10 Heb “Cause me to know, O Lord, my end; and the measure of my days, what it is!”
11 Heb “Let me know how transient I am!”
12 Heb “Look, handbreadths you make my days.” The “handbreadth” (equivalent to the width of four fingers) was one of the smallest measures used by ancient Israelites. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1–50 (), .
13 Heb “is like nothing before you.”
14 Heb “surely, all vapor [is] all mankind, standing firm.” Another option is to translate, “Surely, all mankind, though seemingly secure, is nothing but a vapor.”
15 Heb “surely, as an image man walks about.” The preposition prefixed to “image” indicates identity here. People go through life (Heb “man walks about”). “Walking” is here used as a metaphor for living. The point is that human beings are here today, gone tomorrow. They have no lasting substance and are comparable to mere images or ghosts.
16 Heb “Surely [in] vain they strive, he accumulates and does not know who gathers them.” The as it stands is syntactically awkward. The verb forms switch from singular (“walks about”) to plural (“they strive”) and then back to singular (“accumulates and does not know”), even though the subject (generic “man”) remains the same. Furthermore there is no object for the verb “accumulates” and no plural antecedent for the plural pronoun (“them”) attached to “gathers.” These problems can be removed if one emends the text from הֶבֶל יֶהֱמָיוּן (hevel yehemaun, “[in] vain they strive”) to הֶבְלֵי הָמוֹן (hevley hamon, “vain things of wealth”). This assumes a misdivision in the and a virtual dittography of vav (ו) between the mem and nun of המון. The present translation follows this emendation.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“O Lord, make me know my end

and what is the measure of my days;

let me know how fleeting I am!

Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,

and my lifetime is as nothing before you.

Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah

Surely a man goes about as a shadow!

Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;

man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end

and the number of my days;

let me know how fleeting my life is.

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.

“Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom;

in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth

without knowing whose it will finally be.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“Lord, make me aware of my end

and the number of my days

so that I will know how short-lived I am.

In fact, you have made my days just inches long,

and my life span is as nothing to you.

Yes, every human being stands as only a vapor.

Selah

Yes, a person goes about like a mere shadow.

Indeed, they rush around in vain,

gathering possessions

without knowing who will get them.

NLTNew Living Translation

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.

Remind me that my days are numbered—

how fleeting my life is.

You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.

My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;

at best, each of us is but a breath.”

Interlude

We are merely moving shadows,

and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.

We heap up wealth,

not knowing who will spend it.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“Let me know, O Yahweh, my end,

and what is the measure of my days.

Let me know how transient I am.”

Look, you have made my days mere handbreadths,

and my lifespan as nothing next to you.

Surely every person standing firm is complete vanity. Selah

Surely a man walks about as a mere shadow;

surely in vain they bustle about.

He heaps up possessions but does not know who will gather them in.

KJV 1900King James Version

Lord, Make me to know mine end,

And the measure of my days, what it is;

That I may know how frail I am.

Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth;

And mine age is as nothing before thee:

Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

Surely every man walketh in a vain shew:

Surely they are disquieted in vain:

He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

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