Psalm 37:1–40:14

1 A psalm for David, for a remembrance of the sabbath.

2 Rebuke me not, O Lord, in thy indignation; nor chastise me in thy wrath.

3 For thy arrows are fastened in me: and thy hand hath been strong upon me.

4 There is no health in my flesh, because of thy wrath: there is no peace for my bones, because of my sins.

5 For my iniquities are gone over my head: and as a heavy burden are become heavy upon me.

6 My sores are putrefied and corrupted, because of my foolishness.

7 I am become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end: I walked sorrowful all the day long.

8 For my loins are filled with illusions; and there is no health in my flesh.

9 I am afflicted and humbled exceedingly: I roared with the groaning of my heart.

10 Lord, all my desire is before thee, and my groaning is not hidden from thee.

11 My heart is troubled, my strength hath left me, and the light of my eyes itself is not with me.

12 My friends and my neighbours have drawn near, and stood against me. And they that were near me stood afar off:

13 And they that sought my soul used violence. And they that sought evils to me spoke vain things, and studied deceits all the day long.

14 But I, as a deaf man, heard not: and as a dumb man not opening his mouth.

15 And I became as a man that heareth not: and that hath no reproofs in his mouth.

16 For in thee, O Lord, have I hoped: thou wilt hear me, O Lord my God.

17 For I said: Lest at any time my enemies rejoice over me: and whilst my feet are moved, they speak great things against me.

18 For I am ready for scourges: and my sorrow is continually before me.

19 For I will declare my iniquity: and I will think of my sin.

20 But my enemies live, and are stronger than I: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

21 They that render evil for good, have detracted me, because I followed goodness.

22 Forsake me not, O Lord my God: do not thou depart from me.

23 Attend unto my help, O Lord, the God of my salvation.

Psalm 38

1 Unto the end, for Idithun himself, a canticle of David.

2 I said: I will take heed to my ways: that I sin not with my tongue. I have set a guard to my mouth, when the sinner stood against me.

3 I was dumb, and was humbled, and kept silence from good things: and my sorrow was renewed.

4 My heart grew hot within me: and in my meditation a fire shall flame out.

5 I spoke with my tongue: O Lord, make me know my end. And what is the number of my days: that I may know what is wanting to me.

6 Behold thou hast made my days measurable. and my substance is as nothing before thee. And indeed all things are vanity: every man living.

7 Surely man passeth as an image: yea, and he is disquieted in vain. He storeth up: and he knoweth not for whom he shall gather these things.

8 And now what is my hope? is it not the Lord? and my substance is with thee.

9 Deliver thou me from all my iniquities: thou hast made me a reproach to the fool.

10 I was dumb, and I opened not my mouth, because thou hast done it.

11 Remove thy scourges from me. The strength of thy hand hath made me faint in rebukes:

12 Thou hast corrected man for iniquity. And thou hast made his soul to waste away like a spider: surely in vain is any man disquieted.

13 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and my supplication: give ear to my tears. Be no silent: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner as all my fathers were.

14 O forgive me, that I may be refreshed, before I go hence, and be no more.

Psalm 39

1 Unto the end, a psalm for David himself.

2 With expectation I have waited for the Lord, and he was attentive to me.

3 And he heard my prayers, and brought me out of the pit of misery and the mire of dregs. And he set my feet upon a rock, and directed my steps.

4 And he put a new canticle into my mouth, a song to our God. Many shall see, and shall fear: and they shall hope in the Lord.

5 Blessed is the man whose trust is in the name of the Lord; and who hath not had regard to vanities, and lying follies.

6 Thou hast multiplied thy wonderful works, O Lord my God: and in thy thoughts there is no one like to thee. I have declared and I have spoken they are multiplied above number.

7 Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire; but thou hast pierced ears for me. Burnt offering and sin offering thou didst not require:

8 Then said I, Behold I come. In the head of the book it is written of me

9 That I should do thy will: O my God, I have desired it, and thy law in the midst of my heart.

10 I have declared thy justice in a great church, lo, I will not restrain my lips: O Lord, thou knowest it.

11 I have not hid thy justice within my heart: I have declared thy truth and thy salvation. I have not concealed thy mercy and thy truth from a great council.

12 Withhold not thou, O Lord, thy tender mercies from me: thy mercy and thy truth have always upheld me.

13 For evils without number have surrounded me; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I was not able to see. They are multiplied above the hairs of my head: and my heart hath forsaken me.

14 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me. Look down, O Lord, to help me.

15 Let them be confounded and ashamed together, that seek after my soul to take it away. Let them be turned backward and be ashamed that desire evils to me.

16 Let them immediately bear their confusion, that say to me: ‘T is well, t’ is well.

17 Let all that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say always: The Lord be magnified.

18 But I am a beggar and poor: the Lord is careful for me. Thou art my helper and my protector: O my God, be not slack.

Psalm 40

1 Unto the end, a psalm for David himself.

2 Blessed is he that understandeth concerning the needy and the poor: the Lord will deliver him in the evil day.

3 The Lord preserve him and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth: and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.

4 The Lord help him on his bed of sorrow: thou hast turned all his couch in his sickness.

5 I said: O Lord, be thou merciful to me: heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.

6 My enemies have spoken evils against me: when shall he die and his name perish?

7 And if he came in to see me, he spoke vain things: his heart gathered together iniquity to itself. He went out and spoke to the same purpose.

8 All my enemies whispered together against me: they devised evils to me.

9 They determined against me an unjust word: shall he that sleepeth rise again no more?

10 For even the man of my peace, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, hath greatly supplanted me.

11 But thou, O Lord, have mercy on me, and raise me up again: and I will requite them.

12 By this I know, that thou hast had a good will for me: because my enemy shall not rejoice over me.

13 But thou hast upheld me by reason of my innocence: and hast established me in thy sight for ever.

14 Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel from eternity to eternity. So be it. So be it.