[1] I told myself, "I'll be careful not to sin by what I say, and I'll muzzle my mouth when evil people are near." [2] I kept completely silent, but it did no good, and I hurt even worse. [3] I felt a fire burning inside, and the more I thought, the more it burned, until at last I said: [4] "Please, LORD, show me my future. Will I soon be gone? [5] You made my life short, so brief that the time means nothing to you. "Human life is but a breath, [6] and it disappears like a shadow. Our struggles are senseless; we store up more and more, without ever knowing who will get it all. [7] "What am I waiting for? I depend on you, Lord! [8] Save me from my sins. Don't let fools sneer at me. [9] You treated me like this, and I kept silent, not saying a word. [10] "Won't you stop punishing me? You have worn me down. [11] You punish us severely because of our sins. Like a moth, you destroy what we treasure most. We are as frail as a breath. [12] "Listen, LORD, to my prayer! My eyes are flooded with tears, as I pray to you. I am merely a stranger visiting in your home as my ancestors did. [13] Stop being angry with me and let me smile again before I am dead and gone."
