Psalm 39

New American Standard Bible

The Futility of Life.

For the music director, for ^[a]Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

39 I said, “I will ^(A)keep watch over my ways
So that I ^(B)do not sin with my tongue;
I will keep watch over ^(C)my mouth as with a muzzle
While the wicked are in my presence.”
²I was ^(D)mute ^[b]and silent,
I ^[c]refused to say even something good,
And my pain was stirred up.
³My ^(E)heart was hot within me,
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue:
⁴“Lord, let me know ^(F)my end,
And what is the extent of my days;
Let me know how ^(G)transient I am.
⁵Behold, You have made ^(H)my days like ^[d]hand widths,
And my ^(I)lifetime as nothing in Your sight;
Certainly all mankind standing is ^[e]a mere ^(J)breath. Selah
⁶Certainly every person ^(K)walks around as ^[f]a fleeting shadow;
They certainly make an ^(L)uproar for nothing;
He ^(M)amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.

⁷“And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My ^(N)hope is in You.
⁸^(O)Save me from all my wrongdoings;
Do not make me an object of ^(P)reproach for the foolish.
⁹I 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 ^[g]perishing.
¹¹With ^(U)rebukes You punish a person for wrongdoing;
You ^(V)consume like a moth what is precious to him;
Certainly ^(W)all mankind is mere breath! Selah

¹²“^(X)Hear my prayer, Lord, and listen to my cry for help;
Do not be silent ^(Y)to my tears;
For I am ^(Z)a stranger with You,
^(AA)One who lives abroad, like all my fathers.
¹³^(AB)Turn Your eyes away from me, that I may become cheerful again
Before I depart and am no more.”