Chapter 39
I Will Watch My Ways
1
For the choirmaster. For Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. 1I said, “I will watch my ways so that I will not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are present.”
𐤋𐤌𐤍𐤑𐤇 𐤋𐤉𐤃𐤉𐤕𐤅𐤍 𐤌𐤆𐤌𐤅𐤓 𐤋𐤃𐤅𐤃 𐤀𐤌𐤓𐤕𐤉 𐤀𐤔𐤌𐤓𐤄 𐤃𐤓𐤊𐤉 𐤌𐤇𐤈𐤅𐤀 𐤁𐤋𐤔𐤅𐤍𐤉 𐤀𐤔𐤌𐤓𐤄 𐤋𐤐𐤉 𐤌𐤇𐤎𐤅𐤌 𐤁𐤏𐤃 𐤓𐤔𐤏 𐤋𐤍𐤂𐤃𐤉
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ לִידִיתוּן מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ אָמַ֗רְתִּי אֶֽשְׁמְרָ֣ה דְרָכַי֮ מֵחֲט֪וֹא בִלְשׁ֫וֹנִ֥י אֶשְׁמְרָ֥ה לְפִ֥י מַחְס֑וֹם בְּעֹ֖ד רָשָׁ֣ע לְנֶגְדִּֽי׃ lam·naṣ·ṣê·aḥ lī·ḏī·ṯūn miz·mō·wr lə·ḏā·wiḏ ’ā·mar·tî ’eš·mə·rāh ḏə·rā·ḵay mê·ḥă·ṭō·w ḇil·šō·w·nî ’eš·mə·rāh lə·p̄î maḥ·sō·wm bə·‘ōḏ rā·šā‘ lə·neḡ·dî — WLC · 1
2
I was speechless and still; I remained silent, [even] from [speaking] good, and my sorrow was stirred.
𐤍𐤀𐤋𐤌𐤕𐤉 𐤃𐤅𐤌𐤉𐤄 𐤄𐤇𐤔𐤉𐤕𐤉 𐤌𐤈𐤅𐤁 𐤅𐤊𐤀𐤁𐤉 𐤍𐤏𐤊𐤓
נֶאֱלַ֣מְתִּי ד֭וּמִיָּה הֶחֱשֵׁ֣יתִי מִטּ֑וֹב וּכְאֵבִ֥י נֶעְכָּֽר׃ ne·’ĕ·lam·tî ḏū·mî·yāh he·ḥĕ·šê·ṯî miṭ·ṭō·wḇ ū·ḵə·’ê·ḇî ne‘·kār — WLC · 2
3
My heart grew hot within me; as I mused, the fire burned. [Then] I spoke with my tongue:
𐤋𐤁𐤉 𐤇𐤌 𐤁𐤒𐤓𐤁𐤉 𐤁𐤄𐤂𐤉𐤂𐤉 𐤀𐤔 𐤕𐤁𐤏𐤓 𐤃𐤁𐤓𐤕𐤉 𐤁𐤋𐤔𐤅𐤍𐤉
לִבִּ֨י׀ חַם־ בְּקִרְבִּ֗י בַּהֲגִיגִ֥י אֵ֑שׁ תִבְעַר־ דִּ֝בַּ֗רְתִּי בִּלְשֽׁוֹנִי׃ lib·bî ḥam- bə·qir·bî ba·hă·ḡî·ḡî ’êš ṯiḇ·‘ar- dib·bar·tî bil·šō·w·nî — WLC · 3
4
“Show me, O LORD, my end and the measure of my days. Let me know… how… fleeting my life is.
