Psalm 38

A just man's peace and patience in his sufferings; considering the vanity of the world, and the providence of God.

Does this psalm differ from what you were expecting? Don't be confused. There are two systems for arranging the psalms: the Septuagint and the Masoretic. We use the Septuagint system here. In the Masoretic system, which is used in most modern Bible translations, this psalm is called Psalm 39, and the previous psalm is known as Psalm 38.

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 Unto the end, for Idithun himself, a canticle of David.

2 I said: I will take heed to my ways: that I sin not with my tongue. I have set a guard to my mouth, when the sinner stood against me.
3 I was dumb, and was humbled, and kept silence from good things: and my sorrow was renewed.
4 My heart grew hot within me: and in my meditation a fire shall flame out.
5 I spoke with my tongue: O Lord, make me know my end. And what is the number of my days: that I may know what is wanting to me.
6 Behold thou hast made my days measurable and my substance is as nothing before thee. And indeed all things are vanity: every man living.
7 Surely man passeth as an image: yea, and he is disquieted in vain. He storeth up: and he knoweth not for whom he shall gather these things.
8 And now what is my hope? is it not the Lord? and my substance is with thee.
9 Deliver thou me from all my iniquities: thou hast made me a reproach to the fool.
10 I was dumb, and I opened not my mouth, because thou hast done it.
11 Remove thy scourges from me. The strength of thy hand hath made me faint in rebukes:
12 Thou hast corrected man for iniquity. And thou hast made his soul to waste away like a spider: surely in vain is any man disquieted.
13 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and my supplication: give ear to my tears. Be no silent: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner as all my fathers were.
14 O forgive me, that I may be refreshed, before I go hence, and be no more.

Old Testament first published 1609 by the English College at Douay
New Testament first published 1582 by the English College at Rheims
Revised and Annotated 1749 by Bishop Richard Challoner
Imprimatur. +James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899

Latin (Clementine Vulgate)

1 In finem, ipsi Idithun. Canticum David.

2 Dixi: Custodiam vias meas:
ut non delinquam in lingua mea.
Posui ori meo custodiam,
cum consisteret peccator adversum me.
3 Obmutui, et humiliatus sum, et silui a bonis;
et dolor meus renovatus est.
4 Concaluit cor meum intra me;
et in meditatione mea exardescet ignis.
5 Locutus sum in lingua mea:
Notum fac mihi, Domine, finem meum,
et numerum dierum meorum quis est,
ut sciam quid desit mihi.
6 Ecce mensurabiles posuisti dies meos,
et substantia mea tamquam nihilum ante te.
Verumtamen universa vanitas, omnis homo vivens.
7 Verumtamen in imagine pertransit homo;
sed et frustra conturbatur:
thesaurizat, et ignorat cui congregabit ea.
8 Et nunc quæ est exspectatio mea: nonne Dominus?
et substantia mea apud te est.
9 Ab omnibus iniquitatibus meis erue me:
opprobrium insipienti dedisti me.
10 Obmutui, et non aperui os meum,
quoniam tu fecisti;
11 amove a me plagas tuas.
12 A fortitudine manus tuæ ego defeci in increpationibus:
propter iniquitatem corripuisti hominem.
Et tabescere fecisti sicut araneam animam ejus:
verumtamen vane conturbatur omnis homo.
13 Exaudi orationem meam, Domine, et deprecationem meam;
auribus percipe lacrimas meas.
Ne sileas, quoniam advena ego sum apud te,
et peregrinus sicut omnes patres mei.
14 Remitte mihi, ut refrigerer
priusquam abeam et amplius non ero.

Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
Please notify the original transcriber (little.mouth@soon.com) of any errors in this Latin edition