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Psalm 38

A Penitent Sufferer’s Plea for Healing

A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.
¹ O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger,
   or discipline me in your wrath.
² For your arrows have sunk into me,
   and your hand has come down on me.

³ There is no soundness in my flesh
   because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
   because of my sin.
⁴ For my iniquities have gone over my head;
   they weigh like a burden too heavy for me.

⁵ My wounds grow foul and fester
   because of my foolishness;
⁶ I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
   all day long I go around mourning.
⁷ For my loins are filled with burning,
   and there is no soundness in my flesh.
⁸ I am utterly spent and crushed;
   I groan because of the tumult of my heart.

⁹ O Lord, all my longing is known to you;
   my sighing is not hidden from you.
¹⁰ My heart throbs, my strength fails me;
   as for the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
¹¹ My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction,
   and my neighbours stand far off.

¹² Those who seek my life lay their snares;
   those who seek to hurt me speak of ruin,
   and meditate treachery all day long.

¹³ But I am like the deaf, I do not hear;
   like the mute, who cannot speak.
¹⁴ Truly, I am like one who does not hear,
   and in whose mouth is no retort.

¹⁵ But it is for you, O Lord, that I wait;
   it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
¹⁶ For I pray, ‘Only do not let them rejoice over me,
   those who boast against me when my foot slips.’

¹⁷ For I am ready to fall,
   and my pain is ever with me.
¹⁸ I confess my iniquity;
   I am sorry for my sin.
¹⁹ Those who are my foes without cause^* are mighty,
   and many are those who hate me wrongfully.
²⁰ Those who render me evil for good
   are my adversaries because I follow after good.

²¹ Do not forsake me, O Lord;
   O my God, do not be far from me;
²² make haste to help me,
   O Lord, my salvation.
²⁵ My soul clings to the dust;
   revive me according to your word.
²⁶ When I told of my ways, you answered me;
   teach me your statutes.
²⁷ Make me understand the way of your precepts,
   and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
²⁸ My soul melts away for sorrow;
   strengthen me according to your word.
²⁹ Put false ways far from me;
   and graciously teach me your law.
³⁰ I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
   I set your ordinances before me.
³¹ I cling to your decrees, O Lord;
   let me not be put to shame.
³² I run the way of your commandments,
   for you enlarge my understanding.

³³ Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes,
   and I will observe it to the end.
³⁴ Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
   and observe it with my whole heart.
³⁵ Lead me in the path of your commandments,
   for I delight in it.
³⁶ Turn my heart to your decrees,
   and not to selfish gain.
³⁷ Turn my eyes from looking at vanities;
   give me life in your ways.
³⁸ Confirm to your servant your promise,
   which is for those who fear you.
³⁹ Turn away the disgrace that I dread,
   for your ordinances are good.
⁴⁰ See, I have longed for your precepts;
   in your righteousness give me life.

⁴¹ Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord,
   your salvation according to your promise.
⁴² Then I shall have an answer for those who taunt me,
   for I trust in your word.
⁴³ Do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
   for my hope is in your ordinances.
⁴⁴ I will keep your law continually,
   for ever and ever.
⁴⁵ I shall walk at liberty,
   for I have sought your precepts.
⁴⁶ I will also speak of your decrees before kings,
   and shall not be put to shame;
⁴⁷ I find my delight in your commandments,
   because I love them.
⁴⁸ I revere your commandments, which I love,
   and I will meditate on your statutes.

Noah and His Sons

18 The sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. ¹⁹These three were the sons of Noah; and from these the whole earth was peopled.

20 Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard. ²¹He drank some of the wine and became drunk, and he lay uncovered in his tent. ²²And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. ²³Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backwards and covered the nakedness of their father; their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. ²⁴When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, ²⁵he said,
‘Cursed be Canaan;
   lowest of slaves shall he be to his brothers.’
²⁶He also said,
‘Blessed by the Lord my God be Shem;
   and let Canaan be his slave.
²⁷ May God make space for^* Japheth,
   and let him live in the tents of Shem;
   and let Canaan be his slave.’

28 After the flood Noah lived for three hundred and fifty years. ²⁹All the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died.

The Peril of Falling Away

6Therefore let us go on towards perfection,^* leaving behind the basic teaching about Christ, and not laying again the foundation: repentance from dead works and faith towards God, ²instruction about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgement. ³And we will do^* this, if God permits. ⁴For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶and then have fallen away, since on their own they are crucifying again the Son of God and are holding him up to contempt. ⁷Ground that drinks up the rain falling on it repeatedly, and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. ⁸But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and on the verge of being cursed; its end is to be burned over.

9 Even though we speak in this way, beloved, we are confident of better things in your case, things that belong to salvation. ¹⁰For God is not unjust; he will not overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake^* in serving the saints, as you still do. ¹¹And we want each one of you to show the same diligence, so as to realize the full assurance of hope to the very end, ¹²so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Jesus and John the Baptist

22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he spent some time there with them and baptized. ²³John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was abundant there; and people kept coming and were being baptized— ²⁴John, of course, had not yet been thrown into prison.

25 Now a discussion about purification arose between John’s disciples and a Jew.^{* 26}They came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him.’ ²⁷John answered, ‘No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. ²⁸You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, “I am not the Messiah,^* but I have been sent ahead of him.” ²⁹He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. ³⁰He must increase, but I must decrease.’^*

The One Who Comes from Heaven

31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. ³²He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. ³³Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified^* this, that God is true. ³⁴He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. ³⁵The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands. ³⁶Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath.