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
The Voice
Psalm 38
A song of David for remembering.
This is one of a group of psalms known in later tradition as the penitential psalms, namely, psalms that confess sins and express confidence in God’s mercy. In this psalm a serious illness threatens the life of the worshiper.
1 O Eternal One, please do not scold me in Your anger;
though Your wrath is just, do not correct me in Your fury.
2 The arrows from Your bow have penetrated my flesh;
Your hand has come down hard on me.
3 Because Your anger has infected the depths of my being and stolen my health,
my flesh is ill.
My bones are no longer sound
because of all the sins I have committed.
4 My guilt has covered me; it’s more than I can handle;
this burden is too heavy for me to carry.
5 Now sores cover me—infected and putrid sores,
because of all the foolish things I have done.
6 I am bent down, cowering in fear, prostrate on the ground;
I spend the day in mourning, guilty tears stinging and burning my eyes.
7 My back aches. I’m full of fever;
my body is no longer whole, no longer well.
8 I am completely numb, totally spent, hopelessly crushed.
The agitation of my heart makes me groan.
9 O Lord, You know all my desires;
nothing escapes You; You hear my every moan.
10 My heart pounds against my chest; my vigor is completely drained;
my eyes were once bright, but now the brightness is all gone.
11 Even my friends and loved ones turn away when they see this marked man;
those closest to me are no longer close at all.
12 Those who want me dead lay traps upon my path;
those who desire my downfall threaten—my end is near—
they spend their days plotting against me.
13 Like one who is deaf, my ears do not hear.
Like one who is mute, my tongue cannot speak.
14 The truth is this: I am like one who cannot hear;
I cannot even protest against them.
15 Still I wait expectantly for You, O Eternal One—
knowing You will answer me in some way, O Lord, my True God.
16 I only asked, “When I stumble on the narrow path,
don’t let them boast or celebrate my failure.”
17 I am prepared for what may come; my time must be short;
my pain and suffering a constant companion.
18 I confess, “I have sinned,”
and I regret the wrong I have done.
19 My enemies are alive and well,
they are powerful and on the increase,
and for no reason, they hate me.
20 When I do good, my opponents reward me with evil;
though I pursue what is right, they stand against me.
21 Eternal One, do not leave me to their mercy;
my True God, don’t be far from me when they are near.
22 I need Your help now—not later.
O Lord, be my Rescuer.
Salmos 38
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Oración del pecador contrito
Salmo de David. Para conmemorar.
38 Señor, no me reprendas en Tu enojo(A),
Ni me castigues en Tu furor.
2 Porque Tus flechas se han clavado en mí(B),
Y sobre mí ha descendido Tu mano(C).
3 Nada hay sano en mi carne(D) a causa de Tu indignación(E);
En mis huesos no hay salud a causa de mi pecado(F).
4 Porque mis iniquidades han sobrepasado mi cabeza(G);
Como pesada carga, pesan mucho para mí.
5 Mis llagas huelen mal y supuran
A causa de mi necedad(H).
6 Estoy encorvado y abatido en gran manera(I),
Y ando sombrío todo el día(J).
7 Porque mis lomos están inflamados de fiebre(K),
Y nada hay sano en mi carne(L).
8 Estoy entumecido y abatido en gran manera(M);
Gimo a causa de la agitación de mi corazón(N).
9 Señor, todo mi anhelo está delante de Ti(O),
Y mi suspiro no te es oculto(P).
10 Palpita mi corazón, mis fuerzas me abandonan(Q),
Y aun la luz de mis ojos se ha ido de mí(R).
11 Mis amigos y mis compañeros se mantienen lejos de mi plaga(S),
Y mis parientes se mantienen a distancia(T).
12 Los que buscan mi vida(U) me tienden lazos(V);
Los que procuran mi mal(W) hablan de mi destrucción,
Y traman traición todo el día(X).
13 Pero yo, como el sordo, no oigo;
Soy como el mudo que no abre la boca(Y).
14 Sí, soy como el hombre que no oye,
Y en cuya boca no hay réplica.
15 Porque en Ti espero(Z), oh Señor;
Tú responderás(AA), Señor, Dios mío.
16 Pues dije: «Que no se alegren de mí
Los que, cuando mi pie resbala, se engrandecen sobre mí(AB)».
17 Porque yo estoy a punto de caer(AC),
Y mi dolor está continuamente delante de mí(AD).
18 Confieso, pues, mi iniquidad(AE);
Afligido estoy a causa de mi pecado(AF).
19 Pero mis enemigos son vigorosos y fuertes(AG);
Muchos son los que sin causa me aborrecen(AH).
20 Y los que pagan mal por bien(AI)
Se me oponen(AJ), porque yo sigo lo bueno.
21 No me abandones, oh Señor;
Dios mío, no estés lejos de mí(AK).
22 Apresúrate a socorrerme(AL),
Oh Señor, salvación mía(AM).
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Nueva Biblia de las Américas™ NBLA™ Copyright © 2005 por The Lockman Foundation
