Psalms 39 The care with our words; the brevity and vanity of life; the psalmist's plea for God to keep him from impatience

 Psalms 39

The care with our words; the brevity and vanity of life; the psalmist's plea for God to keep him from impatience

1 I said, "I will take heed to my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth while the wicked is before me."

2 I was silent as one who was mute; I kept silent even about good; but my grief was made worse.

3 My heart burned within me; while I was meditating a fire was kindled; then I spoke with my tongue. I said, "

4 Make me to know, O Lord, my end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.

5 Behold, you have made my days as a handbreadth; the span of my life is as nothing before you; surely every man that is strong is utterly vanity.

6 Surely every man walks as a shadow; They are anxious in vain; they heap up riches, and do not know who will receive them.

7 Now, O Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.

8 Deliver me from all my transgressions; do not make me the reproach of fools.

9 I am silent; I do not open my mouth, because you have done it.

10 Remove your plague from me; I am faint at the blow of your hand.

11 When you rebuke a man for iniquity, you destroy his beauty like a moth; so that every man is vanity.

12 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; do not be silent at my tears, for I am a stranger with you, a sojourner like all my fathers.

13 Give me time until I take courage, before I go and am no more.