[1] I promised I would watch my steps so as not to sin with my tongue; promised to keep my mouth shut as long as the wicked were in my presence. [2] So I was completely quiet, silent. I kept my peace, but it did no good. My pain got worse. [3] My heart got hot inside me; while stewing over it, the fire burned. Then I spoke out with my tongue: [4] “Let me know my end, LORD. How many days do I have left? I want to know how brief my time is.” [5] You’ve made my days so short; my lifetime is like nothing in your eyes. Yes, a human life is nothing but a puff of air! Selah [6] Yes, people wander around like shadows; yes, they hustle and bustle, but pointlessly; they don’t even know who will get the wealth they’ve amassed. [7] So now, Lord, what should I be waiting for? My hope is set on you. [8] Deliver me from all my sins; don’t make me some foolish person’s joke. [9] I am completely silent; I won’t open my mouth because you have acted. [10] Get this plague of yours off me! I’m being destroyed by the blows from your fist. [11] You discipline people for their sin, punishing them; like a moth, you ruin what they treasure. Yes, a human life is just a puff of air! Selah [12] Hear my prayer, LORD! Listen closely to my cry for help! Please don’t ignore my tears! I’m just a foreigner—an immigrant staying with you, just like all my ancestors were. [13] Look away from me so I can be happy again before I pass away and am gone.
