📜 Tehilim 38 / Psalm 38

Prayer of a Penitent

🔊 Audio of Psalm 38

Psalm 38

Hebrew text, Sephardic transliteration, and English translation for reading, study, and prayer.

# Hebrew Sephardic Transliteration English
1 מִזְמ֖וֹר לְדָוִ֣ד לְהַזְכִּֽיר: Miz-mór le-Da-víd le-haz-kír. A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.
2 יְהוָה אַל־בְּקֶצְפְּךָ תוֹכִיחֵנִי וּבַחֲמָתְךָ תְיַסְּרֵנִי Ado-nái al be-ka-tze-phe-kha to-khi-khé-ni; u-ve-kha-ma-te-kha te-ya-se-ré-ni. O the LORD, rebuke me not in Your anger, nor discipline me in Your wrath!
3 כִּי־חִצֶּיךָ נִחֲתוּ בִי וַתִּנְחַת עָלַי יָדֶךָ Ki khi-tz-zé-kha nikh-ha-lú-vi; va-tu-rád a-lái ya-de-kha. For Your arrows have sunk into me, and Your hand has come down on me.
4 אֵין־מְתֹם בִּבְשָׂרִי מִפְּנֵי זַעְמֶךָ אֵין־שָׁלוֹם בַּעֲצָמַי מִפְּנֵי חַטָּאתִי Ein me-tom biv-sa-rí mi-pe-néi za-me-kha; ein sha-lóm ba-a-tza-mo-t-ái mi-pe-néi kha-ta-a-tí. There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin.
5 כִּי עֲוֺנֹתַי עָבְרוּ רֹאשִׁי כְּמַשָּׂא כָבֵד יִכְבְּדוּ מִמֶּנִּי Ki a-vo-no-t-ái a-ve-rú ro-shí; ke-mas-sá ka-véd yikh-be-dú mim-mé-ni. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
6 הִבְאִישׁוּ נָמַקּוּ חַבּוּרֹתָי מִפְּנֵי אִוַּלְתִּי Hi-ba-ashú na-mu-k-kú kha-bu-ro-t-ái; mi-pe-néi iv-val-te-tí. My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness.
7 נַעֲוֵיתִי שַׁחֹתִי עַד־מְאֹד כָּל־הַיּוֹם קֹדֵר הִלָּכְתִּי Na-a-véi-ti sha-khoh-tí ad me-od; kál ha-yom kó-dér hi-lakh-tí. I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning.
8 כִּי־כְסָלַי מָלְאוּ נִקְלֶה וְאֵין מְתֹם בִּבְשָׂרִי Ki ke-sal-ái ma-le-ú nik-léh; ve-ein me-tom biv-sa-rí. For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh.
9 נְפוּגוֹתִי וְנִדְכֵּיתִי עַד־מְאֹד שָׁאַגְתִּי מִנַּהֲמַת לִבִּי Nifú-gi-o-ti ve-nid-ka-ití ad me-od; sha-ag-tí mi-na-ha-mat li-bí. I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart.
10 אֲדֹנָי נֶגְדְּךָ כָל־תַּאֲוָתִי וְאַנְחָתִי מִמְּךָ לֹא־נִסְתָּרָה A-do-n-ái ne-g-de-kha kál ta-a-va-tí; ve-an-kha-ta-tí mim-me-kha lo nis-ta-ráh. O Lord, all my longing is before You; my sighing is not hidden from You.
11 לִבִּי סְחַרְחַר עֲזָבַנִי כֹחִי וְאוֹר־עֵינַי גַּם־הֵם אֵין אִתִּי Lib-bí se-khar-khar ko-khí a-za-va-ní; ve-or e-n-ái gam hém ein it-tí. My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes — it also has gone from me.
12 אֹהֲבַי וְרֵעַי מִנֶּגֶד נִגְעִי יַעֲמֹדוּ וּקְרוֹבַי מֵרָחֹק עָמָדוּ O-ha-v-ái ve-re-e-ái mi-ne-géd ne-g-í-i ya-a-mó-du; uk-ro-v-ái me-ra-khók a-ma-dú. My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off.
13 וַיְנַקְשׁוּ מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשִׁי וְדֹרְשֵׁי רָעָתִי דִּבְּרוּ הַוּוֹת וּמִרְמוֹת כָּל־הַיּוֹם יֶהְגּוּ Va-ye-na-ke-shú me-vak-she-í naf-shí; ve-dor-shéi ra-a-tí di-be-rú ha-v-vót; u-mir-mo-t khál ha-yom ye-he-gú. Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long.
14 וַאֲנִי כְחֵרֵשׁ לֹא אֶשְׁמָע וּכְאִלֵּם לֹא יִפְתַּח־פִּיו Va-a-ní ke-khe-résh lo esh-má‘; u-che-il-lém lo yif-taákh pi-v. But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth.
15 וָאֱהִי כְּאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא־שֹׁמֵעַ וְאֵין בְּפִיו תּוֹכָחוֹת Va-e-hí ke-ísh a-shér lo sho-mé-a‘; ve-ein be-fi-v to-kha-khót. I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes.
16 כִּי־לְךָ יְהוָה הוֹחָלְתִּי אַתָּה תַעֲנֶה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהָי Ki le-kha Ado-nái ho-khal-tí; at-táh ta-a-néh A-do-n-ái E-lo-h-ái. But for You, O the LORD, do I wait; it is You, O Lord my God, who will answer.
17 כִּי־אָמַרְתִּי פֶּן־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִי בְּמוֹט רַגְלִי עָלַי הִגְדִּילוּ Ki a-mar-tí pen yis-me-khú-li; be-mot rag-lí a-lái hig-dí-lu. For I said, ‘Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!’
18 כִּי־אֲנִי לְצֶלַע נָכוֹן וּמַכְאוֹבִי נֶגְדִּי תָמִיד Ki a-ní le-tze-lá‘ na-khón; u-makh-o-ví neg-dí ta-míd. For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me.
19 כִּי־עֲוֺנִי אַגִּיד אֶדְאַג מֵחַטָּאתִי Ki a-vo-ní a-gíd; ed-a-géh me-kha-ta-a-tí. I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.
20 וְאֹיְבַי חַיִּים עָצֵמוּ וְרַבּוּ שֹׂנְאַי שָׁקֶר Ve-oy-v-ái kha-y-yím a-tze-mú; ve-ra-bú son-e-ái shé-ker. But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully.
21 וּמְשַׁלְּמֵי רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה יִשְׂטְנוּנִי תַּחַת רדופירדופירָדְפִי־טוֹב Ve-sho-le-méi ra-a‘ ta-khaát to-váh yis-te-nú-ni ta-khaát rod-e-fí tóv. Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good.
22 אַל־תַּעַזְבֵנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהַי אַל־תִּרְחַק מִמֶּנִּי Al ta-az-ve-ní Ado-nái; E-lo-h-ái al tir-khak mim-mé-ni. Do not forsake me, O the LORD! O my God, be not far from me!
23 חוּשָׁה לְעֶזְרָתִי אֲדֹנָי תְּשׁוּעָתִי Ku-sháh le-ez-ra-tí; A-do-nái te-shu-a-tí. Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

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