Psalms 39
1 To the Chief Musician. For Jeduthun. A Melody of David. I said, [to myself, ] I will take heed to my ways, That I sin not with my tongue, —I will put on my mouth a muzzle, So long as the lawless is before me.
To the Overseer, to Jeduthun. — A Psalm of David. I have said, 'I observe my ways, Against sinning with my tongue, I keep for my mouth a curb, while the wicked [is] before me.'
2 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, afar from happiness, But, my pain had been stirred:
I was dumb [with] silence, I kept silent from good, and my pain is excited.
3 Hot was my heart within me, While I was musing, there was kindled a fire, I spake with my tongue!
Hot [is] my heart within me, In my meditating doth the fire burn, I have spoken with my tongue.
4 Let me know, O Yahweh, mine end, And the measure of my days—what it is, I would know how short-lived I am.
'Cause me to know, O Jehovah, mine end, And the measure of my days — what it [is],' I know how frail I [am].
5 Lo! as hand-breadths, hast thou granted my days, and my life-time, is as nothing before thee, —Surely, a mere breath, are all men, [even] such as stand firm. (Selah)
Lo, handbreadths Thou hast made my days, And mine age [is] as nothing before Thee, Only, all vanity [is] every man set up. (Selah)
6 Surely as a shadow, doth every man wander, Surely in vain, do they bustle about, he heapeth things up, and knoweth not who shall gather them in.
Only, in an image doth each walk habitually, Only, [in] vain, they are disquieted, He heapeth up and knoweth not who gathereth them.
7 Now, therefore, for what have I waited, O My Lord? My hope, is, in thee.
And, now, what have I expected? O Lord, my hope — it [is] of Thee.
8 From all my transgressions, rescue thou me, —The reproach of the base, oh do not make me!
From all my transgressions deliver me, A reproach of the fool make me not.
9 I am dumb, I cannot open my mouth, for, thou, hast done it.
I have been dumb, I open not my mouth, Because Thou — Thou hast done [it].
10 Remove from off me thy stroke, Because of the hostility of thy hand, am, I, consumed.
Turn aside from off me Thy stroke, From the striving of Thy hand I have been consumed.
11 When, by rebukes for iniquity, thou hast corrected a man, Then hast thou consumed, as a moth, all that was delightful within him, Surely, a breath, are all men. (Selah)
With reproofs against iniquity, Thou hast corrected man, And dost waste as a moth his desirableness, Only, vanity [is] every man. (Selah)
12 Hear my prayer, O Yahweh, And, unto my cry for help, give ear, At my tears, do not be silent, —For, a sojourner, am, I, with thee, A stranger, like all my fathers.
Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, And [to] my cry give ear, Unto my tear be not silent, For a sojourner I [am] with Thee, A settler like all my fathers.
13 Look away from me that I may brighten up, Ere yet I depart and am no more.
Look from me, and I brighten up before I go and am not!
