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Mine heart was hot within me; and fire shall burn out in my thinking. I spake in my tongue; (My heart was hot within me; and the fire burned forever as I thought about all this. And then I said with my tongue,)

Lord, make thou mine end known to me. And the number of my days, what it is; that I know, what faileth to me (so that I know what falleth to me/so that I know when I shall fail, or die).

Lo! thou hast set my days measurable; and my substance is as nought before thee. Nevertheless all vanity; each man living. (Lo! thou hast made my days able to be measured, or counted; and my substance is like but nothing before thee, yea, but a puff of air. And all is emptiness, or uselessness; for each person alive.)

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    my heart grew hot(A) within me.
While I meditated,(B) the fire(C) burned;
    then I spoke with my tongue:

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end
    and the number of my days;(D)
    let me know how fleeting(E) my life is.(F)
You have made my days(G) a mere handbreadth;
    the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,(H)
    even those who seem secure.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 39:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 11.