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Tehillim · Psalms

Tehillim Chapter 38

Author:
King David
23 verses
Book One
Reading time:
1 min
Day 6 of monthly cycle

Chapter 38 of Tehillim belongs to Book One (chapters 1 through 41), and is traditionally attributed to King David. It contains 23 verses in vocalized Hebrew from the Westminster Leningrad Codex, paired with the JPS 1917 English translation (both public domain).

  1. מִזְמ֖וֹר לְדָוִ֣ד לְהַזְכִּֽיר׃
  2. יְֽהוָ֗ה אַל־בְּקֶצְפְּךָ֥ תוֹכִיחֵ֑נִי וּֽבַחֲמָתְךָ֥ תְיַסְּרֵֽנִי׃
  3. כִּֽי־חִ֭צֶּיךָ נִ֣חֲתוּ בִ֑י וַתִּנְחַ֖ת עָלַ֣י יָדֶֽךָ׃
  4. אֵין־מְתֹ֣ם בִּ֭בְשָׂרִי מִפְּנֵ֣י זַעְמֶ֑ךָ אֵין־שָׁל֥וֹם בַּ֝עֲצָמַ֗י מִפְּנֵ֥י חַטָּאתִֽי׃
  5. כִּ֣י עֲ֭וֺנֹתַי עָבְר֣וּ רֹאשִׁ֑י כְּמַשָּׂ֥א כָ֝בֵ֗ד יִכְבְּד֥וּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃
  6. הִבְאִ֣ישׁוּ נָ֭מַקּוּ חַבּוּרֹתָ֑י מִ֝פְּנֵ֗י אִוַּלְתִּֽי׃
  7. נַעֲוֵ֣יתִי שַׁחֹ֣תִי עַד־מְאֹ֑ד כָּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם קֹדֵ֥ר הִלָּֽכְתִּי׃
  8. כִּֽי־כְ֭סָלַי מָלְא֣וּ נִקְלֶ֑ה וְאֵ֥ין מְ֝תֹ֗ם בִּבְשָׂרִֽי׃
  9. נְפוּג֣וֹתִי וְנִדְכֵּ֣יתִי עַד־מְאֹ֑ד שָׁ֝אַ֗גְתִּי מִֽנַּהֲמַ֥ת לִבִּֽי׃
  10. אֲ‍ֽדֹנָי נֶגְדְּךָ֥ כָל־תַּאֲוָתִ֑י וְ֝אַנְחָתִ֗י מִמְּךָ֥ לֹא־נִסְתָּֽרָה׃
  11. לִבִּ֣י סְ֭חַרְחַר עֲזָבַ֣נִי כֹחִ֑י וְֽאוֹר־עֵינַ֥י גַּם־הֵ֝֗ם אֵ֣ין אִתִּֽי׃
  12. אֹֽהֲבַ֨י ׀ וְרֵעַ֗י מִנֶּ֣גֶד נִגְעִ֣י יַעֲמֹ֑דוּ וּ֝קְרוֹבַ֗י מֵרָחֹ֥ק עָמָֽדוּ׃
  13. וַיְנַקְשׁ֤וּ ׀ מְבַקְשֵׁ֬י נַפְשִׁ֗י וְדֹרְשֵׁ֣י רָ֭עָתִי דִּבְּר֣וּ הַוּ֑וֹת וּ֝מִרְמ֗וֹת כָּל־הַיּ֥וֹם יֶהְגּֽוּ׃
  14. וַאֲנִ֣י כְ֭חֵרֵשׁ לֹ֣א אֶשְׁמָ֑ע וּ֝כְאִלֵּ֗ם לֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־פִּֽיו׃
  15. וָאֱהִ֗י כְּ֭אִישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־שֹׁמֵ֑עַ וְאֵ֥ין בְּ֝פִ֗יו תּוֹכָחֽוֹת׃
  16. כִּֽי־לְךָ֣ יְהוָ֣ה הוֹחָ֑לְתִּי אַתָּ֥ה תַ֝עֲנֶ֗ה אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהָֽי׃
  17. כִּֽי־אָ֭מַרְתִּי פֶּן־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִ֑י בְּמ֥וֹט רַ֝גְלִ֗י עָלַ֥י הִגְדִּֽילוּ׃
  18. כִּֽי־אֲ֭נִי לְצֶ֣לַע נָכ֑וֹן וּמַכְאוֹבִ֖י נֶגְדִּ֣י תָמִֽיד׃
  19. כִּֽי־עֲוֺנִ֥י אַגִּ֑יד אֶ֝דְאַ֗ג מֵֽחַטָּאתִֽי׃
  20. וְֽ֭אֹיְבַי חַיִּ֣ים עָצֵ֑מוּ וְרַבּ֖וּ שֹׂנְאַ֣י שָֽׁקֶר׃
  21. וּמְשַׁלְּמֵ֣י רָ֭עָה תַּ֣חַת טוֹבָ֑ה יִ֝שְׂטְנ֗וּנִי תַּ֣חַת רדופי־[רָֽדְפִי־] טֽוֹב׃
  22. אַל־תַּֽעַזְבֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֑ה אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י אַל־תִּרְחַ֥ק מִמֶּֽנִּי׃
  23. ח֥וּשָׁה לְעֶזְרָתִ֑י אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י תְּשׁוּעָתִֽי׃

