Psalms 39
1 For the chief musician, for Jeduthun. A psalm of David. I decided, “I will watch what I say so that I do not sin with my tongue. I will muzzle my mouth while in the presence of an evil man.”
For the Chief Musician, for Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. I said, I will take heed to my ways, That I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, While the wicked is before me.
2 I kept silent; I kept back my words even from saying anything good, and my pain grew worse.
I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; And my sorrow was stirred.
3 My heart became hot; when I thought about these things, it burned like a fire. Then finally I spoke.
My heart was hot within me; While I was musing the fire burned; [Then] spake I with my tongue:
4 “Yahweh, make me know when will be the end of my life and the extent of my days. Show me how transient I am.
Jehovah, make me to know mine end, And the measure of my days, what it is; Let me know how frail I am.
5 See, you have made my days only the width of my hand, and my lifetime is like nothing before you. Surely every man is a single breath. (Selah)
Behold, thou hast made my days [as] handbreadths; And my life-time is as nothing before thee: Surely every man at his best estate is altogether vanity. (Selah)
6 Surely every man walks about like a shadow. Surely everyone hurries about to accumulate riches although they do not know who will receive them.
Surely every man walketh in a vain show; Surely they are disquieted in vain: He heapeth up [riches], and knoweth not who shall gather them.
7 Now, Lord, for what am I waiting? You are my only hope.
And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.
8 Rescue me from my sins; do not make me the reproach of fools.
Deliver me from all my transgressions: Make me not the reproach of the foolish.
9 I am silent and cannot open my mouth, because it is you who has done it.
I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; Because thou didst it.
10 Stop wounding me; I am overwhelmed by the blow of your hand.
Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thy hand.
11 When you discipline people for sin, you consume the things they desire like a moth; surely all people are nothing but vapor. (Selah)
When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, Thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: Surely every man is vanity. (Selah)
12 Hear my prayer, Yahweh, and listen to me; listen to my weeping! Do not be deaf to me, for I am like a foreigner with you, a refugee like all my ancestors were.
Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, and give ear unto my cry; Hold not thy peace at my tears: For I am a stranger with thee, A sojourner, as all my fathers were.
13 Turn your gaze from me so that I may smile again before I die.”
Oh spare me, that I may recover strength, Before I go hence, and be no more.
