Psalm 38

Prayer of a Suffering Sinner

A psalm of David to bring remembrance.(A)

Lord, do not punish me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.(B)
For your arrows have sunk into me,
and your hand has pressed down on me.(C)

There is no soundness in my body
because of your indignation;
there is no health[a] in my bones
because of my sin.(D)
For my iniquities have flooded over my head;
they are a burden too heavy for me to bear.(E)
My wounds are foul and festering
because of my foolishness.(F)
I am bent over and brought very low;
all day long I go around in mourning.(G)
For my insides are full of burning pain,
and there is no soundness in my body.(H)
I am faint and severely crushed;
I groan because of the anguish of my heart.(I)

Lord, my every desire is in front of you;
my sighing is not hidden from you.(J)
10 My heart races, my strength leaves me,
and even the light of my eyes has faded.[b](K)
11 My loved ones and friends stand back from my affliction,
and my relatives stand at a distance.(L)
12 Those who intend to kill me set traps,
and those who want to harm me threaten to destroy me;
they plot treachery all day long.(M)

13 I am like a deaf person; I do not hear.
I am like a speechless person
who does not open his mouth.(N)
14 I am like a man who does not hear
and has no arguments in his mouth.(O)
15 For I put my hope in you, Lord;
you will answer me, my Lord, my God.(P)
16 For I said, “Don’t let them rejoice over me—
those who are arrogant toward me when I stumble.”(Q)
17 For I am about to fall,
and my pain is constantly with me.(R)
18 So I confess my iniquity;
I am anxious because of my sin.(S)
19 But my enemies are vigorous and powerful;[c]
many hate me for no reason.(T)
20 Those who repay evil for good
attack me for pursuing good.(U)

21 Lord, do not abandon me;
my God, do not be far from me.(V)
22 Hurry to help me,
my Lord, my salvation.(W)

Footnotes

  1. 38:3 Hb shalom
  2. 38:10 Or and the light of my eyes—even that is not with me
  3. 38:19 Or numerous

A Davidic Psalm: As a Reminder.

The Outcast Cries Out

38 Lord! Do not rebuke me in your anger;
    do not correct me in your wrath,
because your arrows have sunk deep into me,
    and your hand has come down hard on me.

My body is unhealthy due to your anger,
    and my bones have no rest due to my sin.
My iniquities loom over my head;
    like a cumbersome burden, they are too heavy for me.

My wounds have putrefied and festered
    because of my foolishness.
I am bent over and walk about greatly bowed down;
    all day long I go around mourning.
My insides[a] are burning
    and my body is unhealthy.
I am weak and utterly crushed;
    I cry out in distress because of my heart’s anguish.

Lord, all my longings are before you,
    and my groaning is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds,
    my strength fails me,
        even the gleam in my eye is gone.
11 As for my friends and my neighbors,
    they stand aloof from my distress;
        even my close relatives stand at a distance.
12 Those who seek my life lay snares for me;
    those who seek to do me harm brag all day long about their wicked planning.

13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,
    and like the mute, who cannot open his mouth.
14 Indeed, I have become like a man who hears nothing,
    and in whose mouth there is no rebuke.

15 Because I have placed my hope in you, Lord,
    you will answer, Lord, my God.
16 For I said, “Do not let them gloat over me,
    as they congratulate themselves when my foot slips.”

17 Indeed, I am being set up for a fall,
    and I am continuously reminded of my pain.
18 I confess my iniquity,
    and my sin troubles me.

19 But my enemies are alive and well;[b]
    those who hate me[c] for no reason are numerous.[d]
20 They[e] reward my good with evil,
    opposing me because I seek to do good.[f]

21 Don’t forsake me, Lord.
    My God, do not be so distant from me.
22 Come quickly and help me,
    Lord, my deliverer.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 38:7 Lit. loins
  2. Psalm 38:19 So MT LXX; DSS 4QPsa lack this line
  3. Psalm 38:19 So MT LXX; DSS 4QPsa read Those who are my enemies
  4. Psalm 38:19 DSS 4QPsa read numerous, and many are those who hate me by deceiving me; cf. Ps 35:19; 69:5
  5. Psalm 38:20 So LXX DSS 4QPsa; MT reads And they
  6. Psalm 38:20 So MT; DSS 4QPsa read evil plunder me instead of a good thing