Psalms 40:12

40:12 For innumerable dangers ¹  surround me.

My sins overtake me

so I am unable to see;

they outnumber the hairs of my head

so my strength fails me. ² 

Isaiah 59:12

59:12 For you are aware of our many rebellious deeds, ³ 

and our sins testify against us;

indeed, we are aware of our rebellious deeds;

we know our sins all too well. ⁴ 

Jeremiah 3:25

3:25 Let us acknowledge ⁵  our shame.

Let us bear the disgrace that we deserve. ⁶ 

For we have sinned against the Lord our God,

both we and our ancestors.

From earliest times to this very day

we have not obeyed the Lord our God.’

[40:12]  ¹ tn Or “sinful deeds.” The Hebrew term used here can have a nonmoral nuance (“dangers”) or a moral one (“sinful deeds”) depending on the context. The next line (see “my sins”) seems to favor the moral sense, but the psalmist also speaks of enemies shortly after this (v. 14).

[40:12]  ² tn Heb “and my heart abandons me.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of emotional strength and courage. For a similar idea see Ps 38:10.

[59:12]  ³ tn Heb “for many are our rebellious deeds before you.”

[59:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] our rebellious deeds (are) with us, and our sins, we know them.”

[3:25]  ⁵ tn Heb “Let us lie down in….”

[3:25]  ⁶ tn Heb “Let us be covered with disgrace.”