Psalm 39 (Rhyming)

(1) I Tried to be Quiet

I watched my mouth so no harm could be said,

I muzzled myself in places where the wicked tread.

Good words and bad were both restrained,

But staying quiet just made me more pained. 

As I waited, a fire in my heart was stirred,

Then I had to speak up, so I spoke this word:

(4) Show Me how Temporary I Am

“God, show me my end, the number of my days,

Show me how fleeting are all of my ways. 

You made my life brief, with a short lifespan;

Everyone’s just a vapor disguised as a man. 

Everyone’s just a mirage, making an uproar in vain,

Chasing wealth that will be another’s gain. 

(7) God Makes Fools of People who Value Temporary Goods

“Where is my expectation found?

In You, God, my hope is bound. 

Protect me from my own disgrace,

Keep the fools from laughing in my face. 

I stay mute with nothing to say,

Since You’ve already paved the way. 

Lift this sickness, and ease my condition,

I’m wasting away from Your opposition.

You disapprove of violators, teaching them what’s right,

As moths do, You consume what they hold tight.

Everyone is just a vapor.

(12) Leave me Alone so I can Enjoy my Temporary Pleasures

“Don’t let my cries fall on deaf ears,

Don’t stay silent in light of my tears. 

I’m a foreigner in relation to You,

An outsider, like my parents were too. 

Remove Your gaze so I can be glad,

Before I depart and no more is had.”