Psalm 38

A David Psalm

1 Take a deep breath, God; calm down-don't be so hasty with your punishing rod.2 Your sharp-pointed arrows of rebuke draw blood; my backside smarts from your caning.

3 I've lost twenty pounds in two months because of your accusation. My bones are brittle as dry sticks because of my sin.4 I'm swamped by my bad behavior, collapsed under gunnysacks of guilt.

5 The cuts in my flesh stink and grow maggots because I've lived so badly.6 And now I'm flat on my face feeling sorry for myself morning to night.7 All my insides are on fire, my body is a wreck.8 I'm on my last legs; I've had it-my life is a vomit of groans.

9 Lord, my longings are sitting in plain sight, my groans an old story to you.10 My heart's about to break; I'm a burned-out case. Cataracts blind me to God and good;11 old friends avoid me like the plague. My cousins never visit, my neighbors stab me in the back.12 My competitors blacken my name, devoutly they pray for my ruin.13 But I'm deaf and mute to it all, ears shut, mouth shut.14 I don't hear a word they say, don't speak a word in response.15 What I do, God, is wait for you, wait for my Lord, my God-you will answer!16 I wait and pray so they won't laugh me off, won't smugly strut off when I stumble.

17 I'm on the edge of losing it-the pain in my gut keeps burning.18 I'm ready to tell my story of failure, I'm no longer smug in my sin.19 My enemies are alive and in action, a lynch mob after my neck.20 I give out good and get back evil from God-haters who can't stand a God-lover.

21 Don't dump me, God; my God, don't stand me up.22 Hurry and help me; I want some wide-open space in my life!

Psalm 39

A David Psalm

1 I'm determined to watch steps and tongue so they won't land me in trouble. I decided to hold my tongue as long as Wicked is in the room.2 "Mum's the word," I said, and kept quiet. But the longer I kept silence The worse it got -3 my insides got hotter and hotter. My thoughts boiled over; I spilled my guts.

4 "Tell me, what's going on, God? How long do I have to live? Give me the bad news!5 You've kept me on pretty short rations; my life is string too short to be saved.6 Oh! we're all puffs of air. Oh! we're all shadows in a campfire. Oh! we're just spit in the wind. We make our pile, and then we leave it.

7 "What am I doing in the meantime, Lord? Hoping, that's what I'm doing-hoping8 You'll save me from a rebel life, save me from the contempt of dunces.9 I'll say no more, I'll shut my mouth, since you, Lord, are behind all this.10 But I can't take it much longer. When you put us through the fire11 to purge us from our sin, our dearest idols go up in smoke. Are we also nothing but smoke?

12 "Ah, God, listen to my prayer, my cry-open your ears. Don't be callous; just look at these tears of mine. I'm a stranger here. I don't know my way-a migrant like my whole family.13 Give me a break, cut me some slack before it's too late and I'm out of here."

Psalm 40

A David Psalm

1 I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened.2 He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn't slip.3 He taught me how to sing the latest God-song, a praise-song to our God. More and more people are seeing this: they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to God.

4 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God, turn your backs on the world's "sure thing," ignore what the world worships;5 The world's a huge stockpile of God-wonders and God-thoughts. Nothing and no one comes close to you! I start talking about you, telling what I know, and quickly run out of words. Neither numbers nor words account for you.

6 Doing something for you, bringing something to you-that's not what you're after. Being religious, acting pious-that's not what you're asking for. You've opened my ears so I can listen.

7 So I answered, "I'm coming. I read in your letter what you wrote about me,8 And I'm coming to the party you're throwing for me." That's when God's Word entered my life, became part of my very being.

9 I've preached you to the whole congregation, I've kept back nothing, God-you know that.10 I didn't keep the news of your ways a secret, didn't keep it to myself. I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough. I didn't hold back pieces of love and truth For myself alone. I told it all, let the congregation know the whole story.

11 Now God, don't hold out on me, don't hold back your passion. Your love and truth are all that keeps me together.12 When troubles ganged up on me, a mob of sins past counting, I was so swamped by guilt I couldn't see my way clear. More guilt in my heart than hair on my head, so heavy the guilt that my heart gave out.

13 Soften up, God, and intervene; hurry and get me some help,14 So those who are trying to kidnap my soul will be embarrassed and lose face, So anyone who gets a kick out of making me miserable will be heckled and disgraced,15 So those who pray for my ruin will be booed and jeered without mercy.

16 But all who are hunting for you-oh, let them sing and be happy. Let those who know what you're all about tell the world you're great and not quitting.17 And me? I'm a mess. I'm nothing and have nothing: make something of me. You can do it; you've got what it takes-but God, don't put it off.