Psalm 39-44

New International Version

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)

¹² “Hear my prayer, Lord,
    listen to my cry for help;^(AG)
    do not be deaf^(AH) to my weeping.^(AI)
I dwell with you as a foreigner,^(AJ)
    a stranger,^(AK) as all my ancestors were.^(AL)
13 Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again
    before I depart and am no more.”^(AM)

⁴ Blessed is the one^(AY)
    who trusts in the Lord,^(AZ)
who does not look to the proud,^(BA)
    to those who turn aside to false gods.^[d](BB)
5 Many, Lord my God,
    are the wonders^(BC) you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
None can compare^(BD) with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many^(BE) to declare.

⁶ Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—^(BF)
    but my ears you have opened^[e]—^(BG)
    burnt offerings^(BH) and sin offerings^[f] you did not require.
⁷ Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
    it is written about me in the scroll.^[g](BI)
8 I desire to do your will,^(BJ) my God;^(BK)
    your law is within my heart.”^(BL)

⁹ I proclaim your saving acts^(BM) in the great assembly;^(BN)
    I do not seal my lips, Lord,
    as you know.^(BO)
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
    I speak of your faithfulness^(BP) and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
    from the great assembly.^(BQ)

¹¹ Do not withhold your mercy^(BR) from me, Lord;
    may your love^(BS) and faithfulness^(BT) always protect^(BU) me.
¹² For troubles^(BV) without number surround me;
    my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.^(BW)
They are more than the hairs of my head,^(BX)
    and my heart fails^(BY) within me.
¹³ Be pleased to save me, Lord;
    come quickly, Lord, to help me.^(BZ)

¹⁴ May all who want to take my life^(CA)
    be put to shame and confusion;^(CB)
may all who desire my ruin^(CC)
    be turned back in disgrace.
¹⁵ May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”^(CD)
    be appalled at their own shame.
¹⁶ But may all who seek you^(CE)
    rejoice and be glad^(CF) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
    “The Lord is great!”^(CG)

¹⁷ But as for me, I am poor and needy;^(CH)
    may the Lord think^(CI) of me.
You are my help^(CJ) and my deliverer;^(CK)
    you are my God, do not delay.^(CL)

⁴ I said, “Have mercy^(CV) on me, Lord;
    heal^(CW) me, for I have sinned^(CX) against you.”
⁵ My enemies say of me in malice,
    “When will he die and his name perish?^(CY)”
⁶ When one of them comes to see me,
    he speaks falsely,^(CZ) while his heart gathers slander;^(DA)
    then he goes out and spreads^(DB) it around.

⁷ All my enemies whisper together^(DC) against me;
    they imagine the worst for me, saying,
⁸ “A vile disease has afflicted him;
    he will never get up^(DD) from the place where he lies.”
⁹ Even my close friend,^(DE)
    someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
    has turned^[i] against me.^(DF)

¹⁰ But may you have mercy^(DG) on me, Lord;
    raise me up,^(DH) that I may repay^(DI) them.
¹¹ I know that you are pleased with me,^(DJ)
    for my enemy does not triumph over me.^(DK)
12 Because of my integrity^(DL) you uphold me^(DM)
    and set me in your presence forever.^(DN)

¹³ Praise^(DO) be to the Lord, the God of Israel,^(DP)
    from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.^(DQ)

⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?^(EE)
    Why so disturbed^(EF) within me?
Put your hope in God,^(EG)
    for I will yet praise^(EH) him,
    my Savior^(EI) and my God.^(EJ)

⁶ My soul is downcast within me;
    therefore I will remember^(EK) you
from the land of the Jordan,^(EL)
    the heights of Hermon^(EM)—from Mount Mizar.
⁷ Deep calls to deep^(EN)
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.^(EO)

⁸ By day the Lord directs his love,^(EP)
    at night^(EQ) his song^(ER) is with me—
    a prayer to the God of my life.^(ES)

⁹ I say to God my Rock,^(ET)
    “Why have you forgotten^(EU) me?
Why must I go about mourning,^(EV)
    oppressed^(EW) by the enemy?”^(EX)
10 My bones suffer mortal agony^(EY)
    as my foes taunt^(EZ) me,
saying to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”^(FA)

¹¹ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.^(FB)

⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.^(FS)

⁴ You are my King^(GF) and my God,^(GG)
    who decrees^[q] victories^(GH) for Jacob.
⁵ Through you we push back^(GI) our enemies;
    through your name we trample^(GJ) our foes.
⁶ I put no trust in my bow,^(GK)
    my sword does not bring me victory;
⁷ but you give us victory^(GL) over our enemies,
    you put our adversaries to shame.^(GM)
8 In God we make our boast^(GN) all day long,^(GO)
    and we will praise your name forever.^[r](GP)

⁹ But now you have rejected^(GQ) and humbled us;^(GR)
    you no longer go out with our armies.^(GS)
10 You made us retreat^(GT) before the enemy,
    and our adversaries have plundered^(GU) us.
¹¹ You gave us up to be devoured like sheep^(GV)
    and have scattered us among the nations.^(GW)
12 You sold your people for a pittance,^(GX)
    gaining nothing from their sale.

¹³ You have made us a reproach^(GY) to our neighbors,^(GZ)
    the scorn^(HA) and derision^(HB) of those around us.
¹⁴ You have made us a byword^(HC) among the nations;
    the peoples shake their heads^(HD) at us.
¹⁵ I live in disgrace^(HE) all day long,
    and my face is covered with shame^(HF)
16 at the taunts^(HG) of those who reproach and revile^(HH) me,
    because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.^(HI)

¹⁷ All this came upon us,
    though we had not forgotten^(HJ) you;
    we had not been false to your covenant.
¹⁸ Our hearts had not turned^(HK) back;
    our feet had not strayed from your path.
¹⁹ But you crushed^(HL) us and made us a haunt for jackals;^(HM)
    you covered us over with deep darkness.^(HN)

²⁰ If we had forgotten^(HO) the name of our God
    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,^(HP)
21 would not God have discovered it,
    since he knows the secrets of the heart?^(HQ)
22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep^(HR) to be slaughtered.^(HS)

²³ Awake,^(HT) Lord! Why do you sleep?^(HU)
    Rouse yourself!^(HV) Do not reject us forever.^(HW)
24 Why do you hide your face^(HX)
    and forget^(HY) our misery and oppression?^(HZ)

²⁵ We are brought down to the dust;^(IA)
    our bodies cling to the ground.
²⁶ Rise up^(IB) and help us;
    rescue^(IC) us because of your unfailing love.^(ID)