Psalm 39
New King James Version
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.”
2 (B)I was mute with silence,
I held my peace even from good;
And my sorrow was stirred up.
3 My heart was hot within me;
While I was [a]musing, the fire burned.
Then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Lord, (C)make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.
5 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
6 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.
7 “And now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My (E)hope is in You.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions;
Do not make me (F)the reproach of the foolish.
9 (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
- Psalm 39:3 meditating
- Psalm 39:6 make an uproar for nothing
Psalm 39
Amplified Bible
The Vanity of Life.
To the Chief Musician; for Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
39 I said, “I will guard my ways
That I may not sin with my tongue;
I will muzzle my mouth
While the wicked are in my presence.”
2
I was mute and silent [before my enemies],
I refrained even from good,
And my [a]distress grew worse.
3
My heart was hot within me.
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue:
4
“Lord, let me know my [life’s] end
And [to appreciate] the extent of my days;
Let me know how frail I am [how transient is my stay here].
5
“Behold, You have made my days as [short as] hand widths,
And my lifetime is as nothing in Your sight.
Surely every man at his best is a mere breath [a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes]!(A) Selah.
6
“Surely every man walks around like a shadow [in a charade];
Surely they make an uproar for nothing;
Each one builds up riches, not knowing who will receive them.(B)
7
“And now, Lord, for what do I expectantly wait?
My hope [my confident expectation] is in You.
8
“Save me from all my transgressions;
Do not make me the scorn and reproach of the [self-righteous, arrogant] fool.
9
“I am mute, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is You who has done it.
10
“Remove Your plague from me;
I am wasting away because of the conflict and opposition of Your hand.
11
“With rebukes You discipline man for sin;
You consume like a moth what is precious to him;
Surely every man is a mere breath [a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes]. Selah.
12
“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and listen to my cry;
Do not be silent at my tears;
For I am Your temporary guest,
A sojourner like all my fathers.
13
“O look away from me, that I may smile and again know joy
Before I depart and am no more.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 39:2 Lit pain.
Psalm 39
Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 39
To the chief Musician, even to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David.
1 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.
2 I was dumb with silence,
I held my peace, even from good;
and my sorrow was stirred.
3 My heart was hot within me,
while I was musing the fire burned:
then spake I with my tongue,
4 Lord, make me to know mine end,
and the measure of my days, what it is;
that I may know how frail I am.
5 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.
6 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.
7 And now, Lord, what wait I for?
my hope is in thee.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions:
make me not the reproach of the foolish.
9 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
1599 Geneva Bible
39 1 David uttereth with what great grief and bitterness of mind he was driven to these outrageous complaints of his infirmities. 2 For he confesseth that when he had determined silence, that he brast forth yet into words, that he would not, through the greatness of his grief. 4 Then he rehearseth certain requests which taste of the infirmity of man. 8 And mixeth with them many prayers: but all do show a mind wonderfully trembled, that it may plainly appear how he did strive mightily against death and desperation.
To the excellent Musician [a]Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
1 I thought, [b]I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth bridled, while the wicked is in my sight.
2 I was dumb and spake nothing: I kept silence even from good, [c]and my sorrow was more stirred.
3 Mine heart was hot within me, and while I was musing, the fire kindled, and I [d]spake with my tongue, saying,
4 Lord, let me know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: let me know how long I have to live.
5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an hand breadth, and mine age as nothing in respect of thee: surely every man in his best state is altogether [e]vanity. Selah.
6 Doubtless man walketh in a shadow, and disquieteth himself in vain: he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them.
7 And now Lord, what wait I for? mine hope is even in thee.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions, and make me not a rebuke unto the [f]foolish.
9 I should have been dumb, and not have opened my mouth, because [g]thou didst it.
10 Take thy plague away from me: for I am consumed by the stroke of thine hand.
11 When thou with rebukes dost chastise man for iniquity, thou as a moth [h]makest his [i]beauty to consume: surely every man is vanity. Selah.
12 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and hearken unto my cry: keep not silence at my tears, for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner as all my fathers.
13 Stay thine anger from me, that I may recover my strength, [j]before I go hence and be not.
Footnotes
- Psalm 39:1 This was one of the chief singers, 1 Chron. 16:41.
- Psalm 39:1 Albeit he had appointed with himself patiently to have tarried God’s leisure, yet the vehemency of his pain caused him to break his purpose.
- Psalm 39:2 Though when the wicked ruled, he thought to have kept silence, yet his zeal caused him to change his mind.
- Psalm 39:3 He confesseth that he grudged against God, considering the greatness of his sorrows, and the shortness of his life.
- Psalm 39:5 Yet David offended in that that he reasoned with God as though that he were too severe toward his weak creature.
- Psalm 39:8 Make me not a mocking stock to the wicked, or wrap me not up with the wicked, when they are put to shame.
- Psalm 39:9 Seeing my troubles came of thy providence, I ought to have endured them patiently.
- Psalm 39:11 Though thine open plagues light not evermore upon them, yet thy secret curse continually fretteth them.
- Psalm 39:11 The word signifieth all that he desireth, as health, force, strength, beauty, and in whatsoever he hath delight, so that the rod of God taketh away all that is desired in this world.
- Psalm 39:13 For his sorrow caused him to think that God would destroy him utterly: whereby we see how hard it is for the very Saints to keep a measure in their words, when death and despair assail them.
Psalm 39
Young's Literal Translation
39 To the Overseer, to Jeduthun. -- A Psalm of David. I have said, `I observe my ways, Against sinning with my tongue, I keep for my mouth a curb, while the wicked [is] before me.'
2 I was dumb [with] silence, I kept silent from good, and my pain is excited.
3 Hot [is] my heart within me, In my meditating doth the fire burn, I have spoken with my tongue.
4 `Cause me to know, O Jehovah, mine end, And the measure of my days -- what it [is],' I know how frail I [am].
5 Lo, handbreadths Thou hast made my days, And mine age [is] as nothing before Thee, Only, all vanity [is] every man set up. Selah.
6 Only, in an image doth each walk habitually, Only, [in] vain, they are disquieted, He heapeth up and knoweth not who gathereth them.
7 And, now, what have I expected? O Lord, my hope -- it [is] of Thee.
8 From all my transgressions deliver me, A reproach of the fool make me not.
9 I have been dumb, I open not my mouth, Because Thou -- Thou hast done [it].
10 Turn aside from off me Thy stroke, From the striving of Thy hand I have been consumed.
11 With reproofs against iniquity, Thou hast corrected man, And dost waste as a moth his desirableness, Only, vanity [is] every man. Selah.
12 Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, And [to] my cry give ear, Unto my tear be not silent, For a sojourner I [am] with Thee, A settler like all my fathers.
13 Look from me, and I brighten up before I go and am not!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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