𐤄𐤅𐤃𐤉𐤏𐤍𐤉 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤒𐤑𐤉 𐤅𐤌𐤃𐤕 𐤉𐤌𐤉 𐤀𐤃𐤏𐤄 𐤌𐤄 𐤌𐤄 𐤄𐤉𐤀 𐤇𐤃𐤋 𐤀𐤍𐤉
הוֹדִ֘יעֵ֤נִי יְהוָ֨ה׀ קִצִּ֗י וּמִדַּ֣ת יָמַ֣י אֵ֝דְעָ֗ה מֶה־ מַה־ הִ֑יא חָדֵ֥ל אָֽנִי׃ hō·w·ḏî·‘ê·nî Yah·weh qiṣ·ṣî ū·mid·daṯ yā·may ’ê·ḏə·‘āh meh- mah- hî ḥā·ḏêl ’ā·nî — WLC · 4
5
You, indeed, have made my days [as] handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath… Selah
𐤄𐤍𐤄 𐤍𐤕𐤕𐤄 𐤉𐤌𐤉 𐤈𐤐𐤇𐤅𐤕 𐤅𐤇𐤋𐤃𐤉 𐤊𐤀𐤉𐤍 𐤍𐤂𐤃𐤊 𐤀𐤊 𐤊𐤋 𐤀𐤃𐤌 𐤍𐤑𐤁 𐤄𐤁𐤋 𐤊𐤋 𐤎𐤋𐤄
הִנֵּ֤ה נָ֘תַ֤תָּה יָמַ֗י טְפָח֨וֹת׀ וְחֶלְדִּ֣י כְאַ֣יִן נֶגְדֶּ֑ךָ אַ֥ךְ כָּֽל־ אָ֝דָ֗ם נִצָּ֥ב הֶ֥בֶל כָּל־ סֶֽלָה׃ hin·nêh nā·ṯat·tāh yā·may ṭə·p̄ā·ḥō·wṯ wə·ḥel·dî ḵə·’a·yin neḡ·de·ḵā ’aḵ kāl- ’ā·ḏām niṣ·ṣāḇ he·ḇel kāl- se·lāh — WLC · 5
6
Surely every man goes about like a phantom; surely he bustles in vain; he heaps up [riches] not knowing who will haul them away.
𐤀𐤊 𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤉𐤕𐤄𐤋𐤊 𐤁𐤑𐤋𐤌 𐤀𐤊 𐤉𐤄𐤌𐤉𐤅𐤍 𐤄𐤁𐤋 𐤉𐤑𐤁𐤓 𐤅𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤃𐤏 𐤌𐤉 𐤀𐤎𐤐𐤌
אַךְ־ אִ֗ישׁ יִֽתְהַלֶּךְ־ בְּצֶ֤לֶם׀ אַךְ־ יֶהֱמָי֑וּן הֶ֥בֶל יִ֝צְבֹּ֗ר וְֽלֹא־ יֵדַ֥ע מִי־ אֹסְפָֽם׃ ’aḵ- ’îš yiṯ·hal·leḵ- bə·ṣe·lem ’aḵ- ye·hĕ·mā·yūn he·ḇel yiṣ·bōr wə·lō- yê·ḏa‘ mî- ’ō·sə·p̄ām — WLC · 6
7
And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You.
𐤅𐤏𐤕𐤄 𐤀𐤃𐤍𐤉 𐤌𐤄 𐤒𐤅𐤉𐤕𐤉 𐤕𐤅𐤇𐤋𐤕𐤉 𐤋𐤊 𐤄𐤉𐤀
וְעַתָּ֣ה אֲדֹנָ֑י מַה־ קִּוִּ֣יתִי תּ֝וֹחַלְתִּ֗י לְךָ֣ הִֽיא׃ wə·‘at·tāh ’ă·ḏō·nāy mah- qiw·wî·ṯî tō·w·ḥal·tî lə·ḵā hî — WLC · 7
8
Deliver me from all my transgressions; do not make me the reproach of fools.
𐤄𐤑𐤉𐤋𐤍𐤉 𐤌𐤊𐤋 𐤐𐤔𐤏𐤉 𐤀𐤋 𐤕𐤔𐤉𐤌𐤍𐤉 𐤇𐤓𐤐𐤕 𐤍𐤁𐤋
הַצִּילֵ֑נִי מִכָּל־ פְּשָׁעַ֥י אַל־ תְּשִׂימֵֽנִי׃ חֶרְפַּ֥ת נָ֝בָ֗ל haṣ·ṣî·lê·nî mik·kāl pə·šā·‘ay ’al- tə·śî·mê·nî ḥer·paṯ nā·ḇāl — WLC · 8
9
I have become mute; I do not open my mouth because [of what] You have done.
𐤍𐤀𐤋𐤌𐤕𐤉 𐤋𐤀 𐤀𐤐𐤕𐤇 𐤐𐤉 𐤊𐤉 𐤀𐤕𐤄 𐤏𐤔𐤉𐤕
נֶ֭אֱלַמְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶפְתַּח־ פִּ֑י כִּ֖י אַתָּ֣ה עָשִֽׂיתָ׃ ne·’ĕ·lam·tî lō ’ep̄·taḥ- pî kî ’at·tāh ‘ā·śî·ṯā — WLC · 9
10
Remove Your scourge from me; I am perishing by the force of Your hand.
