no health in my flesh.
8
I am numb and greatly bruised [deadly cold and completely worn out];
I groan because of the disquiet and moaning of my heart.
9
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.
Psalm 38
Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 38
A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.
1 O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath:
neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
2 For thine arrows stick fast in me,
and thy hand presseth me sore.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger;
neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.
4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head:
as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
5 My wounds stink and are corrupt
because of my foolishness.
6 I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly;
I go mourning all the day long.
7 For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease:
and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am feeble and sore broken:
I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.
9 Lord, all my desire is before thee;
and my groaning is not hid from thee.
10 My heart panteth, my strength faileth me:
as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.
11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore;
and my kinsmen stand afar off.
12 They also that seek after my life lay snares for me:
and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things,
and imagine deceits all the day long.
13 But I, as a deaf man, heard not;
and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
14 Thus I was as a man that heareth not,
and in whose mouth are no reproofs.
15 For in thee, O Lord, do I hope:
thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me:
when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.
17 For I am ready to halt,
and my sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I will declare mine iniquity;
I will be sorry for my sin.
19 But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong:
and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.
20 They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries;
because I follow the thing that good is.
21 Forsake me not, O Lord:
O my God, be not far from me.
22 Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.
Psalm 38
1599 Geneva Bible
38 1 David lying sick of some grievous disease, acknowledgeth himself to be chastised of the Lord for his sins, and therefore prayeth God to turn away his wrath. 5 He uttereth the greatness of his grief by many words and circumstances, as wounded with the arrows of God’s ire, forsaken of his friends, evil intreated of his enemies. 22 But in the end with firm confidence he commendeth his cause to God, and hopeth for speedy help at his hand.
A Psalm of David for [a]remembrance.
1 O Lord, rebuke me not in thine [b]anger, neither chastise me in thy wrath.
2 For thine [c]arrows have light upon me, and thine hand lieth upon me.
3 There is nothing sound in my flesh, because of thine anger: neither is there rest in my bones, because of my [d]sin.
4 For mine [e]iniquities are gone over mine head, and as a weighty burden they are too heavy for me.
5 My wounds are putrefied, and corrupt because of [f]my foolishness.
6 I am bowed, and crooked very sore: I go [g]mourning all the day.
7 For my reins are full of burning, and there is nothing sound in my flesh.
8 I am weakened and sore broken: I [h]roar for the very grief of mine heart.
9 Lord, I pour my whole desire before thee, and my sighing is not hid from thee.
10 Mine heart [i]panteth: my strength faileth me, and the light of mine eyes, even [j]they are not mine own.
11 My lovers and my friends stand aside from my plague, and my [k]kinsmen stand afar off.
12 They also that seek after my life, lay snares, and they that go about to do me evil, talk wicked things and imagine deceit continually.
13 But I as a [l]deaf man heard not, and am as a dumb man, which openeth not his mouth.
14 Thus am I as a man, that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.
15 For on thee, O Lord, do I wait: thou wilt hear me, my Lord, my God.
16 For I said, Hear me, lest they rejoice over me: for [m]when my foot slippeth, they extol themselves against me.
17 Surely I am ready to [n]halt, and my sorrow is ever before me.
18 When I declare my pain, and am sorry for my sin,
19 Then mine [o]enemies are alive, and are mighty, and they that hate me wrongfully are many.
20 They also, that reward evil for good, are mine adversaries, because I follow [p]goodness.
21 Forsake me not, O Lord, be not thou far from me, my God.
22 Haste thee, to help me, O my Lord, my [q]salvation.
Footnotes
- Psalm 38:1 To put himself and others in mind of God’s chastisement for sin.
- Psalm 38:1 He desireth not to be exempted from God’s rod, but that he would so moderate his hand, that he might be able to bear it.
- Psalm 38:2 Thy sickness, wherewith thou hast visited me.
- Psalm 38:3 David acknowledgeth God to be just in his punishments, because his sins had deserved much more.
- Psalm 38:4 He confesseth his sins, God’s justice, and maketh prayer his refuge.
- Psalm 38:5 That rather gave place to mine own lusts, than to the will of God.
- Psalm 38:6 Or, black as one that is disfigured and consumed with sickness.
- Psalm 38:8 This example warneth us never to despair, be the torment never so great: but always to cry unto God with sure trust for deliverance.
- Psalm 38:10 Hebrew, runneth about, or, is tossed to and fro, meaning, that he was destitute of all help and counsel.
- Psalm 38:10 My sight faileth me for very sorrow.
- Psalm 38:11 Partly for fear and partly for pride, they denied all duty and friendship.
- Psalm 38:13 For I can have no audience before men, and therefore patiently wait for the help of God.
- Psalm 38:16 That is, if they see that thou succor me not in time, they will mock and triumph, as though thou hadst forsaken me.
- Psalm 38:17 I am without hope to recover my strength.
- Psalm 38:19 In my greatest misery they most rejoice.
- Psalm 38:20 He had rather have the hatred of all the world, than to fail in any part of his duty to Godward.
- Psalm 38:22 Which are the author of my salvation: and this declareth that he prayed with sure hope of deliverance.
Psalm 38
Young's Literal Translation
38 A Psalm of David, `To cause to remember.' Jehovah, in Thy wrath reprove me not, Nor in Thy fury chastise me.
2 For Thine arrows have come down on me, And Thou lettest down upon me Thy hand.
3 Soundness is not in my flesh, Because of Thine indignation, Peace is not in my bones because of my sin.
4 For mine iniquities have passed over my head, As a heavy burden -- too heavy for me.
5 Stunk -- become corrupt have my wounds, Because of my folly.
6 I have been bent down, I have been bowed down -- unto excess, All the day I have gone mourning.
7 For my flanks have been full of drought, And soundness is not in my flesh.
8 I have been feeble and smitten -- unto excess, I have roared from disquietude of heart.
9 Lord, before Thee [is] all my desire, And my sighing from Thee hath not been hid.
10 My heart [is] panting, my power hath forsaken me, And the light of mine eyes, Even they are not with me.
11 My lovers and my friends over-against my plague stand. And my neighbours afar off have stood.
12 And those seeking my soul lay a snare, And those seeking my evil Have spoken mischievous things, And they do deceits meditate all the day.
13 And I, as deaf, hear not. And as a dumb one who openeth not his mouth.
14 Yea, I am as a man who heareth not, And in his mouth are no reproofs.
15 Because for Thee, O Jehovah, I have waited, Thou dost answer, O Lord my God.
16 When I said, `Lest they rejoice over me, In the slipping of my foot against me they magnified themselves.
17 For I am ready to halt, And my pain [is] before me continually.
18 For mine iniquity I declare, I am sorry for my sin.
19 And mine enemies [are] lively, They have been strong, and those hating me without cause, Have been multiplied.
20 And those paying evil for good accuse me, Because of my pursuing good.
21 Do not forsake me, O Jehovah, My God, be not far from me,
22 Haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
