Font Size
Psalm 39
New King James Version
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
The Voice
Psalm 39
The Voice
Psalm 39
For the worship leader, Jeduthun.[a] A song of David.
As an individual lament, Psalm 39 grieves over the brevity of life. The superscription recalls David’s appointment of Jeduthun as one of the tabernacle’s leading musicians (1 Chronicles 16:41–42).
1 I promised, “I’ll be careful on life’s journey
not to sin with my words;
I’ll seal my lips
when wicked people are around.”
2 I kept my mouth shut;
I had nothing to say—not even anything good—
which came to grieve me more and more.
3 I felt my heart become hot inside me
as I thought on these things; a fire ignited and burned.
Then I said,
4 “Eternal One, let me understand my end
and how brief my earthly existence is;
help me realize my life is fleeting.
5 You have determined the length of my days,
and my life is nothing compared to You.
Even the longest life is only a breath.”
[pause][b]
6 In truth, each of us journeys through life like a shadow.
We busy ourselves accomplishing nothing, piling up assets we can never keep;
We can’t even know who will end up with those things.
7 In light of all this, Lord, what am I really waiting for?
You are my hope.
8 Keep me from all the wrong I would do;
don’t let the foolish laugh at me.
9 I am quiet; I keep my mouth closed
because this has come from You.
10 Take Your curse from me;
I can’t endure Your punishment.
11 You discipline us for our sins.
Like a moth, You consume everything we treasure;
it’s evident we are merely a breath.
[pause]
12 Hear me, O Eternal One;
listen to my pleading,
and don’t ignore my tears
Because I am estranged from You—
a wanderer like my fathers before me.
13 Look away from me so I might have a chance to recover my joy and smile again
before I lay this life down and am no more.
Footnotes
- 39:title 1 Chronicles 9:16
- 39:5 Literally, selah, likely a musical direction from a Hebrew root meaning “to lift up”
Salmos 39
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Salmos 39
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Vanidad de la vida
Para el director del coro, para Jedutún. Salmo de David.
39 Yo dije: «Guardaré mis caminos(A)
Para no pecar con mi lengua(B);
Guardaré mi boca como con mordaza(C)
Mientras el impío esté en mi presencia».
2 Enmudecí y callé(D);
Guardé silencio aun acerca de lo bueno,
Y se agravó mi dolor.
3 Ardía mi corazón dentro de mí(E);
Mientras meditaba, se encendió el fuego;
Entonces dije con mi lengua:
4 «Señor, hazme saber mi fin(F),
Y cuál es la medida de mis días,
Para que yo sepa cuán efímero soy(G).
5 Tú has hecho mis días muy breves(H),
Y mi existencia es como nada delante de Ti(I);
Ciertamente todo hombre, aun en la plenitud de su vigor, es solo un soplo(J). (Selah)
6 Sí, como una sombra anda el hombre(K);
Ciertamente en vano se afana(L);
Acumula riquezas, y no sabe quién las recogerá(M).
7 »Y ahora, Señor, ¿qué espero?
En Ti está mi esperanza(N).
8 Líbrame de todas mis transgresiones(O);
No me hagas la burla de los necios(P).
9 Mudo me he quedado(Q), no abro la boca,
Porque Tú eres el que ha obrado(R).
10 Quita de mí Tu plaga(S);
Por la dureza de Tu mano estoy pereciendo(T).
11 Con castigos reprendes al hombre por su iniquidad(U);
Como la polilla, consumes lo que es más precioso para él(V).
Ciertamente, todo hombre es solo un soplo(W). (Selah)
Psalm 39
New International Version
Psalm 39
New International Version
Psalm 39[a]
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
1 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.”
2 So I remained utterly silent,(D)
not even saying anything good.
But my anguish(E) increased;
3 my heart grew hot(F) within me.
While I meditated,(G) the fire(H) burned;
then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Show me, Lord, my life’s end
and the number of my days;(I)
let me know how fleeting(J) my life is.(K)
5 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]
6 “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)
7 “But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you.(S)
8 Save me(T) from all my transgressions;(U)
do not make me the scorn(V) of fools.
9 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)
Footnotes
- Psalm 39:1 In Hebrew texts 39:1-13 is numbered 39:2-14.
- Psalm 39:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 11.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Voice (VOICE)
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Nueva Biblia de las Américas (NBLA) 
Nueva Biblia de las Américas™ NBLA™ Copyright © 2005 por The Lockman Foundation
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.