Psalms 38:12-14

38:12 Those who seek my life try to entrap me; ¹ 

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. ² 

38:14 I am like a man who cannot hear

and is incapable of arguing his defense. ³ 

[38:12]  ¹ tn Heb “lay snares.”

[38:13]  ² 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]  ³ tn Heb “and there is not in his mouth arguments.”