Psalm 38

Easy-to-Read Version

38 Lord, don’t criticize me when you are angry.
    Don’t discipline me in anger.
² You have hurt me.
    You punished me and hurt me deeply.
³ You punished me severely, so my whole body is sore.
    I sinned, and now all my bones hurt.
⁴ My guilt is like a heavy burden.
    I am sinking beneath its weight.
⁵ I did a foolish thing,
    and now I have infected sores that stink.
⁶ I am bent and bowed down.
    I am depressed all day long.
⁷ I am burning with fever,
    and my whole body hurts.
⁸ I hurt so much I cannot feel anything.
    My pounding heart makes me scream!
⁹ My Lord, you heard my groaning.
    You can hear my sighs.
¹⁰ My heart is pounding.
    My strength is gone, and I am going blind.^[b]
11 Because of my sickness,
    my friends and neighbors will not visit me;
    my family will not come near me.
¹² My enemies say bad things about me.
    They are spreading lies and rumors.
    They talk about me all the time.
¹³ But I am like a deaf man and cannot hear.
    I am like someone who cannot speak.
¹⁴ I am like those who cannot hear what people are saying about them.
    I cannot answer to prove my enemies wrong.
¹⁵ Lord, you must defend me.
    Lord my God, you must speak for me.
¹⁶ That’s why I prayed, “Don’t let my enemies smile at my pain.
    Full of pride, they will laugh if I stumble and fall.”
¹⁷ I know I am guilty of doing wrong.
    I cannot forget my pain.
¹⁸ Lord, I told you about the evil I have done.
    I am sorry for my sin.
¹⁹ But my enemies are alive and healthy,
    and they have told many lies.
²⁰ I did nothing but good,
    and they paid me back with evil.
I try to do what is right,
    but that only makes them turn against me.
²¹ Lord, don’t leave me.
    My God, stay close to me.
²² Come quickly and help me.
    My Lord, you are the one who saves me.