受苦者的呼求

大卫的诗,交给乐长耶杜顿。

39 我说:“我要谨言慎行,
免犯口舌之罪。
只要身边有恶人,
我就用嚼环勒住自己的口。”
然而,我默不作声,
连好话也不出口时,
内心就更加痛苦。
我心如火烧,越沉思越烦躁,
便开口呼求:
“耶和华啊,求你让我知道我人生的终点和寿数,
明白人生何其短暂。
你使我的生命转瞬即逝,
我的岁月在你眼中不到片刻。
人的生命不过是一丝气息,(细拉)
人生不过是幻影,
劳碌奔波却一场空,
积蓄财富却不知谁来享用。
主啊,如今我盼望什么呢?
你是我的盼望。
求你救我脱离一切过犯,
不要让愚昧人嘲笑我。
我默然不语,一言不发,
因为我受的责罚是出于你。
10 求你不要再惩罚我,
你的责打使我几乎丧命。
11 因为人犯罪,你管教他们,
使他们所爱的被吞噬,像被虫蛀。
世人不过是一丝气息。(细拉)

12 “耶和华啊,
求你垂听我的祷告,
倾听我的呼求,
别对我的眼泪视若无睹。
因为我在你面前只是客旅,
是寄居的,
正如我的祖先。
13 求你宽恕我,
好让我在离世之前能重展笑容。”

人生虚幻,主是唯一指望

大卫的诗,交给诗班长耶杜顿。

39 我曾说:“我要谨慎我的行为,

不让我的舌头犯罪;

恶人在我面前的时候,

我总要用罩子约束我的嘴。”

我静默不出声,

甚至连好话也不说(“甚至连好话也不说”或译:“我安静也得不到安慰”),

我的痛苦就更加剧烈。

我的心在我里面发热;

我默想的时候,心里火烧;

我就用舌头说话:

“耶和华啊!求你使我知道我的结局,

我的寿数有多少,

使我知道我的生命多么短促。

你使我的日子窄如手掌,

我的一生在你面前如同无有;

各人站得最稳的时候,也只不过是一口气。(细拉)

世人来来往往只是幻影,

他们忙乱也是虚空;

积聚财物,却不知道谁要来收取。

主啊!现在我还等候甚么呢?

我的指望在乎你。

求你救我脱离我的一切过犯,

不要使我遭受愚顽人的羞辱。

因为是你作了这事,

我就静默不开口。

10 求你除掉你降在我身上的灾祸;

因你手的责打,我就消灭。

11 你因人的罪孽,借着责罚管教他们,

叫他们所宝贵的消失,像被虫蛀蚀;

世人都不过是一口气。(细拉)

12 耶和华啊!求你垂听我的祷告,

留心听我的呼求;

我流泪,求你不要缄默;

因为我在你面前是客旅,

是寄居的,像我所有的祖先一样。

13 求你不要怒视我,

使我在去而不返之先,可以喜乐。”

The Confession of a Sufferer[a]

39 I said, “I will be careful about what I do
    and will not let my tongue make me sin;
I will not say anything
    while evil people are near.”
I kept quiet, not saying a word,
    not even about anything good!
But my suffering only grew worse,
    and I was overcome with anxiety.
The more I thought, the more troubled I became;
    I could not keep from asking:
Lord, how long will I live?
    When will I die?
    Tell me how soon my life will end.”

How short you have made my life!
    In your sight my lifetime seems nothing.
Indeed every living being is no more than a puff of wind,
    no more than a shadow.
All we do is for nothing;
    we gather wealth, but don't know who will get it.

What, then, can I hope for, Lord?
    I put my hope in you.
Save me from all my sins,
    and don't let fools make fun of me.
I will keep quiet, I will not say a word,
    for you are the one who made me suffer like this.
10 Don't punish me any more!
    I am about to die from your blows.
11 You punish our sins by your rebukes,
    and like a moth you destroy what we love.
Indeed we are no more than a puff of wind!

12 Hear my prayer, Lord,
    and listen to my cry;
    come to my aid when I weep.
Like all my ancestors
    I am only your guest for a little while.
13 Leave me alone so that I may have some happiness
    before I go away and am no more.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 39:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by David.

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.