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Psalm 38

A psalm of David, asking God to remember him.

O Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger
    or discipline me in your rage!
Your arrows have struck deep,
    and your blows are crushing me.
Because of your anger, my whole body is sick;
    my health is broken because of my sins.
My guilt overwhelms me—
    it is a burden too heavy to bear.
My wounds fester and stink
    because of my foolish sins.
I am bent over and racked with pain.
    All day long I walk around filled with grief.
A raging fever burns within me,
    and my health is broken.
I am exhausted and completely crushed.
    My groans come from an anguished heart.

You know what I long for, Lord;
    you hear my every sigh.
10 My heart beats wildly, my strength fails,
    and I am going blind.
11 My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease.
    Even my own family stands at a distance.
12 Meanwhile, my enemies lay traps to kill me.
    Those who wish me harm make plans to ruin me.
    All day long they plan their treachery.

13 But I am deaf to all their threats.
    I am silent before them as one who cannot speak.
14 I choose to hear nothing,
    and I make no reply.
15 For I am waiting for you, O Lord.
    You must answer for me, O Lord my God.
16 I prayed, “Don’t let my enemies gloat over me
    or rejoice at my downfall.”

17 I am on the verge of collapse,
    facing constant pain.
18 But I confess my sins;
    I am deeply sorry for what I have done.
19 I have many aggressive enemies;
    they hate me without reason.
20 They repay me evil for good
    and oppose me for pursuing good.
21 Do not abandon me, O Lord.
    Do not stand at a distance, my God.
22 Come quickly to help me,
    O Lord my savior.

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.
For Your (B)arrows have pressed deep into me,
And (C)Your hand has pressed down upon me.
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.
For my (G)iniquities go over my head;
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
My [a]wounds stink and rot
Because of (H)my [b]folly.
I am bent over and (I)greatly bowed down;
I (J)go mourning all day long.
For my loins are filled with (K)burning,
And there is (L)no soundness in my flesh.
I am (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 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

  1. Psalm 38:5 Or stripes
  2. Psalm 38:5 A lack of wisdom due to negligence or carelessness; the activity of an ignorant fool
  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 Or my calamity
  11. Psalm 38:12 Lit spoken
  12. Psalm 38:15 Or hope for
  13. Psalm 38:17 Lit pain
  14. Psalm 38:18 Or declare
  15. Psalm 38:19 Or numerous