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Yahweh, Make Me Know My End

For the choir director. For [a]Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

39 I said, “I will (A)keep watch over my ways
That I (B)may not sin with my tongue;
I will keep watch over (C)my mouth as with a muzzle
While the wicked are in my presence.”
I was (D)mute with silence,
I even kept silent from speaking good,
And my anguish grew worse.
My (E)heart was hot within me,
While I meditated the fire was burning;
Then I spoke with my tongue:
“Yahweh, cause me to know (F)my end
And what is the extent of my days;
Let me know how (G)transient I am.
Behold, You have made (H)my days as [b]handbreadths,
And my (I)lifetime as nothing before You;
Surely every man, even standing firm, is [c]altogether (J)vanity. [d]Selah.
Surely every man (K)walks about as [e]a shadow;
Surely they make an (L)uproar in vain;
He (M)piles up riches and does not know who will gather them.

“And now, Lord, what do I hope in?
My (N)expectation is in You.
(O)Deliver me from all my transgressions;
Make me not the (P)reproach of the wicked fool.
I have become (Q)mute, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is (R)You who have done it.
10 (S)Remove Your plague from me;
Because of (T)the opposition of Your hand I am wasting away.
11 With (U)reproofs You chasten a man for iniquity;
You (V)consume as a moth what is precious to him;
Surely (W)every man is vanity. Selah.

12 (X)Hear my prayer, O Yahweh, and give ear to my cry for help;
Do not be silent (Y)at my tears;
For I am (Z)a sojourner with You,
A (AA)foreign resident like all my fathers.
13 (AB)Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may [f]smile again
Before I go and am no more.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 39 Title 1 Chr 16:41
  2. Psalm 39:5 A handbreadth was approx. 3 in. or 7.6 cm
  3. Psalm 39:5 Or mere breath
  4. Psalm 39:5 Selah may mean Pause, Crescendo, Musical Interlude
  5. Psalm 39:6 Lit an image
  6. Psalm 39:13 Or become cheerful

For the Chief Musician. For Jeduthun. A Psalm by David.

39 I said, “I will watch my ways, so that I don’t sin with my tongue.
    I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me.”
I was mute with silence.
    I held my peace, even from good.
    My sorrow was stirred.
My heart was hot within me.
    While I meditated, the fire burned.
I spoke with my tongue:
    “Yahweh, show me my end,
    what is the measure of my days.
    Let me know how frail I am.
Behold, you have made my days hand widths.
    My lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely every man stands as a breath.” Selah.
“Surely every man walks like a shadow.
    Surely they busy themselves in vain.
    He heaps up, and doesn’t know who shall gather.
Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
    My hope is in you.
Deliver me from all my transgressions.
    Don’t make me the reproach of the foolish.
I was mute.
    I didn’t open my mouth,
    because you did it.
10 Remove your scourge away from me.
    I am overcome by the blow of your hand.
11 When you rebuke and correct man for iniquity,
    you consume his wealth like a moth.
Surely every man is but a breath.” Selah.
12 “Hear my prayer, Yahweh, and give ear to my cry.
    Don’t be silent at my tears.
For I am a stranger with you,
    a foreigner, as all my fathers were.
13 Oh spare me, that I may recover strength,
    before I go away and exist no more.”