When it is said
It takes about 20 seconds to say, so it fits any moment of the day.
The Orthodox Church prays the psalms in the Greek numbering, where it is Psalm 130.
Where it comes from
Author by tradition
A Song of Ascents
The Hebrew heads it “A Song of Ascents. Of David”, and the King James Version gives the heading as “A Song of degrees of David”. In the Greek Bible it is headed only “A Song of Degrees”. One old copy of the Greek adds “for David”.
The King James Version, Psalms; Brenton’s English translation of the Septuagint
For every step forward
St Athanasius of Alexandria wrote a letter to Marcellinus about praying the psalms. He told him to say the 15 Songs of Ascents at every step forward, whenever he felt himself climbing in what he did and could say with Paul, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:13).
What the words mean
In the Greek
The Greek Bible that the Orthodox Church prays reads the middle verse as an oath. Brenton’s English gives it as “I shall have sinned if I have not been humble, but have exalted my soul: according to the relation of a weaned child to his mother, so wilt Thou recompense my soul.” The Hebrew that the plain wording follows gives a picture of rest instead.
The Scripture in it
My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty. I do not aspire to great things or matters too lofty for me. Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, both now and forevermore.
Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.