I have promised to guard my ways
So I may not sin with my tongue;
I would put a muzzle on my mouth
When the wicked are in my presence.
And so I was totally silent, dumb,
Not even saying anything positive;
Yet, my distress was exacerbated;
More and more a heartache seethed within me
Until, after contemplation, it flared up.
Then, I spoke out, “Show me, O Jehovah,
How I will die and how long I will live,
That I may know how fleeting is my life.
You have made my days like the breadth of a hand;
My lifespan is nothing compared to yours.
At his best, man is but a breath of wind.
He moves about like a shadow, a phantom,
And his rushing around is all in vain.
He hoards riches, but knows not who will spend them.
And so, what now is my expectation?
I will place my hope in you, Jehovah.
“From all my transgressions deliver me.
Do not let me be the mockery of fools.
I have been silent and kept my mouth shut,
For that is what you’ve demanded of me.
But remove this scourge you’ve laid upon me,
For I am perishing under its blows.
When you correct and discipline a man,
Rebuking him for his iniquities,
Like a moth you consume what is dear to him. ---
For each of us is but a breath of wind.
"Hear my prayer, O Jehovah.
Listen to my cries for help.
Do not ignore my tears.
For I am a guest with you,
A foreign resident,
As my forefathers were.
Turn away your angry gaze
So I may be cheered again
Before I go away
And so exist no more."
