Day 8 — Psalm 38

HEBREW

PSALM 38

Prayer in distress

Psalm of David, in commemoration.

Yahweh, do not punish me in Your rage,

or reprove me in the heat of anger.

Your arrows have pierced deep,

Your hand has pressed down on me;

no soundness in my flesh now You are angry,

no health in my bones, because of my sin.

My guilt is overwhelming me,

it is too heavy a burden;

my wounds stink and are festering,

the result of my folly;

bowed down, bent double, overcome,

I go mourning all the day.

My loins are burned up with fever,

there is no soundness in my flesh:

numbed and crushed and overcome,

my heart groans, I moan aloud.

Lord, all that I long for is known to You,

my sighing is no secret from You;

my heart is throbbing, my strength deserting me,

the light of my eyes itself has left me.

My friends and my companions shrink from my wounds,

even the dearest of them keep their distance;

men intent on killing me lay snares,

others, hoping to hurt me, threaten my ruin,

hatching treacherous plots all day.

But I am like the deaf, I do not hear,

like the dumb man who does not open his mouth;

I am like the man who, hearing nothing,

gives no sharp answer in return.

For I put my trust in You, Yahweh,

and leave You to answer for me, Lord my God.

I have already said, ‘Stop them gloating over me,

do not let them take advantage of me

if my foot should slip.’

And now my fall is upon me,

there is no relief from my pains;

yes, I admit my guilt,

I am sorry for having sinned.

There are more and more to hurt me for no reason.

There are more to hate me unprovoked,

repaying my kindness with evil,

arraigning me for trying to do right.

Yahweh, do not desert me,

do not stand aside, my God!

Come quickly to my help,

Lord, my Savior!

Next… Psalm 39