Snow
Mountains
Mountains
Mountains
Mountains

Contact Us

TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 39

Translation and Transliteration of 

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1For the leader; for Yedutun. A psalm of David.

la-menat-TSE-akh (li-di-TUN) [li-du-TUN] miz-MOR le-DA-vid

אלַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ (לידיתון) [לִֽידוּת֗וּן] מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃

2I resolved I would watch my step lest I offend by my speech; I would keep my mouth muzzled while the wicked man was in my presence.

a-MAR-tee esh-m'-RAH d'-ra-KHAI may-kha-TO vil-sho-NEE esh-m'-RAH l'-FEE makh-SOM b'-OD ra-SHA l'-neg-DEE

באָמַ֗רְתִּי אֶ֥שְׁמְרָ֣ה דְרָכַי֮ מֵחֲט֢וֹא בִלְשׁ֫וֹנִ֥י אֶשְׁמְרָ֥ה לְפִ֥י מַחְס֑וֹם בְּעֹ֖ד רָשָׁ֣ע לְנֶגְדִּֽי׃

 39:2   Lest I offend by my speech

The Sages of the Talmud ask (Yoma 9b) why the second Beit Hamikdash was destroyed if there were plenty of people studying the Torah, following Hashem’s commandments and performing acts of kindness for others. They answer that it was because people spoke ill of each other due to baseless hatred. This teaches that such animosity and foul-mouthed behavior is worse than idolatry, sexual immorality and murder, which are the reasons given for the destruction of the first Beit Hamikdash. The Sages then ask, was there no slander or baseless hatred among the people in the first Temple period? They answer that, in fact, there was, but those who lived during the first Beit Hamikdash were open with their bitter feelings, thus their punishment was shorter. During the second Beit Hamikdash, the people hid their resentments, secretly slandering and speaking hate, and therefore their exile lasted much longer.

3I was dumb, silent; I was very still while my pain was intense.

ne-e-la-ME-tee du-mi-YAH he-khe-SHEE-tee mi-TOV u-k'-AY-vee ne-a-KHAR

גנֶאֱלַ֣מְתִּי ד֭וּמִיָּה הֶחֱשֵׁ֣יתִי מִטּ֑וֹב וּכְאֵבִ֥י נֶעְכָּֽר׃

4My mind was in a rage, my thoughts were all aflame; I spoke out:

kham-li-BEE b'-kir-BEE ba-ha-GEE-gee tiv-AHR-aysh, di-BAR-tee bil-sho-NEE

דחַם־לִבִּ֨י ׀ בְּקִרְבִּ֗י בַּהֲגִיגִ֥י תִבְעַר־אֵ֑שׁ דִּ֝בַּ֗רְתִּי בִּלְשׁוֹנִֽי׃

5Tell me, Hashem, what my term is, what is the measure of my days; I would know how fleeting my life is.

ho-DI-e-NI a-do-NAI KIT-see u-mi-DAT ya-MAI ma hi, e-d'-AH meh-cha-DEL a-NEE

ההוֹדִ֘יעֵ֤נִי יְהֹוָ֨ה ׀ קִצִּ֗י וּמִדַּ֣ת יָמַ֣י מַה־הִ֑יא אֵ֝דְעָ֗ה מֶֽה־חָדֵ֥ל אָֽנִי׃

6You have made my life just handbreadths long; its span is as nothing in Your sight; no man endures any longer than a breath. Selah.

hi-NEH t'-fa-KHOT na-TA-tah ya-MAI v'-khel-DEE k'-a-YIN neg-DE-kha akh kol he-VEL kol a-DAM ni-TZAV SE-lah

והִנֵּ֤ה טְפָח֨וֹת ׀ נָ֘תַ֤תָּה יָמַ֗י וְחֶלְדִּ֣י כְאַ֣יִן נֶגְדֶּ֑ךָ אַ֥ךְ כׇּֽל־הֶ֥בֶל כׇּל־אָ֝דָ֗ם נִצָּ֥ב סֶֽלָה׃

