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Psalm 38

David wrote this song to ask God not to forget him.

Lord , please remember me [ a ]

38 Lord , when you are angry,
please do not punish me.
2 You have shot your arrows deep into me.
Your hand has pushed me down to the ground. [ b ]
3 Your punishment has made my whole body ill.
My health has gone, because of my sin.
4 My sin is too much for me!
It is like a heavy weight,
that I cannot carry.
5 My wounds make a bad smell,
and they get worse.
This is because I have done stupid things.
6 My body is bent down to the ground.
Every day I weep because I am so sad.
7 My body is hot with fever. [ c ]
I am very ill.
8 The pain has made me tired and weak.
I am so upset that I cry aloud.

9 My Lord, you already know what I want most.
You hear me when I cry with pain.
10 My heart beats very fast,
and my strength is leaving me.
Even my eyes can no longer see properly.
11 My family and my friends stay away from me,
because of my illness.
They do not come near to me.
12 My enemies prepare traps,
because they want to kill me.
They talk about ways to destroy me.
They want to hurt me,
so they talk about that all through the day.
13 But I am like a deaf man who hears nothing.
I am like a dumb man who says nothing.
14 So I live like a man who cannot hear what people say.
I refuse to argue against them.
15 Yes, Lord , I wait for you to help me!
I believe that you will answer me, my Lord and my God.
16 I have prayed that my enemies will not laugh at me.
If I slip and fall down,
they will be very happy!
17 I will soon fall down to the ground.
I have nothing but pain all the time.
18 But I agree that I have done wrong things.
I am sorry about my sins.
19 I have many enemies and they are strong.
They have no reason to hate me.
20 When I do good things,
they do evil things to me in return!
I try to do what is right,
but they turn against me.
21 Lord , please do not leave me alone.
Do not stay far away from me, my God!
22 My Lord, you are the one who can save me,
so come quickly to help me!

Footnotes

  1. 38:1 David asks God to keep him safe from his enemies. David knows that he has done bad things. He tells God that he is sorry. He asks God to forgive him and not to turn away from him.
  2. 38:2 David said that God was like a soldier who was shooting arrows at him. He was causing David to have pain.
  3. 38:7 If someone has a fever, illness has made their body become very hot.

A song of David for the day of remembrance. [ a ]

38 Lord , don’t criticize me when you are angry.
Don’t discipline me in anger.
2 You have hurt me.
You punished me and hurt me deeply.
3 You punished me severely, so my whole body is sore.
I sinned, and now all my bones hurt.
4 My guilt is like a heavy burden.
I am sinking beneath its weight.
5 I did a foolish thing,
and now I have infected sores that stink.
6 I am bent and bowed down.
I am depressed all day long.
7 I am burning with fever,
and my whole body hurts.
8 I hurt so much I cannot feel anything.
My pounding heart makes me scream!
9 My Lord, you heard my groaning.
You can hear my sighs.
10 My heart is pounding.
My strength is gone, and I am going blind. [ b ]
11 Because of my sickness,
my friends and neighbors will not visit me;
my family will not come near me.
12 My enemies say bad things about me.
They are spreading lies and rumors.
They talk about me all the time.
13 But I am like a deaf man and cannot hear.
I am like someone who cannot speak.
14 I am like those who cannot hear what people are saying about them.
I cannot answer to prove my enemies wrong.
15 Lord , you must defend me.
Lord my God, you must speak for me.
16 That’s why I prayed, “Don’t let my enemies smile at my pain.
Full of pride, they will laugh if I stumble and fall.”
17 I know I am guilty of doing wrong.
I cannot forget my pain.
18 Lord, I told you about the evil I have done.
I am sorry for my sin.
19 But my enemies are alive and healthy,
and they have told many lies.
20 I did nothing but good,
and they paid me back with evil.
I try to do what is right,
but that only makes them turn against me.
21 Lord , don’t leave me.
My God, stay close to me.
22 Come quickly and help me.
My Lord, you are the one who saves me.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 38:1 Psalm 38 for … remembrance The ancient Greek version has “for the Sabbath.”
  2. Psalm 38:10 I am going blind Or “My eyes have lost their sparkle.” Literally, “Even the light of my eyes is no longer with me.”

38 O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

2 For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.

3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.

4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

5 My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.

6 I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.

7 For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.

8 I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.

9 Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.

10 My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.

12 They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

13 But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.

14 Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.

15 For in thee, O Lord , do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.

16 For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.

17 For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.

18 For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.

19 But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

20 They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.

21 Forsake me not, O Lord : O my God, be not far from me.

22 Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

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.
2 For Your ( B ) arrows have sunk deep into me,
And ( C ) Your hand has pressed down on me.
3 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.
4 For my ( G ) guilty deeds have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
5 My [ a ] wounds grow foul and fester
Because of ( H ) my foolishness.
6 I am bent over and ( I ) greatly bowed down;
I ( J ) go in mourning all day long.
7 For my [ b ] sides are filled with ( K ) burning,
And there is ( L ) no healthy part in my flesh.
8 I feel ( 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 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

Psalm 38 [ a ]

A psalm of David. A petition.

1 Lord , do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath. ( A )
2 Your arrows ( B ) have pierced me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health ( C ) in my body;
there is no soundness in my bones ( D ) because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed ( E ) me
like a burden too heavy to bear. ( F )

5 My wounds ( G ) fester and are loathsome ( H )
because of my sinful folly. ( I )
6 I am bowed down ( J ) and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning. ( K )
7 My back is filled with searing pain; ( L )
there is no health ( M ) in my body.
8 I am feeble and utterly crushed; ( N )
I groan ( O ) in anguish of heart. ( P )

9 All my longings ( Q ) lie open before you, Lord;
my sighing ( R ) is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds, ( S ) my strength fails ( T ) me;
even the light has gone from my eyes. ( U )
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; ( V )
my neighbors stay far away.
12 Those who want to kill me set their traps, ( W )
those who would harm me talk of my ruin; ( X )
all day long they scheme and lie. ( Y )

13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear, ( Z )
like the mute, who cannot speak;
14 I have become like one who does not hear,
whose mouth can offer no reply.
15 Lord , I wait ( AA ) for you;
you will answer, ( AB ) Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Do not let them gloat ( AC )
or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.” ( AD )

17 For I am about to fall, ( AE )
and my pain ( AF ) is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity; ( AG )
I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many have become my enemies ( AH ) without cause [ b ] ;
those who hate me ( AI ) without reason ( AJ ) are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil ( AK )
lodge accusations ( AL ) against me,
though I seek only to do what is good.

21 Lord , do not forsake me; ( AM )
do not be far ( AN ) from me, my God.
22 Come quickly ( AO ) to help me, ( AP )
my Lord and my Savior. ( AQ )

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 38:1 In Hebrew texts 38:1-22 is numbered 38:2-23.
  2. Psalm 38:19 One Dead Sea Scrolls manuscript; Masoretic Text my vigorous enemies
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