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Prayer of a suffering penitent.

A Psalm of David, [a]to bring to remembrance.

38 O Jehovah, rebuke me not in thy wrath;
Neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
For thine arrows [b]stick fast in me,
And thy hand [c]presseth me sore.
There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine indignation;
Neither is there any [d]health in my bones because of my sin.
For mine iniquities are gone over my head:
As a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
My wounds are loathsome and corrupt,
Because of my foolishness.
I am [e]pained and bowed down greatly;
I go mourning all the day long.
For my loins are filled with burning;
And there is no soundness in my flesh.
I am faint and sore bruised:
I have [f]groaned by reason of the disquietness of my heart.
Lord, all my desire is before thee;
And my groaning is not hid from thee.
10 My heart throbbeth, my strength faileth me:
As for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.
11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen stand afar off.
12 They also that seek after my life lay snares for me;
And they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things,
And meditate deceits all the day long.
13 But I, as a deaf man, hear not;
And I am as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
14 Yea, I am as a man that heareth not,
And in whose mouth are no [g]reproofs.
15 For in thee, O Jehovah, do I hope:
Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, Lest they rejoice over me:
When my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.
17 For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I will declare mine iniquity;
I will be sorry for my sin.
19 But mine enemies are lively, and are strong;
And they that hate me [h]wrongfully are multiplied.
20 They also that render evil for good
Are adversaries unto me, because I follow the thing that is good.
21 Forsake me not, O Jehovah:
O my God, be not far from me.
22 Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 38:1 Or, to make memorial
  2. Psalm 38:2 Hebrew lighted on me.
  3. Psalm 38:2 Hebrew lighted on me.
  4. Psalm 38:3 Or, rest
  5. Psalm 38:6 Hebrew bent.
  6. Psalm 38:8 Hebrew roared.
  7. Psalm 38:14 Or, arguments
  8. Psalm 38:19 Hebrew falsely.