𐤄𐤎𐤓 𐤍𐤂𐤏𐤊 𐤌𐤏𐤋𐤉 𐤀𐤍𐤉 𐤊𐤋𐤉𐤕𐤉 𐤌𐤕𐤂𐤓𐤕 𐤉𐤃𐤊
הָסֵ֣ר נִגְעֶ֑ךָ מֵעָלַ֣י אֲנִ֣י כָלִֽיתִי׃ מִתִּגְרַ֥ת יָ֝דְךָ֗ hā·sêr niḡ·‘e·ḵā mê·‘ā·lay ’ă·nî ḵā·lî·ṯî mit·tiḡ·raṯ yā·ḏə·ḵā — WLC · 10
11
You discipline and correct a man for his iniquity, consuming like a moth what he holds dear; surely each man [is] but a vapor. Selah
𐤉𐤎𐤓𐤕 𐤁𐤕𐤅𐤊𐤇𐤅𐤕 𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤏𐤋 𐤏𐤅𐤍 𐤅𐤕𐤌𐤎 𐤊𐤏𐤔 𐤇𐤌𐤅𐤃𐤅 𐤀𐤊 𐤊𐤋 𐤀𐤃𐤌 𐤄𐤁𐤋 𐤎𐤋𐤄
יִסַּ֬רְתָּ בְּֽתוֹכָ֘ח֤וֹת אִ֗ישׁ עַל־ עָוֺ֨ן׀ וַתֶּ֣מֶס כָּעָ֣שׁ חֲמוּד֑וֹ אַ֤ךְ כָּל־ אָדָ֣ם הֶ֖בֶל סֶֽלָה׃ yis·sar·tā bə·ṯō·w·ḵā·ḥō·wṯ ’îš ‘al- ‘ā·wōn wat·te·mes kā·‘āš ḥă·mū·ḏōw ’aḵ kāl- ’ā·ḏām he·ḇel se·lāh — WLC · 11
12
Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry for help; do not be deaf to my weeping. For I am a foreigner dwelling with You, a stranger like all my fathers.
𐤔𐤌𐤏𐤄 𐤕𐤐𐤋𐤕𐤉 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤄𐤀𐤆𐤉𐤍𐤄 𐤅𐤔𐤅𐤏𐤕𐤉 𐤀𐤋 𐤕𐤇𐤓𐤔 𐤀𐤋 𐤃𐤌𐤏𐤕𐤉 𐤊𐤉 𐤀𐤍𐤊𐤉 𐤂𐤓 𐤏𐤌𐤊 𐤕𐤅𐤔𐤁 𐤊𐤊𐤋 𐤀𐤁𐤅𐤕𐤉
שִֽׁמְעָ֥ה־ תְפִלָּתִ֨י׀ יְהוָ֡ה הַאֲזִינָה֮ וְשַׁוְעָתִ֨י׀ אַֽל־ תֶּ֫חֱרַ֥שׁ אֶֽל־ דִּמְעָתִ֗י כִּ֤י אָנֹכִ֣י גֵ֣ר עִמָּ֑ךְ תּ֝וֹשָׁ֗ב כְּכָל־ אֲבוֹתָֽי׃ šim·‘āh- ṯə·p̄il·lā·ṯî Yah·weh ha·’ă·zî·nāh wə·šaw·‘ā·ṯî ’al- te·ḥĕ·raš ’el- dim·‘ā·ṯî kî ’ā·nō·ḵî ḡêr ‘im·māḵ tō·wō·šāḇ kə·ḵāl- ’ă·ḇō·w·ṯāy — WLC · 12
13
Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may again be cheered before I depart and am no more.”
𐤄𐤔𐤏 𐤌𐤌𐤍𐤉 𐤅𐤀𐤁𐤋𐤉𐤂𐤄 𐤁𐤈𐤓𐤌 𐤀𐤋𐤊 𐤅𐤀𐤉𐤍𐤍𐤉
הָשַׁ֣ע מִמֶּ֣נִּי וְאַבְלִ֑יגָה בְּטֶ֖רֶם אֵלֵ֣ךְ וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃ hā·ša‘ mim·men·nî wə·’aḇ·lî·ḡāh bə·ṭe·rem ’ê·lêḵ wə·’ê·nen·nî — WLC · 13