1 I said, I will take heed to my ways, That I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, While the wicked is before me.

To the Overseer, to Jeduthun. -- A Psalm of David. I have said, `I observe my ways, Against sinning with my tongue, I keep for my mouth a curb, while the wicked before me.'

2 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; And my sorrow was stirred.

I was dumb silence, I kept silent from good, and my pain is excited.

3 M y heart was hot within me; While I was musing the fire burned: Then spake I with my tongue:

Hot my heart within me, In my meditating doth the fire burn, I have spoken with my tongue.

4 J ehovah, make me to know mine end, And the measure of my days, what it is; Let me know how frail I am.

`Cause me to know, O Jehovah, mine end, And the measure of my days -- what it,' I know how frail I.

5 B ehold, thou hast made my days as handbreadths; And my life-time is as nothing before thee: Surely every man at his best estate is altogether vanity. Selah

Lo, handbreadths Thou hast made my days, And mine age as nothing before Thee, Only, all vanity every man set up. Selah.

6 S urely every man walketh in a vain show; Surely they are disquieted in vain: He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

Only, in an image doth each walk habitually, Only, vain, they are disquieted, He heapeth up and knoweth not who gathereth them.

7 A nd now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.

And, now, what have I expected? O Lord, my hope -- it of Thee.

8 D eliver me from all my transgressions: Make me not the reproach of the foolish.

From all my transgressions deliver me, A reproach of the fool make me not.

9 I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; Because thou didst it.

I have been dumb, I open not my mouth, Because Thou -- Thou hast done.

10 R emove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thy hand.

Turn aside from off me Thy stroke, From the striving of Thy hand I have been consumed.

11 W hen thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, Thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: Surely every man is vanity. Selah

With reproofs against iniquity, Thou hast corrected man, And dost waste as a moth his desirableness, Only, vanity every man. Selah.

12 H ear my prayer, O Jehovah, and give ear unto my cry; Hold not thy peace at my tears: For I am a stranger with thee, A sojourner, as all my fathers were.

Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, And my cry give ear, Unto my tear be not silent, For a sojourner I with Thee, A settler like all my fathers.

13 O h spare me, that I may recover strength, Before I go hence, and be no more.

Look from me, and I brighten up before I go and am not!