Psalms 38:11-18

38:11 Because of my condition, ¹  even my friends and acquaintances keep their distance; ² 

my neighbors stand far away. ³ 

38:12 Those who seek my life try to entrap me; ⁴ 

those who want to harm me speak destructive words;

all day long they say deceitful things.

38:13 But I am like a deaf man – I hear nothing;

I am like a mute who cannot speak. ⁵ 

38:14 I am like a man who cannot hear

and is incapable of arguing his defense. ⁶ 

38:15 Yet ⁷  I wait for you, O Lord!

You will respond, O Lord, my God!

38:16 I have prayed for deliverance, because otherwise they will gloat over me; ⁸ 

when my foot slips they will arrogantly taunt me. ⁹ 

38:17 For I am about to stumble,

and I am in constant pain. ¹⁰ 

38:18 Yes, ¹¹  I confess my wrongdoing,

and I am concerned about my sins.

[38:11]  ¹ tn Or “wound,” or “illness.”

[38:11]  ² tn Heb “stand [aloof].”

[38:11]  ³ tn Heb “and the ones near me off at a distance stand.”

[38:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “lay snares.”

[38:13]  ⁷ sn I am like a deaf man…like a mute. The psalmist is like a deaf mute; he is incapable of defending himself and is vulnerable to his enemies’ deception (see v. 14).

[38:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and there is not in his mouth arguments.”

[38:15]  ¹³ tn Or perhaps “surely.”

[38:16]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “For I said, ‘Lest they rejoice over me.’” The psalmist recalls the motivating argument of his petition. He probably prefaced this statement with a prayer for deliverance (see Pss 7:1-2; 13:3-4; 28:1).

[38:16]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “they will magnify against me.” See Pss 35:26; 55:13.

[38:17]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and my pain [is] before me continually.”

[38:18]  ²² tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.