Psalms 38
1 A psalm of David, to bring to remembrance. Yahweh, do not rebuke me in your anger; do not punish me in your wrath.
Yahweh, when you are angry [with me], do not rebuke/scold me and punish me!
2 For your arrows pierce me, and your hand presses me down.
[Now it is as though] you have shot your arrows at me and wounded me; you have struck me and knocked me down.
3 My whole body is sick because of your anger; there is no health in my bones because of my sin.
Because you have been angry with me, I am suffering great pain. Because of my sin, my whole body is diseased.
4 For my iniquities overwhelm me; they are a burden too heavy for me.
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.
5 My wounds are infected and smell because of my foolish sins.
Because I have done foolish things, I have sores that have become worse, and they stink.
6 I am stooped over and humiliated every day; I go about mourning all day long.
[Sometimes] I am bent over, and [sometimes] I lie prostrate; I am sad/cry all day.
7 For within me, I am filled with burning; there is no health in my flesh.
My body is burning with fever, and I am very ill.
8 I am numb and utterly crushed; I groan because of the anguish of my heart.
I am completely exhausted, and I have no strength. I am very distressed, and I groan with pain.
9 Lord, you understand my heart's deepest yearnings, and my groanings are not hidden from you.
Yahweh, you know that I desire [to be healed]; you hear me while I am groaning.
10 My heart pounds, my strength fades, and my eyesight dims.
My heat is pounding heavily, and all my strength is gone. I am no longer able to see well.
11 My friends and companions shun me because of my condition; my neighbors stand far off.
My friends and neighbors stay away from me because of my sores; even my own family stays away from me.
12 Those who seek my life lay snares for me. They who seek my harm speak destructive words and say deceitful words all day long.
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.
13 But I, I am like a deaf man and hear nothing; I am like a mute man who says nothing.
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].
14 I am like a man who does not hear and who has no reply.
I act like a man who does not answer [when people talk to him], because he cannot hear anything.
15 Surely I wait for you, Yahweh; you will answer, Lord my God.
But Yahweh, I trust in you. My Lord God, you will answer me.
16 I say this so that my enemies will not gloat over me. If my foot slips, they will do terrible things to me.
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!”
17 For I am about to stumble, and I am in constant pain.
I say that because I am about to fall down, and I constantly have pain.
18 I confess my guilt; I am concerned about my sin.
I confess the wrong things that I have done; I am [very] sorry for the sins that I have committed.
19 But my enemies are numerous; those who hate me wrongfully are many.
My enemies are healthy and strong; there are many people who hate me for no reason.
20 They repay me evil for good; they hurl accusations at me although I have pursued what is good.
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.
21 Do not abandon me, Yahweh; my God, do not stay far away from me.
Yahweh, do not abandon me! My God, do not stay far from me!
22 Come quickly to help me, Lord, my salvation.
Lord, you are the one who saves/rescues me; Quickly [come and] help me!
