13 Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from deceitful speech.(A)

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13 keep your tongue(A) from evil
    and your lips from telling lies.(B)

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Psalm 39

The Fleeting Nature of Life

For the choir director, for Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

I said, “I will guard my ways
so that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle
as long as the wicked are in my presence.”(A)

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Psalm 39[a]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

I said, “I will watch my ways(A)
    and keep my tongue from sin;(B)
I will put a muzzle on my mouth(C)
    while in the presence of the wicked.”

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 39:1 In Hebrew texts 39:1-13 is numbered 39:2-14.

Lord, set up a guard for my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips.(A)

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Set a guard over my mouth,(A) Lord;
    keep watch over the door of my lips.(B)

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For we all stumble in many ways.(A) If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is mature, able also to control the whole body.(B) Now if we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us,(C) we direct their whole bodies.

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We all stumble(A) in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say(B) is perfect,(C) able to keep their whole body in check.(D)

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.(E)

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10 For the(A) one who wants to love life
and to see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil(B)
and his lips from speaking deceit,(C)

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10 For,

“Whoever would love life
    and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
    and their lips from deceitful speech.

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