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 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 sides are filled with (K)burning,
And there is (L)no healthy part in my flesh.
8 I feel (M)faint and badly crushed;
I (N)groan because of the agitation of my heart.
9 Lord, all (O)my desire is 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 that has gone from me.
11 My (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 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 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 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
- Psalm 38:7
- Psalm 38:8
- Psalm 38:8
- Psalm 38:8
- Psalm 38:9
- Psalm 38:10
- Psalm 38:10
- Psalm 38:11
- Psalm 38:12
- Psalm 38:17
- Psalm 38:19
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
