Prayer of a Suffering Penitent.
A Psalm of David, for a memorial.
38 O Lord, (A)rebuke me not in Your wrath,
And chasten me not 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 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 are gone over my head;
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
5 My [a]wounds grow foul and fester
Because of (H)my 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)benumbed and [b]badly crushed;
I [c](N)groan because of the [d]agitation of my heart.
9 Lord, all (O)my desire is [e]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 [f]that [g]has gone from me.
11 My [h](S)loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen (T)stand afar off.
12 Those who (U)seek my life (V)lay snares for me;
And those who (W)seek to injure me have [i]threatened destruction,
And they (X)devise treachery 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 Yes, I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth are no arguments.
15 For (Z)I [j]hope in You, O Lord;
You (AA)will answer, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, “May they not rejoice over me,
Who, when my foot slips, (AB)would magnify themselves against me.”
17 For I am (AC)ready to fall,
And (AD)my [k]sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I [l](AE)confess my iniquity;
I am full of (AF)anxiety because of my sin.
19 But my (AG)enemies are vigorous and [m]strong,
And many are those who (AH)hate me wrongfully.
20 And those who (AI)repay evil for good,
They (AJ)oppose me, because I follow what is good.
21 Do not forsake me, O Lord;
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 38:8 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 Lit spoken
- Psalm 38:15 Or wait for
- Psalm 38:17 Lit pain
- Psalm 38:18 Or declare
- Psalm 38:19 Or numerous
Cross references
- Psalm 38:1 : Ps 6:1
- Psalm 38:2 : Job 6:4
- Psalm 38:2 : Ps 32:4
- Psalm 38:3 : Is 1:6
- Psalm 38:3 : Ps 102:10
- Psalm 38:3 : Job 33:19; Ps 6:2; 31:10
- Psalm 38:4 : Ezra 9:6; Ps 40:12
- Psalm 38:5 : Ps 69:5
- Psalm 38:6 : Ps 35:14
- Psalm 38:6 : Job 30:28; Ps 42:9; 43:2
- Psalm 38:7 : Ps 102:3
- Psalm 38:7 : Ps 38:3
- Psalm 38:8 : Lam 1:13, 20f; 2:11; 5:17
- Psalm 38:8 : Job 3:24; Ps 22:1; 32:3
- Psalm 38:9 : Ps 10:17
- Psalm 38:9 : Ps 6:6; 102:5
- Psalm 38:10 : Ps 31:10
- Psalm 38:10 : Ps 6:7; 69:3; 88:9
- Psalm 38:11 : Ps 31:11; 88:18
- Psalm 38:11 : Luke 23:49
- Psalm 38:12 : Ps 54:3
- Psalm 38:12 : Ps 140:5
- Psalm 38:12 : Ps 35:4
- Psalm 38:12 : Ps 35:20
- Psalm 38:13 : Ps 39:2, 9
- Psalm 38:15 : Ps 39:7
- Psalm 38:15 : Ps 17:6
- Psalm 38:16 : Ps 35:26
- Psalm 38:17 : Ps 35:15
- Psalm 38:17 : Ps 13:2
- Psalm 38:18 : Ps 32:5
- Psalm 38:18 : 2 Cor 7:9, 10
- Psalm 38:19 : Ps 18:17
- Psalm 38:19 : Ps 35:19
- Psalm 38:20 : Ps 35:12
- Psalm 38:20 : Ps 109:5; 1 John 3:12
- Psalm 38:21 : Ps 22:19; 35:22
- Psalm 38:22 : Ps 40:13, 17
- Psalm 38:22 : Ps 27:1