Psalms 39
1 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.'
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.”
2 I was dumb [with] silence, I kept silent from good, and my pain is excited.
I kept silent; I kept back my words even from saying anything good, and my pain grew worse.
3 Hot [is] my heart within me, In my meditating doth the fire burn, I have spoken with my tongue.
My heart became hot; when I thought about these things, it burned like a fire. Then finally I spoke.
4 'Cause me to know, O Jehovah, mine end, And the measure of my days — what it [is],' I know how frail I [am].
“Yahweh, make me know when will be the end of my life and the extent of my days. Show me how transient I am.
5 Lo, handbreadths Thou hast made my days, And mine age [is] as nothing before Thee, Only, all vanity [is] every man set up. (Selah)
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)
6 Only, in an image doth each walk habitually, Only, [in] vain, they are disquieted, He heapeth up and knoweth not who gathereth them.
Surely every man walks about like a shadow. Surely everyone hurries about to accumulate riches although they do not know who will receive them.
7 And, now, what have I expected? O Lord, my hope — it [is] of Thee.
Now, Lord, for what am I waiting? You are my only hope.
8 From all my transgressions deliver me, A reproach of the fool make me not.
Rescue me from my sins; do not make me the reproach of fools.
9 I have been dumb, I open not my mouth, Because Thou — Thou hast done [it].
I am silent and cannot open my mouth, because it is you who has done it.
10 Turn aside from off me Thy stroke, From the striving of Thy hand I have been consumed.
Stop wounding me; I am overwhelmed by the blow of your hand.
11 With reproofs against iniquity, Thou hast corrected man, And dost waste as a moth his desirableness, Only, vanity [is] every man. (Selah)
When you discipline people for sin, you consume the things they desire like a moth; surely all people are nothing but vapor. (Selah)
12 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.
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.
13 Look from me, and I brighten up before I go and am not!
Turn your gaze from me so that I may smile again before I die.”
