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.

Job 32

New International Version

Elihu

32 So these three men stopped answering Job,^(A) because he was righteous in his own eyes.^(B) ²But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite,^(C) of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself^(D) rather than God.^(E) ³He was also angry with the three friends,^(F) because they had found no way to refute Job,^(G) and yet had condemned him.^[a]^(H) ⁴Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he.^(I) ⁵But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.

⁶So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said:

“I am young in years,
    and you are old;^(J)
that is why I was fearful,
    not daring to tell you what I know.
⁷I thought, ‘Age should speak;
    advanced years should teach wisdom.’^(K)
⁸But it is the spirit^[b]^(L) in a person,
    the breath of the Almighty,^(M) that gives them understanding.^(N)
⁹It is not only the old^[c] who are wise,^(O)
    not only the aged^(P) who understand what is right.^(Q)

¹⁰“Therefore I say: Listen to me;^(R)
    I too will tell you what I know.^(S)
¹¹I waited while you spoke,
    I listened to your reasoning;
while you were searching for words,
¹²    I gave you my full attention.
But not one of you has proved Job wrong;
    none of you has answered his arguments.^(T)
¹³Do not say, ‘We have found wisdom;^(U)
    let God, not a man, refute^(V) him.’
¹⁴But Job has not marshaled his words against me,^(W)
    and I will not answer him with your arguments.

¹⁵“They are dismayed and have no more to say;
    words have failed them.^(X)
¹⁶Must I wait, now that they are silent,
    now that they stand there with no reply?
¹⁷I too will have my say;
    I too will tell what I know.^(Y)
¹⁸For I am full of words,
    and the spirit^(Z) within me compels me;^(AA)
¹⁹inside I am like bottled-up wine,
    like new wineskins ready to burst.^(AB)
²⁰I must speak and find relief;
    I must open my lips and reply.^(AC)
²¹I will show no partiality,^(AD)
    nor will I flatter anyone;^(AE)
²²for if I were skilled in flattery,
    my Maker^(AF) would soon take me away.^(AG)

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Footnotes

Job 32:3 Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition Job, and so had condemned God
Job 32:8 Or Spirit; also in verse 18
Job 32:9 Or many; or great

Luke 16:19-31

New International Version

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.^(A) ²⁰At his gate was laid a beggar^(B) named Lazarus, covered with sores ²¹and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.^(C) Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

²²“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham,^(D) have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’^(E)

²⁵“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things,^(F) but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.^(G) ²⁶And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

²⁷“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, ²⁸for I have five brothers. Let him warn them,^(H) so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

²⁹“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses^(I) and the Prophets;^(J) let them listen to them.’

³⁰“‘No, father Abraham,’^(K) he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

³¹“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

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