Psalms 38

¹Unto the end. For Jeduthun himself. A Canticle of David.

²I said, “I will keep to my ways, so that I will not offend with my tongue.” I posted a guard at my mouth, when a sinner took up a position against me.

³I was silenced and humbled, and I was quiet before good things, and my sorrow was renewed.

⁴My heart grew hot within me, and, during my meditation, a fire would flare up.

⁵I spoke with my tongue, “O Lord, make me know my end, and what the number of my days will be, so that I may know what is lacking to me.”

⁶Behold, you have made my days measurable, and, before you, my substance is as nothing. Yet truly, all things are vanity: every living man.

⁷So then, truly man passes by like an image; even so, he is disquieted in vain. He stores up, and he knows not for whom he will gather these things.

⁸And now, what is it that awaits me? Is it not the Lord? And my substance is with you.

⁹Rescue me from all my iniquities. You have handed me over as a reproach to the foolish.

¹⁰I was silenced, and I did not open my mouth, because it was you who acted.

¹¹Remove your scourges from me.

¹²I fall short at corrections from the strength of your hand. For you have chastised man for iniquity. And you have made his soul shrink away like a spider. Nevertheless, it is in vain that any man be disquieted.

¹³O Lord, heed my prayer and my supplication. Pay attention to my tears. Do not be silent. For I am a newcomer with you, and a sojourner, just as all my fathers were.

¹⁴Forgive me, so that I may be refreshed, before I will go forth and be no more.

Psalms 38

¹O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

²For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.

³There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.

⁴For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

⁵My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.

⁶I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.

⁷For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.

⁸I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.

⁹Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.

¹⁰My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

¹¹My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.

¹²They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

¹³But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.

¹⁴Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.

¹⁵For in thee, O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.

¹⁶For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.

¹⁷For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.

¹⁸For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.

¹⁹But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

²⁰They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.

²¹Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me.

²²Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.