Psa 38 | HCSB | STEP | A Davidic psalm for remembrance . Lord , do not punish me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath .

Psalms 38

Prayer of a Suffering Sinner

1 A Davidic psalm for remembrance. ^a

Lord, do not punish me in Your anger
or discipline me in Your wrath. ^b
2 For Your arrows have sunk into me,
and Your hand has pressed down on me. ^c

3 There is no health in my body
because of Your indignation;
there is no strength ^{▼▼Hb shalom} in my bones
because of my sin. ^e
4 For my sins have flooded over my head;
they are a burden too heavy for me to bear. ^f
5 My wounds are foul and festering
because of my foolishness. ^g
6 I am bent over and brought low;
all day long I go around in mourning. ^h
7 For my loins are full of burning pain,
and there is no health in my body. ⁱ
8 I am faint and severely crushed;
I groan because of the anguish of my heart. ^j

9 Lord, my every desire is known to ^{▼▼Lit is in front of} You;
my sighing is not hidden from You. ^l
10 My heart races, my strength leaves me,
and even the light of my eyes has faded. ^{▼▼Or and the light of my eyes – even that is not with me
,} ⁿ
11 My loved ones and friends stand back from my affliction,
and my relatives stand at a distance. ^o
12 Those who seek my life set traps,
and those who want to harm me threaten to destroy me;
they plot treachery all day long. ^p

13 I am like a deaf person; I do not hear.
I am like a speechless person
who does not open his mouth. ^q
14 I am like a man who does not hear
and has no arguments in his mouth. ^r
15 I put my hope in You, Lord;
You will answer, Lord my God. ^s
16 For I said, “Don’t let them rejoice over me –
those who are arrogant toward me when I stumble.” ^t
17 For I am about to fall,
and my pain is constantly with me. ^u
18 So I confess my ^{▼▼guilt/guilty: The liability to be punished for a fault, a sin, an act, or an omission unless there is forgiveness or atonement; the term normally concerns an objective fact, not a subjective feeling.}guilt;
I am anxious because of my sin. ^w
19 But my enemies are vigorous and powerful; ^{▼▼Or numerous}
many hate me for no reason. ^y
20 Those who repay evil for good
attack me for pursuing good. ^z

21 Lord, do not abandon me;
my God, do not be far from me. ^aa
22 Hurry to help me,
Lord, my Savior. ^ab