New American Standard Bible 1995

Psalms 39

The Vanity of Life.

For the choir director, for 1 Chr 16:41Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

1I said, “I will 1guard my ways That I 2may not sin with my tongue; I will guard 3my mouth as with a muzzle While the wicked are in my presence.”2I was 4mute 5and silent, I 6refrained even from good, And my 7sorrow grew worse.3My 8heart was hot within me, While I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue:4“Lord, make me to know 9my end And what is the extent of my days; Let me know how 10transient I am.5Behold, You have made 11my days as handbreadths, And my 12lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man 13at his best is 14a mere 15breath. 16Selah.6Surely every man 17walks about as 18a phantom; Surely they make an 19uproar for nothing; He 20amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.

7“And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My 21hope is in You.8 22Deliver me from all my transgressions; Make me not the 23reproach of the foolish.9I have become 24mute, I do not open my mouth, Because it is 25You who have done it.10 26Remove Your plague from me; Because of 27the opposition of Your hand I am 28perishing.11With 29reproofs You chasten a man for iniquity; You 30consume as a moth what is precious to him; Surely 31every man is a mere breath. Selah.

12“32Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; Do not be silent 33at my tears; For I am 34a stranger with You, A 35sojourner like all my fathers.13 36Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may 37smile again Before I depart and am no more.”

Notes

1. Psalms 39:1 1 Kin 2:4; 2 Kin 10:31; Ps 119:9 ↩
2. Psalms 39:1 Job 2:10; Ps 34:13; James 3:5-12 ↩
3. Psalms 39:1 Ps 141:3; James 3:2 ↩
4. Psalms 39:2 Ps 38:13 ↩
5. Psalms 39:2 Lit with silence ↩
6. Psalms 39:2 Lit kept silence ↩
7. Psalms 39:2 Lit pain ↩
8. Psalms 39:3 Ps 32:4; Jer 20:9; Luke 24:32 ↩
9. Psalms 39:4 Job 6:11; Ps 90:12; 119:84 ↩
10. Psalms 39:4 Ps 78:39; 103:14 ↩
11. Psalms 39:5 Ps 89:47 ↩
12. Psalms 39:5 Ps 144:4 ↩
13. Psalms 39:5 Lit standing firm ↩
14. Psalms 39:5 Or altogether vanity ↩
15. Psalms 39:5 Job 14:2; Ps 62:9; Eccl 6:12 ↩
16. Psalms 39:5 Selah may mean: Pause, Crescendo or Musical interlude ↩
17. Psalms 39:6 1 Cor 7:31; James 1:10, 11; 1 Pet 1:24 ↩
18. Psalms 39:6 Lit an image ↩
19. Psalms 39:6 Ps 127:2; Eccl 5:17 ↩
20. Psalms 39:6 Ps 49:10; Eccl 2:26; 5:14; Luke 12:20 ↩
21. Psalms 39:7 Ps 38:15 ↩
22. Psalms 39:8 Ps 51:9, 14; 79:9 ↩
23. Psalms 39:8 Ps 44:13; 79:4; 119:22 ↩
24. Psalms 39:9 Ps 39:2 ↩
25. Psalms 39:9 2 Sam 16:10; Job 2:10 ↩
26. Psalms 39:10 Job 9:34; 13:21 ↩
27. Psalms 39:10 Ps 32:4 ↩
28. Psalms 39:10 Or wasting away ↩
29. Psalms 39:11 Ezek 5:15; 2 Pet 2:16 ↩
30. Psalms 39:11 Job 13:28; Ps 90:7; Is 50:9 ↩
31. Psalms 39:11 Ps 39:5 ↩
32. Psalms 39:12 Ps 102:1; 143:1 ↩
33. Psalms 39:12 2 Kin 20:5; Ps 56:8 ↩
34. Psalms 39:12 Lev 25:23; 1 Chr 29:15; Ps 119:19; Heb 11:13; 1 Pet 2:11 ↩
35. Psalms 39:12 Gen 47:9 ↩
36. Psalms 39:13 Job 7:19; 10:20, 21; 14:6; Ps 102:24 ↩
37. Psalms 39:13 Or become cheerful ↩

The Vanity of Life.

For the choir director, for 1 Chr 16:41Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

Notes

Commentaries on Psalms 39