Psalm 38⁷³

A psalm of David, written to get God’s attention.⁷⁴
38:1 O LORD, do not continue to rebuke me in your anger!
Do not continue to punish me in your raging fury!¹
38:2 For your arrows pierce² me,
and your hand presses me down.³
38:3 My whole body is sick because of your judgment,⁴
I am deprived of health because of my sin.⁵
38:4 For my sins overwhelm me;⁶
like a heavy load, they are too much for me to bear.
38:5 My wounds⁷ are infected and starting to smell,⁸
because of my foolish sins.⁹
38:6 I am dazed¹⁰ and completely humiliated,¹¹
all day long I walk around mourning.
38:7 For I am overcome with shame,¹²
and my whole body is sick.¹³
38:8 I am numb with pain and severely battered,¹⁴
I groan loudly because of the anxiety I feel.¹⁵
38:9 O sovereign master, you understand my heart’s desire,¹⁶
my groaning is not hidden from you.
38:10 My heart beats quickly,
my strength leaves me;
I can hardly see.¹⁷
38:11 Because of my condition,¹⁸ even my friends and acquaintances keep their distance,¹⁹
my neighbors stand far away.²⁰
38:12 Those who seek my life try to entrap me;²¹
those who want to harm me speak destructive words,
all day long they say deceitful things.
38:13 But I am like a deaf man, I hear nothing;
I am like a mute who cannot speak.²²
38:14 I am like a man who cannot hear,
and is incapable of arguing his defense.²³
38:15 Yet²⁴ I wait for you, O LORD!
You will respond, O sovereign master, my God!
38:16 I have prayed for deliverance, because otherwise they will gloat over me;²⁵
when my foot slips they will arrogantly taunt me.²⁶
38:17 For I am about to stumble,
and I am in constant pain.²⁷
38:18 Yes,²⁸ I confess my wrongdoing,
and I am concerned about my sins.
38:19 But those who are my enemies for no reason are numerous,²⁹
those who hate me without cause outnumber me.³⁰
38:20 They repay me evil for the good I have done,
though I have tried to do good to them, they hurl accusations at me.³¹
38:21 Do not abandon me, O LORD!
My God, do not remain far away from me!
38:22 Hurry and help me,³² O sovereign master, my deliverer!