Aa
Psalm 38
Prayer of a Suffering Sinner
A psalm of David to bring remembrance.38:0 Ps 70
1 Lord, do not punish me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.38:1 Ps 6:1; Jr 10:24
2For your arrows have sunk into me,
and your hand has pressed down on me.38:2 Jb 6:4; Ps 32:4

3There is no soundness in my body
because of your indignation;
there is no health38:3 Hb shalom in my bones
because of my sin.38:3 Jb 33:19; Ps 31:10; 102:10
4For my iniquities have flooded over my head;
they are a burden too heavy for me to bear.38:4 Ezr 9:6; Ps 40:12
5My wounds are foul and festering
because of my foolishness.38:5 Is 1:6
6I am bent over and brought very low;
all day long I go around in mourning.38:6 Ps 35:14
7For my insides are full of burning pain,
and there is no soundness in my body.38:7 Ps 38:3; Lm 1:13
8I am faint and severely crushed;
I groan because of the anguish of my heart.38:8 Jb 3:24; Ps 6:6; 32:3; Lm 2:11

9Lord, my every desire is in front of you;
my sighing is not hidden from you.38:9 Ps 10:17
10My heart races, my strength leaves me,
and even the light of my eyes has faded.38:10 Or and the light of my eyes — even that is not with me38:10 Ps 6:7; 69:3; 88:9
11My loved ones and friends stand back from my affliction,
and my relatives stand at a distance.38:11 Jb 19:13–20; Ps 31:11; 88:18
12Those who intend to kill me set traps,
and those who want to harm me threaten to destroy me;
they plot treachery all day long.38:12 Ps 35:4,20; 54:3; 140:5

13I am like a deaf person; I do not hear.
I am like a speechless person
who does not open his mouth.38:13 Ps 39:2,9
14I am like a man who does not hear
and has no arguments in his mouth.38:14 Jb 23:4
15For I put my hope in you, Lord;
you will answer me, my Lord, my God.38:15 Ps 17:6; 39:7
16For I said, “Don’t let them rejoice over me —
those who are arrogant toward me when I stumble.”38:16 Ps 13:4; 35:26
17For I am about to fall,
and my pain is constantly with me.38:17 Ps 13:2; 35:15
18So I confess my iniquity;
I am anxious because of my sin.38:18 Ps 32:5; 2Co 7:9–10
19But my enemies are vigorous and powerful;38:19 Or numerous
many hate me for no reason.38:19 Ps 18:17; 35:19
20Those who repay evil for good
attack me for pursuing good.38:20 Ps 35:12; 109:5; 3Jn 11

21 Lord, do not abandon me;
my God, do not be far from me.38:21 Ps 22:19; 35:22
22Hurry to help me,
my Lord, my salvation.38:22 Ps 40:13,17