Psalms 39

1 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.

For the end, a Song of David, to Idithun. I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I set a guard on my mouth, while the sinner stood in my presence.

2 I was silent and dumb, speechless: but my pain was stirred up.

I was dumb, and humbled myself, and kept silence from good [words]; and my grief was renewed.

3 My heart grew hot within me; as I mused, the fire was kindled, till at last the words came to my tongue.

My heart grew hot within me, and a fire would kindle in my (meditation) I spoke with my tongue,

4 ‘Teach me, O Lord, my end, and the sum of my days what it is. Let me know how transient I am.

O Lord, make me to know mine end, and the number of my days, what it is; that I may know what I lack.

5 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)

Behold, thou hast made my days old; and my existence [is] as nothing before thee: nay, every man living [is] altogether vanity. (Pause)

6 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.’

Surely man walks in a shadow; nay, he is disquieted in vain: he lays up treasures, and knows not for whom he shall gather them.

7 And now, what wait I for, Lord? My hope is in you.

And now what [is] my expectation? [is it] not the Lord? and my ground [of hope] is with thee. (Pause)

8 From all my transgressions deliver me; make me not the scorn of the fool.

Deliver me from all my transgressions: thou hast made me a reproach to the foolish.

9 I am dumb, never opening my mouth, for this is your own doing.

I was dumb, and opened not my mouth; for thou art he that made me.

10 Remove your stroke from off me: by the might of your hand I am spent.

Remove thy scourges from me: I have fainted by reason of the strength of thine hand.

11 When you rebuke someone to punish their sins, you consume, like a moth, what they treasures. Everyone is only a breath. (Selah)

Thou chastenest man with rebukes for iniquity, and thou makest his life to consume away like a spider's web; nay, every man is disquieted in vain. (Pause)

12 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.

O Lord, hearken to my prayer and my supplication: attend to my tears: be not silent, for I am a sojourner in the land, and a stranger, as all my fathers [were].

13 Look away from me, let me smile again, before I die and am gone.

Spare me, that I may be refreshed, before I depart, and be no more.