• Prayer in Time of Chastening

  • 1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!
  • 2 For Your arrows pierce me deeply, And Your hand presses me down.
  • 3 There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin.
  • 4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
  • 5 My wounds are foul and festering Because of my foolishness.
  • 6 I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.
  • 7 For my loins are full of inflammation, And there is no soundness in my flesh.
  • 8 I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.
  • 9 Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You.
  • 10 My heart pants, my strength fails me; As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.
  • 11 My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague, And my relatives stand afar off.
  • 12 Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, And plan deception all the day long.
  • 13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.
  • 14 Thus I am like a man who does not hear, And in whose mouth is no response.
  • 15 For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God.
  • 16 For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me, Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.”
  • 17 For I am ready to fall, And my sorrow is continually before me.
  • 18 For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin.
  • 19 But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.
  • 20 Those also who render evil for good, They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.
  • 21 Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me!
  • 22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!