Psalm 38

¹ Lord, in thy wrath rebuke me not:

nor in thy hot rage chasten me.

² Because thine hand doth press me sore,

and in me thy shafts fasten’d be.

³ There is no soundness in my flesh

because thine anger I am in;

nor is there any rest within

my bones by reason of my sin.

⁴ Because that mine iniquities

ascended are above my head:

like as an heavy burden they

too heavy upon me are laid.

⁵ My wounds stink and corrupt they be

my foolishness doth make it so.

⁶ I troubled am; and much bow’d down;

all the day long I mourning go.

⁷ For with foul sores my loins are fill’d:

and in my flesh is no soundness.

⁸ I’m weak and broken sore: I roar’d

because of my heart’s restlessness.

⁹ All my desire’s before thee, Lord;

nor is my groaning hid from thee.

¹⁰ My heart doth pant, my strength me fails:

and mine eyesight is gone from me.

¹¹ My friends and lovers from my sore

stand off; off stand my kinsmen eke.

¹² And they lay snares that seek my life:

that seek my hurt they mischief speak,

and all day long imagine guile.

¹³ But, as one deaf, I did not hear;

and as a dumb man I became

as if his mouth not open were.

¹⁴ Thus was I as man that hears not,

and in whose mouth reproofs none were.

¹⁵ Because, O Lord, in thee I hope:

O Lord my God, thou wilt me hear.

¹⁶ For said I, lest o’er me they joy:

when my foot slips, they vaunt the more

¹⁷ themselves ‘gainst me. For I to halt

am near; my grief’s still me before.

¹⁸ For my transgression I’ll declare;

I for my sins will sorry be.

¹⁹ But yet my lively foes are strong:

who falsely hate me multiply.

²⁰ Moreover they that do repay

evil instead of good to me;

because I follow what is good

to me they adversaries be.