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人生虛幻,主是唯一指望

大衛的詩,交給詩班長耶杜頓。

39 我曾說:“我要謹慎我的行為,

不讓我的舌頭犯罪;

惡人在我面前的時候,

我總要用罩子約束我的嘴。”

我靜默不出聲,

甚至連好話也不說(“甚至連好話也不說”或譯:“我安靜也得不到安慰”),

我的痛苦就更加劇烈。

我的心在我裡面發熱;

我默想的時候,心裡火燒;

我就用舌頭說話:

“耶和華啊!求你使我知道我的結局,

我的壽數有多少,

使我知道我的生命多麼短促。

你使我的日子窄如手掌,

我的一生在你面前如同無有;

各人站得最穩的時候,也只不過是一口氣。(細拉)

世人來來往往只是幻影,

他們忙亂也是虛空;

積聚財物,卻不知道誰要來收取。

主啊!現在我還等候甚麼呢?

我的指望在乎你。

求你救我脫離我的一切過犯,

不要使我遭受愚頑人的羞辱。

因為是你作了這事,

我就靜默不開口。

10 求你除掉你降在我身上的災禍;

因你手的責打,我就消滅。

11 你因人的罪孽,藉著責罰管教他們,

叫他們所寶貴的消失,像被蟲蛀蝕;

世人都不過是一口氣。(細拉)

12 耶和華啊!求你垂聽我的禱告,

留心聽我的呼求;

我流淚,求你不要緘默;

因為我在你面前是客旅,

是寄居的,像我所有的祖先一樣。

13 求你不要怒視我,

使我在去而不返之先,可以喜樂。”

David wrote this song for Jeduthun, the leader of the music.

Life is short[a]

39 I said, ‘I will be careful what I do,
    so that I do not sin.
I will also be careful what I say.
When wicked people are listening,
    I will not even open my mouth.’
So I did not speak a word,
    even about good things.
That made me very upset.
It was like a fire inside me!
As I thought more about it,
    I just had to say something!
So I said this:
Lord, tell me about my life.
Tell me how long it will be,
    and when it will finish.
I need to remember that life is only short.
Yes, you have made the days of my life only a few!
    The time that I live seems very short to you.
Human life is only a breath,
    even for those who seem to be strong.
Selah.
As we live, we are just like shadows.
    We work to get things for ourselves.
We may get a lot of money,
    but we do not know who will have it after we die.’

So, my Lord, what help can I hope to get?
    You are the only one that I can really trust!
Save me from all my sins!
    Do not let fools insult me.
I will not say anything more.
I will not open my mouth,
    because it is you who have punished me!
10 Please do not hurt me any more!
You have already punished me enough,
    so that I am almost dead!
11 When people do wrong things,
    you warn them and you punish them.
You destroy their valuable things,
    like a moth eats cloth![b]
Yes, our lives are only a breath!
Selah.
12 Lord, please hear my prayer.
    Listen to me when I call to you for help.
Do not turn away from me when I weep.
I need your help,
    like a foreign person who lives away from his home.
I live on earth as a stranger,
    like all my ancestors did.
13 Stop being angry with me,
    so that I can be happy again before I die.

Footnotes

  1. 39:1 David thinks about death in this psalm. He says that life is short and people soon go from the earth. They are like shadows, or a breath. So David finishes with a prayer: let me live a little longer and be happy.
  2. 39:11 A moth is an insect that may lay its eggs in clothes and spoil the clothes.

Prayer for Wisdom and Forgiveness

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

39 I said, “I will guard my ways,
Lest I sin with my (A)tongue;
I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,
While the wicked are before me.”
(B)I was mute with silence,
I held my peace even from good;
And my sorrow was stirred up.
My heart was hot within me;
While I was [a]musing, the fire burned.
Then I spoke with my tongue:

Lord, (C)make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.
Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my age is as nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but (D)vapor. Selah
Surely every man walks about like a shadow;
Surely they [b]busy themselves in vain;
He heaps up riches,
And does not know who will gather them.

“And now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My (E)hope is in You.
Deliver me from all my transgressions;
Do not make me (F)the reproach of the foolish.
(G)I was mute, I did not open my mouth,
Because it was (H)You who did it.
10 (I)Remove Your plague from me;
I am consumed by the blow of Your hand.
11 When with rebukes You correct man for iniquity,
You make his beauty (J)melt away like a moth;
Surely every man is vapor. Selah

12 “Hear my prayer, O Lord,
And give ear to my cry;
Do not be silent at my tears;
For I am a stranger with You,
A sojourner, (K)as all my fathers were.
13 (L)Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength,
Before I go away and (M)am no more.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 39:3 meditating
  2. Psalm 39:6 make an uproar for nothing

39 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.

I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.

My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue,

Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am.

Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.

I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.

10 Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.

11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.

12 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

13 O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

Psalm 39[a]

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

I 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.”
So I remained utterly silent,(D)
    not even saying anything good.
But my anguish(E) increased;
    my heart grew hot(F) within me.
While I meditated,(G) the fire(H) burned;
    then I spoke with my tongue:

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end
    and the number of my days;(I)
    let me know how fleeting(J) my life is.(K)
You 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]

“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)

“But now, Lord, what do I look for?
    My hope is in you.(S)
Save me(T) from all my transgressions;(U)
    do not make me the scorn(V) of fools.
I was silent;(W) I would not open my mouth,(X)
    for you are the one who has done this.(Y)
10 Remove your scourge from me;
    I am overcome by the blow(Z) of your hand.(AA)
11 When 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)
13 Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again
    before I depart and am no more.”(AM)

Footnotes

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