The Prayer of a Sufferer
1 O Lord, don't punish me in your anger!
2 You have wounded me with your arrows;
you have struck me down.
3 Because of your anger, I am in great pain;
my whole body is diseased because of my sins.
4 I am drowning in the flood of my sins;
they are a burden too heavy to bear.
5 Because I have been foolish,
my sores stink and rot.
6 I am bent over, I am crushed;
I mourn all day long.
7 I am burning with fever
and I am near death.
8 I am worn out and utterly crushed;
my heart is troubled, and I groan with pain.
9 O Lord, you know what I long for;
you hear all my groans.
10 My heart is pounding, my strength is gone,
and my eyes have lost their brightness.
11 My friends and neighbors will not come near me,
because of my sores;
even my family keeps away from me.
12 Those who want to kill me lay traps for me,
and those who want to hurt me threaten to ruin me;
they never stop plotting against me.
13 I am like the deaf and cannot hear,
like the dumb and cannot speak.
14 I am like those who do not answer,
because they cannot hear.
15 But I trust in you, O Lord;
and you, O Lord my God, will answer me.
16 Don't let my enemies gloat over my distress;
don't let them boast about my downfall!
17 I am about to fall
and am in constant pain.
18 I confess my sins;
they fill me with anxiety.
19 My enemies are healthy and strong;
there are many who hate me for no reason.
20 Those who pay back evil for good
are against me because I try to do right.
21 Do not abandon me, O Lord;
do not stay away, my God!
22 Help me now, O Lord my savior!
1 A Psalme of Dauid for remembrance. O Lord, rebuke mee not in thine anger, neither chastise me in thy wrath. 2 For thine arrowes haue light vpon me, and thine hand lyeth vpon me. 3 There is nothing sound in my flesh, because of thine anger: neither is there rest in my bones because of my sinne. 4 For mine iniquities are gone ouer mine head, and as a weightie burden they are too heauie for me. 5 My woundes are putrified, and corrupt because of my foolishnes. 6 I am bowed, and crooked very sore: I goe mourning all the day. 7 For my reines are full of burning, and there is nothing sound in my flesh. 8 I am weakened and sore broken: I roare for the very griefe of mine heart. 9 Lord, I powre my whole desire before thee, and my sighing is not hid from thee. 10 Mine heart panteth: my strength faileth me, and the light of mine eyes, euen they are not mine owne. 11 My louers and my friends stand aside from my plague, and my kinsmen stand a farre off. 12 They also, that seeke after my life, laye snares, and they that go about to do me euil, talke wicked things and imagine deceite continually. 13 But I as a deafe man heard not, and am as a dumme man, which openeth not his mouth. 14 Thus am I as a man, that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofes. 15 For on thee, O Lord, do I waite: thou wilt heare me, my Lord, my God. 16 For I said, Heare me, least they reioyce ouer me: for when my foote slippeth, they extol themselues against me. 17 Surely I am ready to halte, and my sorow is euer before me. 18 When I declare my paine, and am sory for my sinne, 19 Then mine enemies are aliue and are mightie, and they that hate me wrongfully are many. 20 They also, that rewarde euill for good, are mine aduersaries, because I follow goodnesse. 21 Forsake me not, O Lord: be not thou farre from me, my God. 22 Haste thee to helpe mee, O my Lord, my saluation.