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。”

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

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.