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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.

Israel Crosses the Jordan

3Early in the morning Joshua rose and set out from Shittim with all the Israelites, and they came to the Jordan. They camped there before crossing over. ²At the end of three days the officers went through the camp ³and commanded the people, ‘When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place. Follow it, ⁴so that you may know the way you should go, for you have not passed this way before. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, a distance of about two thousand cubits; do not come any nearer to it.’ ⁵Then Joshua said to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.’ ⁶To the priests Joshua said, ‘Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass on in front of the people.’ So they took up the ark of the covenant and went in front of the people.

7 The Lord said to Joshua, ‘This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses. ⁸You are the one who shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, “When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.” ’ ⁹Joshua then said to the Israelites, ‘Draw near and hear the words of the Lord your God.’ ¹⁰Joshua said, ‘By this you shall know that among you is the living God who without fail will drive out from before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites: ¹¹the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is going to pass before you into the Jordan. ¹²So now select twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. ¹³When the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan flowing from above shall be cut off; they shall stand in a single heap.’

All Israel Will Be Saved

25 So that you may not claim to be wiser than you are, brothers and sisters,^* I want you to understand this mystery: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written,
‘Out of Zion will come the Deliverer;
   he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.’
²⁷ ‘And this is my covenant with them,
   when I take away their sins.’
²⁸As regards the gospel they are enemies of God^* for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved, for the sake of their ancestors; ²⁹for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, ³¹so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now^* receive mercy. ³²For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.

33 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways!
³⁴ ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord?
   Or who has been his counsellor?’
³⁵ ‘Or who has given a gift to him,
   to receive a gift in return?’
³⁶For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever. Amen.

The Judgement of the Nations

31 ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, ³³and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. ³⁴Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” ³⁷Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” ⁴⁰And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,^* you did it to me.” ⁴¹Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴²for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” ⁴⁴Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” ⁴⁵Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” ⁴⁶And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’