The Message Bible MSG
World English Bible WEB
1 I'm determined to watch steps and tongue so they won't land me in trouble. I decided to hold my tongue as long as Wicked is in the room.
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<<For the Chief Musician. For Jeduthun. A Psalm by David.>> I said, "I will watch my ways, so that I don't sin with my tongue. I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me."
2 "Mum's the word," I said, and kept quiet. But the longer I kept silence The worse it got -
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I was mute with silence. I held my peace, even from good. My sorrow was stirred.
3 my insides got hotter and hotter. My thoughts boiled over; I spilled my guts.
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My heart was hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned: I spoke with my tongue:
4 "Tell me, what's going on, God? How long do I have to live? Give me the bad news!
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"Yahweh, make me to know my end, What is the measure of my days. Let me know how frail I am.
5 You've kept me on pretty short rations; my life is string too short to be saved.
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Behold, you have made my days handbreadths. My lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely every man stands as a breath." Selah.
6 Oh! we're all puffs of air. Oh! we're all shadows in a campfire. Oh! we're just spit in the wind. We make our pile, and then we leave it.
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"Surely every man walks like a shadow. Surely they busy themselves in vain. He heaps up, and doesn't know who shall gather.
7 "What am I doing in the meantime, Lord? Hoping, that's what I'm doing - hoping
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Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.
8 You'll save me from a rebel life, save me from the contempt of dunces.
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Deliver me from all my transgressions. Don't make me the reproach of the foolish.
9 I'll say no more, I'll shut my mouth, since you, Lord, are behind all this.
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I was mute, I didn't open my mouth, Because you did it.
10 But I can't take it much longer. When you put us through the fire
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Remove your scourge away from me. I am overcome by the blow of your hand.
11 to purge us from our sin, our dearest idols go up in smoke. Are we also nothing but smoke?
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When you rebuke and correct man for iniquity, You consume his wealth like a moth. Surely every man is but a breath." Selah.
12 "Ah, God, listen to my prayer, my cry - open your ears. Don't be callous; just look at these tears of mine. I'm a stranger here. I don't know my way - a migrant like my whole family.
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"Hear my prayer, Yahweh, and give ear to my cry. Don't be silent at my tears. For I am a stranger with you, A sojourner, as all my fathers were.
13 Give me a break, cut me some slack before it's too late and I'm out of here."
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Oh spare me, that I may recover strength, Before I go away, and be no more."
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.