1A David psalm Take a deep breath, God; calm down— don't be so hasty with your punishing rod.
2Your sharp-pointed arrows of rebuke draw blood; my backside smarts from your caning.
3I've lost twenty pounds in two months because of your accusation. My bones are brittle as dry sticks because of my sin.
4I'm swamped by my bad behavior, collapsed under gunnysacks of guilt.
5The cuts in my flesh stink and grow maggots because I've lived so badly.
6And now I'm flat on my face feeling sorry for myself morning to night.
7All my insides are on fire, my body is a wreck.
8I'm on my last legs; I've had it— my life is a vomit of groans.
9Lord, my longings are sitting in plain sight, my groans an old story to you.
10My heart's about to break; I'm a burned-out case. Cataracts blind me to God and good;
11old friends avoid me like the plague. My cousins never visit, my neighbors stab me in the back.
12My competitors blacken my name, devoutly they pray for my ruin.
13But I'm deaf and mute to it all, ears shut, mouth shut.
14I don't hear a word they say, don't speak a word in response.
15What I do, God, is wait for you, wait for my Lord, my God—you will answer!
16I wait and pray so they won't laugh me off, won't smugly strut off when I stumble.
17I'm on the edge of losing it— the pain in my gut keeps burning.
18I'm ready to tell my story of failure, I'm no longer smug in my sin.
19My enemies are alive and in action, a lynch mob after my neck.
20I give out good and get back evil from God-haters who can't stand a God-lover.
21Don't dump me, God; my God, don't stand me up.
22Hurry and help me; I want some wide-open space in my life!