Psalm 39-40

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!”

My Help and My Deliverer

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

40 I ^(AA)waited patiently for the Lord;
    he inclined to me and ^(AB)heard my cry.
²He drew me up from ^(AC)the pit of destruction,
    out of ^(AD)the miry bog,
and ^(AE)set my feet upon a rock,
    ^(AF)making my steps secure.
³He put ^(AG)a new song in my mouth,
    a song of praise to our God.
Many will ^(AH)see and fear,
    and put their trust in the Lord.

⁴Blessed is the man who ^(AI)makes
    the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
    to those who ^(AJ)go astray after a lie!
⁵You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
    your ^(AK)wondrous deeds and your ^(AL)thoughts toward us;
    none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
    yet they are ^(AM)more than can be told.

⁶^(AN)In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
    but you have given me an open ^(AO)ear.^[b]
Burnt offering and sin offering
    you have not required.
⁷Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
    in the scroll of the book it is written ^(AP)of me:
⁸^(AQ)I delight to do your will, O my God;
    your law is ^(AR)within my heart.”

⁹I have told the glad news of deliverance^[c]
    in ^(AS)the great congregation;
behold, I have not ^(AT)restrained my lips,
    ^(AU)as you know, O Lord.
¹⁰I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
    I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
    from the great congregation.

¹¹As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain
    your mercy from me;
your ^(AV)steadfast love and your faithfulness will
    ever preserve me!
¹²For evils have ^(AW)encompassed me
    beyond number;
my ^(AX)iniquities have overtaken me,
    and I cannot ^(AY)see;
they are ^(AZ)more than the hairs of my head;
    my heart ^(BA)fails me.

¹³^(BB)Be pleased, O Lord, to ^(BC)deliver me!
    O Lord, ^(BD)make haste to help me!
¹⁴^(BE)Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
    who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be ^(BF)turned back and brought to dishonor
    who delight in my hurt!
¹⁵Let those be appalled because of their shame
    who ^(BG)say to me, “Aha, Aha!”

¹⁶But may all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
    ^(BH)say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
¹⁷As for me, I am ^(BI)poor and needy,
    but ^(BJ)the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
    do not delay, O my God!