Psalm 38
Legacy Standard Bible
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.
2 For Your (B)arrows have pressed deep into me,
And (C)Your hand has pressed down upon me.
3 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.
4 For my (G)iniquities go over my head;
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
5 My [a]wounds stink and rot
Because of (H)my [b]folly.
6 I am bent over and (I)greatly bowed down;
I (J)go mourning all day long.
7 For my loins are filled with (K)burning,
And there is (L)no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am (M)faint and [c]badly crushed;
I [d](N)groan because of the [e]agitation of my heart.
9 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
- Psalm 38:5 Or stripes
- Psalm 38:5 A lack of wisdom due to negligence or carelessness; the activity of an ignorant fool
- Psalm 38:8 Or greatly
- Psalm 38:8 Lit roar
- Psalm 38:8 Lit growling
- Psalm 38:9 Or known to You
- Psalm 38:10 Lit they have
- Psalm 38:10 Lit is not with me
- Psalm 38:11 Or lovers
- Psalm 38:12 Or my calamity
- Psalm 38:12 Lit spoken
- Psalm 38:15 Or hope for
- Psalm 38:17 Lit pain
- Psalm 38:18 Or declare
- Psalm 38:19 Or numerous
Psalm 38
Revised Standard Version
A Penitent Sufferer’s Plea for Healing
A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.
38 O Lord, rebuke me not in thy anger,
nor chasten me in thy wrath!
2 For thy arrows have sunk into me,
and thy hand has come down on me.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh
because of thy indignation;
there is no health in my bones
because of my sin.
4 For my iniquities have gone over my head;
they weigh like a burden too heavy for me.
5 My wounds grow foul and fester
because of my foolishness,
6 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
all the day I go about mourning.
7 For my loins are filled with burning,
and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am utterly spent and crushed;
I groan because of the tumult of my heart.
9 Lord, all my longing is known to thee,
my sighing is not hidden from thee.
10 My heart throbs, my strength fails me;
and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague,
and my kinsmen stand afar off.
12 Those who seek my life lay their snares,
those who seek my hurt speak of ruin,
and meditate treachery all the day long.
13 But I am like a deaf man, I do not hear,
like a dumb man who does not open his mouth.
14 Yea, I am like a man who does not hear,
and in whose mouth are no rebukes.
15 But for thee, O Lord, do I wait;
it is thou, O Lord my God, who wilt answer.
16 For I pray, “Only let them not rejoice over me,
who boast against me when my foot slips!”
17 For I am ready to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity,
I am sorry for my sin.
19 Those who are my foes without cause[a] are mighty,
and many are those who hate me wrongfully.
20 Those who render me evil for good
are my adversaries because I follow after good.
21 Do not forsake me, O Lord!
O my God, be not far from me!
22 Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!
Footnotes
- Psalm 38:19 Cn: Heb living
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Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.