Psalm 38

Psalm 38

A psalm of David. A prayer.

¹Lord, don’t correct me when you are angry.

Don’t punish me when you are burning with anger.

²You have wounded me with your arrows.

You have struck me with your hand.

³Because of your anger, my whole body is sick.

Because of my sin, I’m not healthy.

⁴My guilt has become too much for me.

It is a load too heavy to carry.

⁵My wounds are ugly. They stink.

I’ve been foolish. I have sinned.

⁶I am bent over. I’ve been brought very low.

All day long I go around sobbing.

⁷My back is filled with burning pain.

My whole body is sick.

⁸I am weak. I feel as if I’ve been broken in pieces.

I groan because of the great pain in my heart.

⁹Lord, everything I really want is clearly known to you.

You always hear me when I sigh.

¹⁰My heart pounds. My strength is gone.

My eyes can hardly see.

¹¹My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds.

My neighbors stay far away from me.

¹²Those who are trying to kill me set their traps.

Those who want to harm me talk about destroying me.

All day long they plan ways to trick me.

¹³I’m like a deaf person. I can’t hear.

I’m like someone who can’t speak, who can’t say a word.

¹⁴I’m like a man who doesn’t hear.

I’m like someone whose mouth can’t make any reply.

¹⁵Lord, I wait for you to help me.

Lord my God, I know you will answer.

¹⁶I said, “Don’t let my enemies have the joy of seeing me fall.

Don’t let them brag when my foot slips.”

¹⁷I am about to fall.

My pain never leaves me.

¹⁸I admit that I have done wrong.

I am troubled by my sin.

¹⁹I have many powerful enemies. They are strong and healthy.

They hate me without any reason.

²⁰They pay me back with evil, even though I was good to them.

They tell lies about me because I try to do what is good.

²¹Lord, don’t desert me.

My God, don’t be far away from me.

²²Lord my Savior,

come quickly to help me.