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.”

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.

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, afar from happiness, But, my pain had been stirred:

3 My heart became hot; when I thought about these things, it burned like a fire. Then finally I spoke.

Hot was my heart within me, While I was musing, there was kindled a fire, I spake 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.

Let me know, O Yahweh, mine end, And the measure of my days—what it is, I would know how short-lived 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)

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)

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 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.

7 Now, Lord, for what am I waiting? You are my only hope.

Now, therefore, for what have I waited, O My Lord? My hope, is, in thee.

8 Rescue me from my sins; do not make me the reproach of fools.

From all my transgressions, rescue thou me, —The reproach of the base, oh do not make me!

9 I am silent and cannot open my mouth, because it is you who has done it.

I am dumb, I cannot open my mouth, for, thou, hast done it.

10 Stop wounding me; I am overwhelmed by the blow of your hand.

Remove from off me thy stroke, Because of the hostility of thy hand, am, I, consumed.

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, 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)

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 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.

13 Turn your gaze from me so that I may smile again before I die.”

Look away from me that I may brighten up, Ere yet I depart and am no more.