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 leader; for Jeduthun. A psalm of David. I vowed to watch my words, and sin not with my tongue, but to put on my mouth a muzzle, while the wicked were in my presence.
2 I kept silent; I kept back my words even from saying anything good, and my pain grew worse.
I was silent and dumb, speechless: but my pain was stirred up.
3 My heart became hot; when I thought about these things, it burned like a fire. Then finally I spoke.
My heart grew hot within me; as I mused, the fire was kindled, till at last the words came to 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.
“Teach me, O Lord, my end, and the sum of my days what it is. Let me know how transient 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)
See! My days you have made but a span, and my life is as nothing before you. It is but as a breath that everyone stands: (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.
it is but in mere semblance we walk to and fro, and all our noise is for nothing. We heap up, and know not who will gather.”
7 Now, Lord, for what am I waiting? You are my only hope.
And now, what wait I for, Lord? My hope is in you.
8 Rescue me from my sins; do not make me the reproach of fools.
From all my transgressions deliver me; make me not the scorn of the fool.
9 I am silent and cannot open my mouth, because it is you who has done it.
I am dumb, never opening my mouth, for this is your own doing.
10 Stop wounding me; I am overwhelmed by the blow of your hand.
Remove your stroke from off me: by the might of your hand I am spent.
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 you rebuke someone to punish their sins, you consume, like a moth, what they treasures. Everyone is only a breath. (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 Lord; attend to my cry for help. Hold not your peace at my tears. For I am but a guest of yours, a stranger visiting, like all my ancestors.
13 Turn your gaze from me so that I may smile again before I die.”
Look away from me, let me smile again, before I die and am gone.
