Psalms 39
14 verses · Hebrew with nikud, English alongside · tap 🔊 to hear a verse
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ (לידיתון) [לִֽידוּת֗וּן] מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃
lamnatseakh (lydytvn) [lidutun] mizmor ledavid
For the leader; for Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
אָמַ֗רְתִּי אֶ֥שְׁמְרָ֣ה דְרָכַי֮ מֵחֲט֢וֹא בִלְשׁ֫וֹנִ֥י אֶשְׁמְרָ֥ה לְפִ֥י מַחְס֑וֹם בְּעֹ֖ד רָשָׁ֣ע לְנֶגְדִּֽי׃
amarti eshmerah derakhay mekhato vilshoni eshmerah lefi makhsom be'od rasha lenegdi
I resolved I would watch my step lest I offend by my speech; I would keep my mouth muzzled while the villain was in my presence.
נֶאֱלַ֣מְתִּי ד֭וּמִיָּה הֶחֱשֵׁ֣יתִי מִטּ֑וֹב וּכְאֵבִ֥י נֶעְכָּֽר׃
ne'elamti dumiyyah hekhesheti mittov ukhe'evi nekar
I was dumb, silent; I was very still while my pain was intense.
חַם־לִבִּ֨י ׀ בְּקִרְבִּ֗י בַּהֲגִיגִ֥י תִבְעַר־אֵ֑שׁ דִּ֝בַּ֗רְתִּי בִּלְשׁוֹנִֽי׃
kham-libbi beqirbi bahagigi tivar-esh dibbarti bilshoni
My mind was in a rage, my thoughts were all aflame; I spoke out:
הוֹדִ֘יעֵ֤נִי יְהֹוָ֨ה ׀ קִצִּ֗י וּמִדַּ֣ת יָמַ֣י מַה־הִ֑יא אֵ֝דְעָ֗ה מֶה־חָדֵ֥ל אָֽנִי׃
hodi'eni Adonai qitsi umiddat yamay mah-hi ede'ah meh-khadel ani
Tell me, O ETERNAL One, what my term is, what is the measure of my days; I would know how fleeting my life is.
הִנֵּ֤ה טְפָח֨וֹת ׀ נָ֘תַ֤תָּה יָמַ֗י וְחֶלְדִּ֣י כְאַ֣יִן נֶגְדֶּ֑ךָ אַ֥ךְ כׇּֽל־הֶ֥בֶל כׇּל־אָ֝דָ֗ם נִצָּ֥ב סֶֽלָה׃
hinneh tefakhot natattah yamay vekheldi khe'ayin negdekha akh kol-hevel kol-adam nitsav selah
You have made my life just handbreadths long; its span is as nothing in Your sight; no human endures any longer than a breath. Selah.
אַךְ־בְּצֶ֤לֶם ׀ יִֽתְהַלֶּךְ־אִ֗ישׁ אַךְ־הֶ֥בֶל יֶהֱמָי֑וּן יִ֝צְבֹּ֗ר וְֽלֹא־יֵדַ֥ע מִֽי־אֹסְפָֽם׃
akh-betselem yithallekh-ish akh-hevel yehemayun yitsbor velo-yeda mi-osefam
Everyone walks about as a mere shadow; mere futility is their hustle and bustle, amassing and not knowing who will gather in.
וְעַתָּ֣ה מַה־קִּוִּ֣יתִי אֲדֹנָ֑י תּ֝וֹחַלְתִּ֗י לְךָ֣ הִֽיא׃
ve'attah mah-qqivviti adonay tokhalti lekha hi
What, then, can I count on, O my Sovereign? In You my hope lies.
מִכׇּל־פְּשָׁעַ֥י הַצִּילֵ֑נִי חֶרְפַּ֥ת נָ֝בָ֗ל אַל־תְּשִׂימֵֽנִי׃
mikkol-pesha'ay hatsileni kherpat naval al-tesimeni
Deliver me from all my transgressions; make me not the butt of the benighted.
נֶ֭אֱלַמְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶפְתַּח־פִּ֑י כִּ֖י אַתָּ֣ה עָשִֽׂיתָ׃
ne'elamti lo eftakh-pi ki attah asita
I am dumb, I do not speak up, for it is Your doing.
הָסֵ֣ר מֵעָלַ֣י נִגְעֶ֑ךָ מִתִּגְרַ֥ת יָ֝דְךָ֗ אֲנִ֣י כָלִֽיתִי׃
haser me'alay nigekha mittigrat yadekha ani khaliti
Take away Your plague from me; I perish from Your blows.
בְּֽתוֹכָ֘ח֤וֹת עַל־עָוֺ֨ן ׀ יִסַּ֬רְתָּ אִ֗ישׁ וַתֶּ֣מֶס כָּעָ֣שׁ חֲמוּד֑וֹ אַ֤ךְ הֶ֖בֶל כׇּל־אָדָ֣ם סֶֽלָה׃
betokhakhot al-avon yissarta ish vattemes ka'ash khamudo akh hevel kol-adam selah
You chastise everyone in punishment for sin, consuming like a moth what they treasure. No human is more than a breath. Selah.
שִׁ֥מְעָֽה־תְפִלָּתִ֨י ׀ יְהֹוָ֡ה וְשַׁוְעָתִ֨י ׀ הַאֲזִינָה֮ אֶֽל־דִּמְעָתִ֗י אַֽל־תֶּ֫חֱרַ֥שׁ כִּ֤י גֵ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י עִמָּ֑ךְ תּ֝וֹשָׁ֗ב כְּכׇל־אֲבוֹתָֽי׃
shimah-tefillati Adonai veshavati ha'azinah el-dimati al-tekherash ki ger anokhi immakh toshav kekhol-avotay
Hear my prayer, O ETERNAL One; give ear to my cry; do not disregard my tears; for like all my forebears I am an alien, resident with You.
הָשַׁ֣ע מִמֶּ֣נִּי וְאַבְלִ֑יגָה בְּטֶ֖רֶם אֵלֵ֣ךְ וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃ {פ}
hasha mimmenni ve'avligah beterem elekh ve'enenni
Look away from me, that I may recover, before I pass away and am gone.
Hebrew text and English translation from Sefaria, under their Creative Commons licence.
Yaacov, native Jerusalemite
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