Prayer for Wisdom and Forgiveness
To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
1 I said, "I will guard my ways,
Lest I sin with my Job 2:10; Ps. 34:13; (James 3:5–12)tongue;
I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,
While the wicked are before me."
2 Ps. 38:13I was mute with silence,
I held my peace even from good;
And my sorrow was stirred up.
3 My heart was hot within me;
While I was musing, the fire burned.
Then I spoke with my tongue:
4 "Lord, Ps. 90:12; 119:84make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.
5 Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my age is as nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but Ps. 62:9; (Eccl. 6:12)vapor.
Selah
6 Surely every man walks about like a shadow;
Surely they busy themselves in vain;
He heaps up riches,
And does not know who will gather them.
7 "And now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My Ps. 38:15hope is in You.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions;
Do not make me Ps. 44:13; 79:4; 119:22the reproach of the foolish.
9 Ps. 39:2I was mute, I did not open my mouth,
Because it was 2 Sam. 16:10; Job 2:10You who did it.
10 Job 9:34; 13:21Remove Your plague from me;
I am consumed by the blow of Your hand.
11 When with rebukes You correct man for iniquity,
You make his beauty Job 13:28; (Ps. 90:7); Is. 50:9melt away like a moth;
Surely every man is vapor.
Selah
12 "Hear my prayer, O Lord,
And give ear to my cry;
Do not be silent at my tears;
For I am a stranger with You,
A sojourner, Gen. 47:9; Lev. 25:23; 1 Chr. 29:15; Ps. 119:19; Heb. 11:13; 1 Pet. 2:11as all my fathers were.
13 Job 7:19; 10:20, 21; 14:6; Ps. 102:24Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength,
Before I go away and (Job 14:10)am no more."