English translation (JPS 1917)

  1. A Psalm of David, to make memorial.
  2. O LORD, rebuke me not in Thine anger; Neither chasten me in Thy wrath.
  3. For Thine arrows are gone deep into me, And Thy hand is come down upon me.
  4. There is no soundness in my flesh because of Thine indignation; Neither is there any health in my bones because of my sin.
  5. For mine iniquities are gone over my head; As a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
  6. My wounds are noisome, they fester, Because of my foolishness.
  7. I am bent and bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day.
  8. For my loins are filled with burning; And there is no soundness in my flesh.
  9. I am benumbed and sore crushed; I groan by reason of the moaning of my heart.
  10. Lord, all my desire is before Thee; And my sighing is not hid from Thee.
  11. My heart fluttereth, my strength faileth me; As for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.
  12. My friends and my companions stand aloof from my plague; And my kinsmen stand afar off.
  13. They also that seek after my life lay snares for me; And they that seek my hurt speak crafty devices, And utter deceits all the day.
  14. But I am as a deaf man, I hear not; And I am as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
  15. Yea, I am become as a man that heareth not, And in whose mouth are no arguments.
  16. For in Thee, O LORD, do I hope; Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God.
  17. For I said: 'Lest they rejoice over me; When my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.'
  18. For I am ready to halt, And my pain is continually before me.
  19. For I do declare mine iniquity; I am full of care because of my sin.
  20. But mine enemies are strong in health; And they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. .
  21. They also that repay evil for good Are adversaries unto me, because I follow the thing that is good.
  22. Forsake me not, O LORD; O my God, be not far from me.
  23. Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.

Tehillim Chapter 38: questions and answers

Who wrote Tehillim chapter 38?

According to traditional Jewish attribution, chapter 38 was authored by King David. The book of Tehillim (Psalms) contains 150 chapters compiled by King David, including psalms by ten additional psalmists: Asaph, the sons of Korach, Moses, Heman, Ethan, and others.

How many verses does Psalm 38 have?

Psalm 38 contains 23 verses. The average unhurried reading time is about 1 minute.

Which of the Five Books of Psalms is chapter 38 in?

Chapter 38 belongs to Book One (chapters 1 through 41). Parallel to Genesis of the Torah's five books.

When is Psalm 38 read in the 30-day cycle?

Following the traditional 30-day cycle for reading the entire Tehillim once a month, Psalm 38 is read on day 6.

Is the Hebrew text of Psalm 38 pointed (with nikud)?

Yes. The Hebrew text comes from the Westminster Leningrad Codex via the Sefaria public-domain project, including full nikud (vowel pointing) and ta'amei mikra (cantillation marks).

Related chapters

Chapter 6 Chapter 9 Chapter 13 Chapter 17 Chapter 22 Chapter 30

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