Psalm 38

A Prayer of Repentance

38A psalm of David. To bring to remembrance.^a

¹O Yahweh, do not rebuke me in your anger

or chastise me in your wrath.

²For your arrows have sunk into me,

and your hand has pressed down on me.

³There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation.

There is no health in my bones because of my sin.

⁴For my iniquities have passed over my head;

like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

⁵My wounds start to stink; they rot

because of my foolishness.

⁶I am bowed down; I am bent over greatly.

All the day I go about mourning.

⁷For my loins are full of burning,

and there is no soundness in my flesh.

⁸I am faint and crushed greatly;

I groan because of the roaring of my heart.

⁹O Lord, all my longing is before you,

and my sighing is not hidden from you.

¹⁰My heart throbs violently, my strength leaves me;

and the light of my eyes, that also is not with me.

¹¹My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction,

and my relatives stand afar off.

¹²Those who seek my life lay snares as well,

and those intent on my harm speak threats.

They also plot deceit all day.

¹³But as for me, like the deaf I cannot hear,

and I am like the mute who cannot open his mouth.

¹⁴And so I am like a man who hears not,

and in whose mouth there are no retorts.

¹⁵Rather for you I wait, O Yahweh.

You will answer, O Lord my God.

¹⁶For I said, “Help, lest they rejoice over me,

lest they boast against me when my foot slips.”

¹⁷For I am ready to stumble,

and my pain is before me continually.

¹⁸For my iniquity I confess;

I am anxious because of my sin.

¹⁹And my enemies without cause^b are numerous,

and those who hate me wrongfully^c are many.

²⁰And those who repay evil in return for good

accuse me in return for my pursuing good.

²¹Do not forsake me, O Yahweh.

O my God, do not be far from me.

²²Hurry to help me,

O Lord, my salvation.