Psalm 39

New International Version

Psalm 39^[a]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

¹I said, “I will watch my ways^(A)
    and keep my tongue from sin;^(B)
I will put a muzzle on my mouth^(C)
    while in the presence of the wicked.”
²So I remained utterly silent,^(D)
    not even saying anything good.
But my anguish^(E) increased;
³    my heart grew hot^(F) within me.
While I meditated,^(G) the fire^(H) burned;
    then I spoke with my tongue:

⁴“Show me, Lord, my life’s end
    and the number of my days;^(I)
    let me know how fleeting^(J) my life is.^(K)
⁵You have made my days^(L) a mere handbreadth;
    the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,^(M)
    even those who seem secure.^[b]

⁶“Surely everyone goes around^(N) like a mere phantom;^(O)
in vain they rush about,^(P) heaping up wealth^(Q)
without knowing whose it will finally be.^(R)

⁷“But now, Lord, what do I look for?
    My hope is in you.^(S)
⁸Save me^(T) from all my transgressions;^(U)
    do not make me the scorn^(V) of fools.
⁹I was silent;^(W) I would not open my mouth,^(X)
    for you are the one who has done this.^(Y)
¹⁰Remove your scourge from me;
    I am overcome by the blow^(Z) of your hand.^(AA)
¹¹When you rebuke^(AB) and discipline^(AC) anyone for their sin,
    you consume^(AD) their wealth like a moth^(AE)—
    surely everyone is but a breath.^(AF)

¹²“Hear my prayer, Lord,
    listen to my cry for help;^(AG)
    do not be deaf^(AH) to my weeping.^(AI)
I dwell with you as a foreigner,^(AJ)
    a stranger,^(AK) as all my ancestors were.^(AL)
¹³Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again
    before I depart and am no more.”^(AM)

Footnotes

Psalm 39:1 In Hebrew texts 39:1-13 is numbered 39:2-14.
Psalm 39:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 11.

Numbers 13:17-27

New International Version

¹⁷When Moses sent them to explore Canaan,^(A) he said, “Go up through the Negev^(B) and on into the hill country.^(C) ¹⁸See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. ¹⁹What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? ²⁰How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees in it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.^(D)” (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)^(E)

²¹So they went up and explored the land from the Desert of Zin^(F) as far as Rehob,^(G) toward Lebo Hamath.^(H) ²²They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron,^(I) where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai,^(J) the descendants of Anak,^(K) lived. (Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)^(L) ²³When they reached the Valley of Eshkol,^[a]^(M) they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates^(N) and figs.^(O) ²⁴That place was called the Valley of Eshkol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut off there. ²⁵At the end of forty days^(P) they returned from exploring the land.^(Q)

Report on the Exploration

²⁶They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh^(R) in the Desert of Paran.^(S) There they reported to them^(T) and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land.^(U) ²⁷They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey!^(V) Here is its fruit.^(W)

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Footnotes

Numbers 13:23 Eshkol means cluster; also in verse 24.

Luke 13:18-21

New International Version

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast^(A)^(B)

¹⁸Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God^(C) like?^(D) What shall I compare it to? ¹⁹It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree,^(E) and the birds perched in its branches.”^(F)

²⁰Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? ²¹It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds^[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”^(G)

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