Psalm 39

English Standard Version

What Is the Measure of My Days?

To the choirmaster: to ^(A)Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

39 I said, “I will ^(B)guard my ways,
    that I ^(C)may not sin with my tongue;
I will ^(D)guard my mouth with a muzzle,
    so long as the wicked are in my presence.”
²I was ^(E)mute and silent;
    I held my peace to no avail,
and my distress grew worse.
³    My ^(F)heart became hot within me.
As I mused, the fire burned;
    then I spoke with my tongue:

⁴“O Lord, ^(G)make me know my end
    and what is the measure of my days;
    let me know how fleeting I am!
⁵Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
    and ^(H)my lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely ^(I)all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah
⁶    Surely a man ^(J)goes about as a shadow!
Surely for nothing^[a] they are in turmoil;
    man ^(K)heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

⁷“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
    ^(L)My hope is in you.
⁸Deliver me from all my transgressions.
    ^(M)Do not make me the scorn of the fool!
⁹^(N)I am mute; I do not open my mouth,
    ^(O)for it is you who have done it.
¹⁰^(P)Remove your stroke from me;
    I am spent by the hostility of your hand.
¹¹When you discipline a man
    with ^(Q)rebukes for sin,
you ^(R)consume like a ^(S)moth what is dear to him;
    ^(T)surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah

¹²^(U)“Hear my prayer, O Lord,
    and give ear to my cry;
    hold not your peace at my tears!
For I am ^(V)a sojourner with you,
    ^(W)a guest, like all my fathers.
¹³^(X)Look away from me, that I may smile again,
    ^(Y)before I depart and ^(Z)am no more!”

Footnotes

Psalm 39:6 Hebrew Surely as a breath

2 Corinthians 4:16-5:10

English Standard Version

¹⁶So we do not lose heart. ^(A)Though our outer self^[a] is wasting away, ^(B)our inner self ^(C)is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For ^(D)this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ¹⁸^(E)as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Our Heavenly Dwelling

5 For we know that if ^(F)the tent that is ^(G)our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, ^(H)a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ²For in this tent ^(I)we groan, longing to ^(J)put on our heavenly dwelling, ³if indeed by putting it on^[b] we may not be found naked. ⁴For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal ^(K)may be swallowed up by life. ⁵He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, ^(L)who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

⁶So we are always of good courage. We know that ^(M)while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, ⁷for ^(N)we walk by faith, not ^(O)by sight. ⁸Yes, we are of good courage, and we ^(P)would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to ^(Q)please him. ¹⁰For ^(R)we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, ^(S)so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.