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
- Psalm 38:5 Or stripes
- Psalm 38:7 Lit loins
- 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 38:17 Lit pain
- 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