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Psalm 38

A Penitent Sufferer’s Plea for Healing

A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.

O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
    or discipline me in your wrath.(A)
For your arrows have sunk into me,
    and your hand has come down on me.(B)

There is no soundness in my flesh
    because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
    because of my sin.(C)
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
    they weigh like a burden too heavy for me.(D)

My wounds grow foul and fester
    because of my foolishness;(E)
I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
    all day long I go around mourning.(F)
For my loins are filled with burning,
    and there is no soundness in my flesh.(G)
I am utterly spent and crushed;
    I groan because of the tumult of my heart.(H)

O Lord, all my longing is known to you;
    my sighing is not hidden from you.(I)
10 My heart throbs; my strength fails me;
    as for the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction,
    and my neighbors stand far off.(J)

12 Those who seek my life lay their snares;
    those who seek to hurt me speak of ruin
    and meditate on treachery all day long.(K)

13 But I am like the deaf; I do not hear;
    like the mute, who cannot speak.(L)
14 Truly, I am like one who does not hear
    and in whose mouth is no retort.

15 But it is for you, O Lord, that I wait;
    it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.(M)
16 For I pray, “Only do not let them rejoice over me,
    those who boast against me when my foot slips.”(N)

17 For I am ready to fall,
    and my pain is ever with me.(O)
18 I confess my iniquity;
    I am sorry for my sin.(P)
19 Those who are my foes without cause[a] are mighty,
    and many are those who hate me wrongfully.(Q)
20 Those who render me evil for good
    are my adversaries because I follow after good.(R)

21 Do not forsake me, O Lord;
    O my God, do not be far from me;(S)
22 make haste to help me,
    O Lord, my salvation.(T)

Footnotes

  1. 38.19 Q ms: MT my living foes

Prayer of a Suffering Penitent.

A Psalm of David, for a memorial.

38 Lord, (A)do not rebuke me in Your wrath,
And do not punish me in Your burning anger.
For Your (B)arrows have sunk deep into me,
And (C)Your hand has pressed down on me.
There is (D)no healthy part in my flesh (E)because of Your indignation;
There is no health (F)in my bones because of my sin.
For my (G)guilty deeds have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
My [a]wounds grow foul and fester
Because of (H)my foolishness.
I am bent over and (I)greatly bowed down;
I (J)go in mourning all day long.
For my [b]sides are filled with (K)burning,
And there is (L)no healthy part in my flesh.
I feel (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 fails 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 far away.
12 Those who (U)seek my life (V)lay snares for me;
And those who (W)seek to injure me have [j]threatened destruction,
And they (X)plot deception all day long.

13 But I, like a person who is deaf, do not hear;
And I am like a (Y)person who cannot speak, who does not open his mouth.
14 Yes, I am like a person who does not hear,
And in whose mouth are no arguments.
15 For (Z)I wait for You, Lord;
You (AA)will answer, Lord my God.
16 For I said, “May they not rejoice over me,
Who, when my foot slips, (AB)would exalt themselves over me.”
17 For I am (AC)ready to fall,
And (AD)my [k]sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I (AE)admit my guilt;
I am full of (AF)anxiety because of my sin.
19 But my (AG)enemies are vigorous and [l]strong,
And those who wrongfully (AH)hate me are many.
20 And those who (AI)repay evil for good,
They (AJ)become my enemies, because I follow what is good.
21 Do not abandon me, Lord;
My God, (AK)do not be far from me!
22 (AL)Hurry to help me,
Lord, (AM)my salvation!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 38:5 Or stripes
  2. Psalm 38:7 Lit loins
  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 Lit spoken
  11. Psalm 38:17 Lit pain
  12. Psalm 38:19 Or numerous