Psalm 38
Hoffnung für Alle
Zermürbt von Krankheit und Schuld
38 Ein Lied von David, um sich bei Gott in Erinnerung zu bringen.
2 Herr, du lässt mich deinen Zorn spüren.
Ich flehe dich an: Strafe mich nicht länger!
3 Deine Pfeile haben sich in mich hineingebohrt,
deine Hand drückt mich nieder.
4 Weil ich unter deinem Strafgericht leide,
habe ich keine heile Stelle mehr am Körper.
Weil mich die Sünde anklagt, sind alle meine Glieder krank.
5 Meine Schuld ist mir über den Kopf gewachsen.
Wie schwer ist diese Last! Ich breche unter ihr zusammen.
6 Wie dumm war ich, dich zu vergessen!
Das habe ich nun davon: Meine Wunden eitern und stinken!
7 Gekrümmt und von Leid zermürbt
schleppe ich mich in tiefer Trauer durch den Tag.
8 Von Fieber bin ich geschüttelt,
die Haut ist mit Geschwüren übersät.
9 Zerschlagen liege ich da, am Ende meiner Kraft.
Vor Verzweiflung kann ich nur noch stöhnen.
10 Herr, du kennst meine Sehnsucht,
du hörst mein Seufzen!
11 Mein Herz rast, ich bin völlig erschöpft,
und meine Augen versagen mir den Dienst.
12 Meine Freunde und Nachbarn ziehen sich zurück
wegen des Unglücks, das über mich hereingebrochen ist.
Sogar meine Verwandten gehen mir aus dem Weg.
13 Meine Todfeinde stellen mir Fallen,
sie wollen mich verleumden und zugrunde richten.
Ja, sie bringen mich in Verruf, wann immer sie nur können.
14 Und ich? Ich tue so, als hätte ich nichts gehört;
ich schweige zu ihren Anklagen wie ein Stummer.
15 Ich stelle mich taub
und gebe ihnen keine Antwort.
16 Denn auf dich, Herr, hoffe ich,
du wirst ihnen die passende Antwort geben,
mein Herr und mein Gott!
17 Lass nicht zu, dass sie über mich triumphieren
und sich über mein Unglück freuen!
18 Es fehlt nicht mehr viel, und ich liege am Boden,
ständig werde ich von Schmerzen gequält.
19 Ich bekenne dir meine Schuld,
denn meine Sünde macht mir schwer zu schaffen.
20 Übermächtig sind meine Feinde, und es gibt viele,
die mich ohne jeden Grund hassen.
21 Sie vergelten mir Gutes mit Bösem und feinden mich an,
weil ich das Gute tun will.
22 Herr, verlass mich nicht!
Mein Gott, bleib nicht fern von mir!
23 Komm und hilf mir schnell!
Du bist doch mein Herr und mein Retter!
Psalm 38
English Standard Version
Do Not Forsake Me, O Lord
A Psalm of David, (A)for the memorial offering.
38 O Lord, (B)rebuke me not in your anger,
nor discipline me in your wrath!
2 For your (C)arrows have sunk into me,
and your hand (D)has come down on me.
3 There is (E)no soundness in my flesh
because of your indignation;
there is no health in my (F)bones
because of my sin.
4 For my (G)iniquities have gone over my head;
like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
5 My wounds stink and fester
because of my foolishness,
6 I am (H)utterly bowed down and (I)prostrate;
all the day I (J)go about mourning.
7 For my sides are filled with burning,
and there is (K)no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am feeble and crushed;
I (L)groan because of the tumult of my heart.
9 O Lord, all my longing is before you;
my (M)sighing is not hidden from you.
10 My heart throbs; my strength fails me,
and (N)the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
11 My (O)friends and companions (P)stand aloof from my (Q)plague,
and my nearest kin (R)stand far off.
12 Those who seek my life (S)lay their snares;
those who seek my hurt (T)speak of ruin
and meditate (U)treachery all day long.
13 But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear,
like (V)a mute man who does not open his mouth.
14 I have become like a man who does not hear,
and in whose mouth are no (W)rebukes.
15 But for (X)you, O Lord, do I wait;
it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
16 For I said, “Only (Y)let them not rejoice over me,
who (Z)boast against me when my (AA)foot slips!”
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.
Hoffnung für Alle® (Hope for All) Copyright © 1983, 1996, 2002 by Biblica, Inc.®
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
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.
