Psalms 39

1 For the choirmaster. For Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. I said, “I will watch my ways so that I will not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are present.”

“To the chief musician, to Jeduthun, a psalm of David.” I said, I will guard my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, while the wicked is before me.

2 I was speechless and still; I remained silent, even from speaking good, and my sorrow was stirred.

I was dumb in deep silence, I was quite still, even from [speaking] good; but my pain was greatly excited;

3 My heart grew hot within me; as I mused, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue:

My heart was hot within me, in my self-communing there burnt a fire: [then] spoke I with my tongue,

4 “Show me, O LORD, my end and the measure of my days. Let me know how fleeting my life is.

Let me know, O Lord, my end, and the measure of my days, what it is: I wish to know when I shall cease to be.

5 You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath.

Behold, measured out with the span hast thou made my days; and my whole duration is nothing before thee: yea, as nothing but vanity doth every man stand here. (Selah)

6 Surely every man goes about like a phantom; surely he bustles in vain; he heaps up riches not knowing who will haul them away.

As nothing but a shadowy image doth man walk about, yea, for vanity only do all make a noise: he heapeth up his gains, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

7 And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You.

And now, what shall I wait for, O Lord? my hope is in thee.

8 Deliver me from all my transgressions; do not make me the reproach of fools.

From all my transgressions deliver thou me: render me not the object of reproach of the worthless.

9 I have become mute; I do not open my mouth because of what You have done.

I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou hadst done it.

10 Remove Your scourge from me; I am perishing by the force of Your hand.

Remove thou thy plague away from me: from the blows of thy hand am I consumed.

11 You discipline and correct a man for his iniquity, consuming like a moth what he holds dear; surely each man is but a vapor.

When thou with corrections chastisest man for iniquity, thou causest his excellence to melt away as [if eaten by] the moth: yea, nothing but vanity is every man. (Selah)

12 Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry for help; do not be deaf to my weeping. For I am a foreigner dwelling with You, a stranger like all my fathers.

Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; be not silent at my tears; for a stranger am I with thee, a sojourner, like all my fathers.

13 Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may again be cheered before I depart and am no more.”

Leave off from me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and am no more.