7Man walks about as a mere shadow; mere futility is his hustle and bustle, amassing and not knowing who will gather in.

akh b'-tze-LEM yit-ha-LEKH-eesh, akh he-VEL ye-he-ma-YUN yitz-BOR, v'-lo ye-DA mi-os-FAM

זאַךְ־בְּצֶ֤לֶם ׀ יִֽתְהַלֶּךְ־אִ֗ישׁ אַךְ־הֶ֥בֶל יֶהֱמָי֑וּן יִ֝צְבֹּ֗ר וְֽלֹא־יֵדַ֥ע מִֽי־אֹסְפָֽם׃

8What, then, can I count on, O Hashem? In You my hope lies.

v'-a-TAH mah-ki-VEE-tee a-do-NAI, to-khahl-TEE le-KHA hee

חוְעַתָּ֣ה מַה־קִּוִּ֣יתִי אֲדֹנָ֑י תּ֝וֹחַלְתִּ֗י לְךָ֣ הִֽיא׃

9Deliver me from all my transgressions; make me not the butt of the benighted.

mi-KOL p'-sha-AI ha-tzi-LE-ni, kher-PAT na-VAL al t'-si-ME-ni

טמִכׇּל־פְּשָׁעַ֥י הַצִּילֵ֑נִי חֶרְפַּ֥ת נָ֝בָ֗ל אַל־תְּשִׂימֵֽנִי׃

10I am dumb, I do not speak up, for it is Your doing.

ne-e-la-ME-tee lo ef-TAKH-PI, KI a-TAH a-see-TA.

ינֶ֭אֱלַמְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶפְתַּח־פִּ֑י כִּ֖י אַתָּ֣ה עָשִֽׂיתָ׃

11Take away Your plague from me; I perish from Your blows.

ha-SEIR me-a-LAI nig-E-kha mit-tig-RAT ya-d'-KHA a-NEE kha-lee-TEE

יאהָסֵ֣ר מֵעָלַ֣י נִגְעֶ֑ךָ מִתִּגְרַ֥ת יָ֝דְךָ֗ אֲנִ֣י כָלִֽיתִי׃

12You chastise a man in punishment for his sin, consuming like a moth what he treasures. No man is more than a breath. Selah.

b'-to-KHA-khot al a-VON yis-SAR-ta EESH va-TE-mes ka-aSH kha-MU-do, akh he-VEL kol a-DAM se-LAH

יבבְּֽתוֹכָ֘ח֤וֹת עַל־עָוֺ֨ן ׀ יִסַּ֬רְתָּ אִ֗ישׁ וַתֶּ֣מֶס כָּעָ֣שׁ חֲמוּד֑וֹ אַ֤ךְ הֶ֖בֶל כׇּל־אָדָ֣ם סֶֽלָה׃

13Hear my prayer, Hashem; give ear to my cry; do not disregard my tears; for like all my forebears I am an alien, resident with You.

SHI-ma TA-fi-LA-tee, a-do-NAI, v'-sha-va-A-tee, ha-a-ZI-na, el di-ma-A-tee, al te-khe-RASH, kee GER a-NO-khee i-MAKH, to-SHAV ke-KOL a-vo-TAI.

יגשִׁ֥מְעָֽה תְפִלָּתִ֨י ׀ יְהֹוָ֡ה וְשַׁוְעָתִ֨י ׀ הַאֲזִינָה֮ אֶֽל־דִּמְעָתִ֗י אַֽל־תֶּ֫חֱרַ֥שׁ כִּ֤י גֵ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י עִמָּ֑ךְ תּ֝וֹשָׁ֗ב כְּכׇל־אֲבוֹתָֽי׃

14Look away from me, that I may recover, before I pass away and am gone.

ha-SHA mi-ME-ni v'-av-li-GA b'-TE-rem e-LEKH v'-EY-ne-NI.

ידהָשַׁ֣ע מִמֶּ֣נִּי וְאַבְלִ֑יגָה בְּטֶ֖רֶם אֵלֵ֣ךְ וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