Psalms 39

1 Unto the end. For Jeduthun himself. A Canticle of David. I said, “I will keep to my ways, so that I will not offend with my tongue.” I posted a guard at my mouth, when a sinner took up a position against me.

“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 silenced and humbled, and I was quiet before good things, and my sorrow was renewed.

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, and, during my (meditation) a fire would flare up.

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

4 I spoke with my tongue, “O Lord, make me know my end, and what the number of my days will be, so that I may know what is lacking to me.”

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 Behold, you have made my days measurable, and, before you, my substance is as nothing. Yet truly, all things are vanity: every living man.

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 So then, truly man passes by like an image; even so, he is disquieted in vain. He stores up, and he knows not for whom he will gather these things.

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, what is it that awaits me? Is it not the Lord? And my substance is with you.

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

8 Rescue me from all my iniquities. You have handed me over as a reproach to the foolish.

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

9 I was silenced, and I did not open my mouth, because it was you who acted.

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

10 Remove your scourges from me.

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

11 I fall short at corrections from the strength of your hand. For you have chastised man for iniquity. And you have made his soul shrink away like a spider. Nevertheless, it is in vain that any man be disquieted.

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 O Lord, heed my prayer and my supplication. Pay attention to my tears. Do not be silent. For I am a newcomer with you, and a sojourner, just as all my fathers were.

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 Forgive me, so that I may be refreshed, before I will go forth and be no more.

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