Psalms 38
1 Yahweh, when you are angry [with me], do not rebuke/scold me and punish me!
“A psalm of David. To bring to remembrance.” O LORD! rebuke me not in thy wrath, Nor chasten me in thy hot displeasure!
2 [Now it is as though] you have shot your arrows at me and wounded me; you have struck me and knocked me down.
For thine arrows have deeply pierced me, And thy hand hath been heavy upon me.
3 Because you have been angry with me, I am suffering great pain. Because of my sin, my whole body is diseased.
There is no soundness in my flesh, because of thine anger; Nor rest in my bones, because of my sin.
4 All my sins are [like a flood] that covers my head; they are like a load that is very heavy, with the result that I cannot carry it.
For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden, they are more than I can bear.
5 Because I have done foolish things, I have sores that have become worse, and they stink.
My wounds putrefy and are loathsome on account of my folly.
6 [Sometimes] I am bent over, and [sometimes] I lie prostrate; I am sad/cry all day.
I am bent; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.
7 My body is burning with fever, and I am very ill.
For my loins are full of burning heat, And there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am completely exhausted, and I have no strength. I am very distressed, and I groan with pain.
I am weakened and bruised exceedingly; I roar by reason of the disquietude of my heart.
9 Yahweh, you know that I desire [to be healed]; you hear me while I am groaning.
O Lord! thou knowest all my desire, And my groaning is not hidden from thee!
10 My heat is pounding heavily, and all my strength is gone. I am no longer able to see well.
My heart panteth; my strength faileth me; The very light of my eyes is gone from me.
11 My friends and neighbors stay away from me because of my sores; even my own family stays away from me.
My friends and acquaintance keep aloof from my woe, And my kinsmen stand afar off:
12 And those who want to kill me set traps to catch me; those who want to harm me discuss ways to get rid of me; they plot against me all day.
While they who seek my life lay snares for me; They who seek my hurt threaten destruction, And meditate deceit all the day long.
13 Now I act like I’m deaf, and do not listen [to what they say]. I act like I cannot talk, so I say nothing [to reply to them].
But I, like a deaf man, hear not; And, like a dumb man, open not my mouth.
14 I act like a man who does not answer [when people talk to him], because he cannot hear anything.
I am like one who heareth nothing, And in whose mouth is no reply.
15 But Yahweh, I trust in you. My Lord God, you will answer me.
For in thee, O LORD! do I put my trust; Thou wilt hear, O Lord, my God!
16 I said to you, “Do not cause [me to die, with the result that] my enemies will rejoice! Do not cause me to stumble, with the result that they will be very happy!”
For I have prayed, “Let them not rejoice over me; Let them not exult at the slipping of my feet!”
17 I say that because I am about to fall down, and I constantly have pain.
For I am ready to fall, And my pain doth never leave me;
18 I confess the wrong things that I have done; I am [very] sorry for the sins that I have committed.
For I confess my iniquity, And am troubled on account of my sin.
19 My enemies are healthy and strong; there are many people who hate me for no reason.
But my enemies flourish and are strong; They who hate me without cause are multiplied.
20 Those who do evil things to me in return for my doing good things to them oppose me because I try to do what is right.
They who repay good with evil are my enemies, Because I follow that which is good.
21 Yahweh, do not abandon me! My God, do not stay far from me!
Forsake me not, O LORD! O my God! be not far from me!
22 Lord, you are the one who saves/rescues me; Quickly [come and] help me!
Make hast to mine aid, O Lord, my salvation!
