Psalm 38-41
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
Prayer of a Suffering Sinner
A psalm of David to bring remembrance.(A)
38 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 soundness in my body
because of your indignation;
there is no health[a] in my bones
because of my sin.(D)
4 For my iniquities have flooded over my head;
they are a burden too heavy for me to bear.(E)
5 My wounds are foul and festering
because of my foolishness.(F)
6 I am bent over and brought very low;
all day long I go around in mourning.(G)
7 For my insides are full of burning pain,
and there is no soundness in my body.(H)
8 I am faint and severely crushed;
I groan because of the anguish of my heart.(I)
9 Lord, my every desire is in front of you;
my sighing is not hidden from you.(J)
10 My heart races, my strength leaves me,
and even the light of my eyes has faded.[b](K)
11 My loved ones and friends stand back from my affliction,
and my relatives stand at a distance.(L)
12 Those who intend to kill me set traps,
and those who want to harm me threaten to destroy me;
they plot treachery all day long.(M)
13 I am like a deaf person; I do not hear.
I am like a speechless person
who does not open his mouth.(N)
14 I am like a man who does not hear
and has no arguments in his mouth.(O)
15 For I put my hope in you, Lord;
you will answer me, my Lord, my God.(P)
16 For I said, ‘Don’t let them rejoice over me –
those who are arrogant towards me when I stumble.’(Q)
17 For I am about to fall,
and my pain is constantly with me.(R)
18 So I confess my iniquity;
I am anxious because of my sin.(S)
19 But my enemies are vigorous and powerful;[c]
many hate me for no reason.(T)
20 Those who repay evil for good
attack me for pursuing good.(U)
21 Lord, do not abandon me;
my God, do not be far from me.(V)
22 Hurry to help me,
my Lord, my salvation.(W)
The Fleeting Nature of Life
For the choir director, for Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
39 I said, ‘I will guard my ways
so that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle
as long as the wicked are in my presence.’(X)
2 I was speechless and quiet;
I kept silent, even from speaking good,
and my pain intensified.(Y)
3 My heart grew hot within me;
as I mused, a fire burned.(Z)
I spoke with my tongue:
4 ‘Lord, make me aware of my end
and the number of my days
so that I will know how short-lived I am.(AA)
5 In fact, you have made my days just handbreadths long,
and my lifespan is as nothing to you.
Yes, every human being stands as only a vapour.(AB) Selah
6 Yes, a person goes about like a mere shadow.
Indeed, they rush around in vain,
gathering possessions
without knowing who will get them.(AC)
7 ‘Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in you.(AD)
8 Rescue me from all my transgressions;
do not make me the taunt of fools.(AE)
9 I am speechless; I do not open my mouth
because of what you have done.(AF)
10 Remove your torment from me.
Because of the force of your hand I am finished.(AG)
11 You discipline a person with punishment for iniquity,
consuming like a moth what is precious to him;(AH)
yes, every human being is only a vapour.(AI) Selah
12 ‘Hear my prayer, Lord,
and listen to my cry for help;
do not be silent at my tears.(AJ)
For I am here with you as a foreigner,
a temporary resident like all my ancestors.(AK)
13 Turn your angry gaze from me
so that I may be cheered up
before I die and am gone.’(AL)
Thanksgiving and a Cry for Help
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
40 I waited patiently for the Lord,
and he turned to me and heard my cry for help.(AM)
2 He brought me up from a desolate[d] pit,
out of the muddy clay,(AN)
and set my feet on a rock,
making my steps secure.(AO)
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.(AP)
Many will see and fear,
and they will trust in the Lord.(AQ)
4 How happy is anyone
who has put his trust in the Lord
and has not turned to the proud
or to those who run after lies!(AR)
5 Lord my God, you have done many things –
your wondrous works and your plans for us;
none can compare with you.
If I were to report and speak of them,
they are more than can be told.(AS)
6 You do not delight in sacrifice and offering;
you open my ears to listen.[e]
You do not ask for a whole burnt offering or a sin offering.(AT)
7 Then I said, ‘See, I have come;
in the scroll it is written about me.(AU)
8 I delight to do your will, my God,(AV)
and your instruction is deep within me.’(AW)
9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;
see, I do not keep my mouth closed[f] –
as you know, Lord.(AX)
10 I did not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I spoke about your faithfulness and salvation;
I did not conceal your constant love and truth
from the great assembly.(AY)
11 Lord, you do not[g] withhold your compassion from me.
Your constant love and truth will always guard me.(AZ)
12 For troubles without number have surrounded me;
my iniquities have overtaken me; I am unable to see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my courage leaves me.(BA)
13 Lord, be pleased to rescue me;
hurry to help me, Lord.(BB)
14 Let those who intend to take my life
be disgraced and confounded.
Let those who wish me harm
be turned back and humiliated.(BC)
15 Let those who say to me, ‘Aha, aha! ’
be appalled because of their shame.(BD)
16 Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;
let those who love your salvation continually say,
‘The Lord is great! ’(BE)
17 I am oppressed and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my helper and my deliverer;
my God, do not delay.(BF)
Victory in spite of Betrayal
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
41 Happy is one who is considerate of the poor;
the Lord will save him in a day of adversity.(BG)
2 The Lord will keep him and preserve him;
he will be blessed in the land.(BH)
You will not give him over to the desire of his enemies.(BI)
3 The Lord will sustain him on his sick-bed;
you will heal him on the bed where he lies.(BJ)
4 I said, ‘Lord, be gracious to me;
heal me, for I have sinned against you.’(BK)
5 My enemies speak maliciously about me:
‘When will he die and be forgotten? ’(BL)
6 When one of them comes to visit, he speaks deceitfully;
he stores up evil in his heart;
he goes out and talks.(BM)
7 All who hate me whisper together about me;
they plan to harm me.(BN)
8 ‘Something awful has overwhelmed him,[h]
and he won’t rise again from where he lies! ’(BO)
9 Even my friend[i] in whom I trusted,
one who ate my bread,
has raised his heel against me.(BP)
10 But you, Lord, be gracious to me and raise me up;
then I will repay them.(BQ)
11 By this I know that you delight in me:(BR)
my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.(BS)
12 You supported me because of my integrity(BT)
and set me in your presence for ever.(BU)
13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and amen.(BV)
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