Bible Browser

Psalm 38

1  Rebuke me not, O Lord, in your anger, ♦︎
   neither chasten me in your heavy displeasure.
2  For your arrows have stuck fast in me ♦︎
   and your hand presses hard upon me.
3  There is no health in my flesh
      because of your indignation; ♦︎
   there is no peace in my bones because of my sin.
4  For my iniquities have gone over my head; ♦︎
   their weight is a burden too heavy to bear.
5  My wounds stink and fester ♦︎
   because of my foolishness.
6  I am utterly bowed down and brought very low; ♦︎
   I go about mourning all the day long.
7  My loins are filled with searing pain; ♦︎
   there is no health in my flesh.
8  I am feeble and utterly crushed; ♦︎
   I roar aloud because of the disquiet of my heart.
9  O Lord, you know all my desires ♦︎
   and my sighing is not hidden from you.
10  My heart is pounding, my strength has failed me; ♦︎
   the light of my eyes is gone from me.
11  My friends and companions stand apart from my affliction; ♦︎
   my neighbours stand afar off.
12  Those who seek after my life lay snares for me; ♦︎
   and those who would harm me whisper evil
      and mutter slander all the day long.
13  But I am like one who is deaf and hears not, ♦︎
   like one that is dumb, who does not open his mouth.
14  I have become like one who does not hear ♦︎
   and from whose mouth comes no retort.
15  For in you, Lord, have I put my trust; ♦︎
   you will answer me, O Lord my God.
16  For I said, ‘Let them not triumph over me, ♦︎
   those who exult over me when my foot slips.’
17  Truly, I am on the verge of falling ♦︎
   and my pain is ever with me.
18  I will confess my iniquity ♦︎
   and be sorry for my sin.
19  Those that are my enemies without any cause are mighty, ♦︎
   and those who hate me wrongfully are many in number.
20  Those who repay evil for good are against me, ♦︎
   because the good is what I seek.
21  Forsake me not, O Lord; ♦︎
   be not far from me, O my God.
22  Make haste to help me, ♦︎
   O Lord of my salvation.

Nicodemus Visits Jesus

3Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. ²He came to Jesus^* by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ ³Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’^{* 4}Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ ⁵Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. ⁶What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.^{* 7}Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You^* must be born from above.”^{* 8}The wind^* blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ ⁹Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ ¹⁰Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

11 ‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you^* do not receive our testimony. ¹²If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.^*