[1] I said, ”I will be careful about the things I say. I will not let my tongue cause me to sin. I will keep my mouth closed when I am around wicked people.”
[2] So I didn’t say anything. I didn’t even say anything good! But I became even more upset.
[3] I was very angry. And the more I thought about it, the angrier I became. So I said something.
[4] Lord, tell me, what will happen to me now? Tell me, how long will I live? Let me know how short my life really is.
[5] Lord, you gave me only a short life. My short life is nothing, compared to you. Every person’s life is only like a cloud ˻that quickly disappears˼. No person lives forever! selah
[6] Our life is like an image ˻in a mirror˼. We rush through life collecting things, but we don’t know who will get them ˻after we die˼.
[7] So, Master, what hope do I have? You are my hope!
[8] Lord, save me from the bad things I did. Don’t let me be treated like a fool.
[9] I will not open my mouth. I will not say anything. Lord, you did what should be done.
[10] But God, stop punishing me. You will destroy me if you don’t stop!
[11] Lord, you punish people for doing wrong to teach them the right way to live. Like a moth destroys cloth, you destroy the things people love. Yes, our lives are like a small cloud ˻that quickly disappears˼. selah
[12] Lord, hear my prayer! Listen to the words I cry to you. Look at my tears. I am only a traveler passing through this life with you. Like all my ancestors, I live here only a short time.
[13] Lord, leave me alone and let me be happy before I am dead and gone.