¹ I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.” ² So I remained utterly silent, not even saying anything good. But my anguish increased; ³ my heart grew hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue: ⁴ “Show me, Lord, my life`s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. ⁵ You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. ⁶ “Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be. ⁷ “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. ⁸ Save me from all my transgressions; do not make me the scorn of fools.