Christian prayer

Psalm 38

Psalm 38 in its original text and with its meaning, a biblical prayer of repentance and a plea for God's help.

22 verses
About 1 minute to recite
From the Bible

1
A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance. O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
2
For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.
3
There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.
4
For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
5
My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.
6
I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.
7
For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8
I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.
9
Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.
10
My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.
11
My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.
12
They 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.
13
But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
14
Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.
15
For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.
16
For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.
17
For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.
18
For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.
19
But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.
20
They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.
21
Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me.
22
Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

The Hebrew original

1 מִזְמ֖וֹר לְדָוִ֣ד לְהַזְכִּֽיר׃

2 יְֽהוָ֗ה אַל־בְּקֶצְפְּךָ֥ תוֹכִיחֵ֑נִי וּֽבַחֲמָתְךָ֥ תְיַסְּרֵֽנִי׃

3 כִּֽי־חִ֭צֶּיךָ נִ֣חֲתוּ בִ֑י וַתִּנְחַ֖ת עָלַ֣י יָדֶֽךָ׃

4 אֵין־מְתֹ֣ם בִּ֭בְשָׂרִי מִפְּנֵ֣י זַעְמֶ֑ךָ אֵין־שָׁל֥וֹם בַּ֝עֲצָמַ֗י מִפְּנֵ֥י חַטָּאתִֽי׃

5 כִּ֣י עֲ֭וֺנֹתַי עָבְר֣וּ רֹאשִׁ֑י כְּמַשָּׂ֥א כָ֝בֵ֗ד יִכְבְּד֥וּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

6 הִבְאִ֣ישׁוּ נָ֭מַקּוּ חַבּוּרֹתָ֑י מִ֝פְּנֵ֗י אִוַּלְתִּֽי׃

7 נַעֲוֵ֣יתִי שַׁחֹ֣תִי עַד־מְאֹ֑ד כָּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם קֹדֵ֥ר הִלָּֽכְתִּי׃

8 כִּֽי־כְ֭סָלַי מָלְא֣וּ נִקְלֶ֑ה וְאֵ֥ין מְ֝תֹ֗ם בִּבְשָׂרִֽי׃

9 נְפוּג֣וֹתִי וְנִדְכֵּ֣יתִי עַד־מְאֹ֑ד שָׁ֝אַ֗גְתִּי מִֽנַּהֲמַ֥ת לִבִּֽי׃

10 אֲֽדֹנָי נֶגְדְּךָ֥ כָל־תַּאֲוָתִ֑י וְ֝אַנְחָתִ֗י מִמְּךָ֥ לֹא־נִסְתָּֽרָה׃

11 לִבִּ֣י סְ֭חַרְחַר עֲזָבַ֣נִי כֹחִ֑י וְֽאוֹר־עֵינַ֥י גַּם־הֵ֝֗ם אֵ֣ין אִתִּֽי׃

12 אֹֽהֲבַ֨י ׀ וְרֵעַ֗י מִנֶּ֣גֶד נִגְעִ֣י יַעֲמֹ֑דוּ וּ֝קְרוֹבַ֗י מֵרָחֹ֥ק עָמָֽדוּ׃

13 וַיְנַקְשׁ֤וּ ׀ מְבַקְשֵׁ֬י נַפְשִׁ֗י וְדֹרְשֵׁ֣י רָ֭עָתִי דִּבְּר֣וּ הַוּ֑וֹת וּ֝מִרְמ֗וֹת כָּל־הַיּ֥וֹם יֶהְגּֽוּ׃

14 וַאֲנִ֣י כְ֭חֵרֵשׁ לֹ֣א אֶשְׁמָ֑ע וּ֝כְאִלֵּ֗ם לֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־פִּֽיו׃

15 וָאֱהִ֗י כְּ֭אִישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־שֹׁמֵ֑עַ וְאֵ֥ין בְּ֝פִ֗יו תּוֹכָחֽוֹת׃

16 כִּֽי־לְךָ֣ יְהוָ֣ה הוֹחָ֑לְתִּי אַתָּ֥ה תַ֝עֲנֶ֗ה אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהָֽי׃

17 כִּֽי־אָ֭מַרְתִּי פֶּן־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִ֑י בְּמ֥וֹט רַ֝גְלִ֗י עָלַ֥י הִגְדִּֽילוּ׃

18 כִּֽי־אֲ֭נִי לְצֶ֣לַע נָכ֑וֹן וּמַכְאוֹבִ֖י נֶגְדִּ֣י תָמִֽיד׃

19 כִּֽי־עֲוֺנִ֥י אַגִּ֑יד אֶ֝דְאַ֗ג מֵֽחַטָּאתִֽי׃

20 וְֽ֭אֹיְבַי חַיִּ֣ים עָצֵ֑מוּ וְרַבּ֖וּ שֹׂנְאַ֣י שָֽׁקֶר׃

21 וּמְשַׁלְּמֵ֣י רָ֭עָה תַּ֣חַת טוֹבָ֑ה יִ֝שְׂטְנ֗וּנִי תַּ֣חַת רדופי־טֽוֹב׃

22 אַל־תַּֽעַזְבֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֑ה אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י אַל־תִּרְחַ֥ק מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

23 ח֥וּשָׁה לְעֶזְרָתִ֑י אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י תְּשׁוּעָתִֽי׃

Wording: The Holy Bible, King James Version, 1611 (standard text of 1769). Copied word for word from the edition named here

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När den beds

Many Christians pray Psalm 38 during times of repentance, distress or loneliness, giving voice to sorrow and asking God not to abandon them. In the Christian tradition, it is also used during Lent and in personal reflection on sin and forgiveness.

Repentance
Lent
Times of distress
Personal prayer

Varifrån den kommer

Psalm 38 comes from the Book of Psalms in the Bible, and its heading attributes it to David. It belongs to the collection traditionally known in Christianity as the penitential psalms. Its language brings together confession, physical suffering and a plea for God's presence.

I biblioteketKing James Version av BibelnSe boken

Library of Alexandria

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Frågor om Psalm 38

How many verses are in Psalm 38?

Psalm 38 has 22 verses.

What is Psalm 38 about?

The psalm expresses deep distress, sorrow for sin and the pain of feeling abandoned by others. It ends with an urgent appeal for God to draw near and help.

When do Christians pray Psalm 38?

Many Christians pray it during Lent, in times of repentance or when they struggle to put suffering into words.

Who wrote Psalm 38?

Its biblical heading attributes it to David. This is its traditional attribution rather than a certain statement about its historical authorship.

What language was Psalm 38 written in?

Psalm 38 was written in Hebrew, the original language of the Book of Psalms.