¹ I promised, “I’ll be careful on life’s journey
    not to sin with my words;
I’ll seal my lips
    when wicked people are around.”
² I kept my mouth shut;
    I had nothing to say—not even anything good—
    which came to grieve me more and more.
³ I felt my heart become hot inside me
    as I thought on these things; a fire ignited and burned.
    Then I said,

⁴ “Eternal One, let me understand my end
    and how brief my earthly existence is;
    help me realize my life is fleeting.
⁵ You have determined the length of my days,
    and my life is nothing compared to You.
Even the longest life is only a breath.”

[pause]^[b]

⁶ In truth, each of us journeys through life like a shadow.
    We busy ourselves accomplishing nothing, piling up assets we can never keep;
We can’t even know who will end up with those things.

⁷ In light of all this, Lord, what am I really waiting for?
    You are my hope.
⁸ Keep me from all the wrong I would do;
    don’t let the foolish laugh at me.
⁹ I am quiet; I keep my mouth closed
    because this has come from You.
¹⁰ Take Your curse from me;
    I can’t endure Your punishment.

¹¹ You discipline us for our sins.
    Like a moth, You consume everything we treasure;
    it’s evident we are merely a breath.

[pause]

¹² Hear me, O Eternal One;
    listen to my pleading,
    and don’t ignore my tears
Because I am estranged from You—
    a wanderer like my fathers before me.
¹³ Look away from me so I might have a chance to recover my joy and smile again
    before I lay this life down and am no more.

⁴ Surely those who trust the Eternal—
    who don’t trust in proud, powerful people
Or in people who care little for reality, chasing false gods—
    surely they are happy, as I have become.
⁵ You have done so many wonderful things,
    had so many tender thoughts toward us, Eternal my God,
    that go on and on, ever increasing.
Who can compare with You?

⁶ Sacrifices and offerings are not what You want,
    but You’ve opened my ears,^[a] and now I understand.
Burnt offerings and sin offerings
    are not what please You.
⁷ So I said, “See, I have come to do Your will,
    as it is inscribed of me in the scroll.
⁸ I am pleased to live how You want, my God.
    Your law is etched into my heart and my soul.”

⁹ I have encouraged Your people with the message of righteousness,
    in Your great assembly (look and see),
I haven’t kept quiet about these things;
    You know this, Eternal One.
¹⁰ I have not kept Your righteousness to myself, sealed up in the secret places of my heart;
    instead, I boldly tell others how You save and how loyal You are.
I haven’t been shy to talk about Your love, nor have I been afraid to tell Your truth
    before the great assembly of Your people.

¹¹ Please, Eternal One, don’t hold back
    Your kind ways from me.
I need Your strong love and truth
    to stand watch over me and keep me from harm.
¹² Right now I can’t see because I am surrounded by troubles;
    my sins and shortcomings have caught up to me,
    so I am swimming in darkness.
Like the hairs on my head, there are too many to count,
    so my heart deserts me.

¹³ O Eternal One, please rescue me.
    O Eternal One, hurry; I need Your help.
¹⁴ May those who are trying to destroy me
    be humiliated and ashamed instead;
May those who want to ruin my reputation
    be cut off and embarrassed.
¹⁵ May those who try to catch me off guard,
    those who look at me and say, “Aha, we’ve trapped you,”
    be caught in their own shame instead.

¹⁶ But may all who look for You
    discover true joy and happiness in You;
May those who cherish how You save them
    always say, “O Eternal One, You are great and are first in our hearts.”
¹⁷ Meanwhile, I am empty and need so much,
    but I know the Lord is thinking of me.
You are my help; only You can save me, my True God.
    Please hurry.