Psalm 38

O Lord, rebuke me not in Your wrath,
And chasten me not in Your burning anger.

Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
    or discipline me in your wrath.

For Your arrows have sunk deep into me,
And Your hand has pressed down on me.

Your arrows have pierced me,
    and your hand has come down on me.

There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation;
There is no health in my bones because of my sin.

Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
    there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.

For my iniquities are gone over my head;
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.

My guilt has overwhelmed me
    like a burden too heavy to bear.

My ^[a]wounds grow foul and fester
Because of my folly.

My wounds fester and are loathsome
    because of my sinful folly.

I am bent over and greatly bowed down;
I go mourning all day long.

I am bowed down and brought very low;
    all day long I go about mourning.

For my loins are filled with burning,
And there is no soundness in my flesh.

My back is filled with searing pain;
    there is no health in my body.

I am benumbed and ^[b]badly crushed;
I ^[c]groan because of the ^[d]agitation of my heart.

I am feeble and utterly crushed;
    I groan in anguish of heart.

Lord, all my desire is ^[e]before You;
And my sighing is not hidden from You.

All my longings lie open before you, Lord:
    my sighing is not hidden from you.

My heart throbs, my strength fails me;
And the light of my eyes, even ^[f]that ^[g]has gone from me.

My heart pounds, my strength fails me;
    even the light has gone from my eyes.

My ^[h]loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen stand afar off.

My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;
    my neighbours stay far away.

Those who seek my life lay snares for me;
And those who seek to injure me have ^[i]threatened destruction,
And they devise treachery all day long.

Those who want to kill me set their traps,
    those who would harm me talk of my ruin;
    all day long they scheme and lie.

But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a mute man who does not open his mouth.

I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,
    like the mute, who cannot speak;

Yes, I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth are no arguments.

I have become like one who does not hear,
    whose mouth can offer no reply.

For I ^[j]hope in You, O Lord;
You will answer, O Lord my God.

Lord, I wait for you;
    you will answer, Lord my God.

For I said, “May they not rejoice over me,
Who, when my foot slips, would magnify themselves against me.”

For I said, ‘Do not let them gloat
    or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.’

For I am ready to fall,
And my ^[k]sorrow is continually before me.

For I am about to fall,
    and my pain is ever with me.

For I ^[l]confess my iniquity;
I am full of anxiety because of my sin.

I confess my iniquity;
    I am troubled by my sin.

But my enemies are vigorous and ^[m]strong,
And many are those who hate me wrongfully.

Many have become my enemies without cause^[b];
    those who hate me without reason are numerous.

And those who repay evil for good,
They oppose me, because I follow what is good.

Those who repay my good with evil
    lodge accusations against me,
    though I seek only to do what is good.

Do not forsake me, O Lord;
O my God, do not be far from me!

Lord, do not forsake me;
    do not be far from me, my God.

Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!