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You may not want to hear this, but I would say - don't do it! Ultimately, it's your body and of course you can do whatever you like. But it seems to me that most people who get tattoos end up with some form of regret sooner or later.

@Chastenet: I don't regret mine. I've had mine for almost 10 years now.

I love my tattoo. I waited until 35 years old to get it, so I know my desire wasn't going away. But I can't read the print you've selected there and it looks like "Be skill" or "be sbill".

Also isn't the old testament kind of anti-tattoo? I think there is a little irony there

I love my tattoo too and I've had it for 7 years.

Do you have any friends or family that could recommend a tattoo artist?

i love my tattoos and plan on getting more. i second the idea of asking friends or family for recs.

eta: i definitely think you should do it in black.

@jmarionsmith: I plan on getting another one as well.

I second the idea of black ink.

i think as long as it's something that you've wanted for a long time and not just a fleeting impulse, you should go for it! i don't regret my tattoos at all. you may want to rethink the font a bit though, the T isn't legible on my screen, it looks more like an F or a B, but if it's a font that is meaningful to you and you love it, that's what you should do, it's for you, not anyone else. one other word of caution, fine lines settle in the skin as they age and can blur if there are multiple fine lines close together (like in the L), so you may want to look for a similar font where the line of the L is a single line rather than a loop, unless it's going to be quite large and there will be plenty of space within the loop so they don't blur together later. to find someone, ask around for recommendations. i would look for someone that does a lot of script work, every tattoo artist has certain specialities, some are better at portrait work, or vintage styles, or script work. each artist should have a gallery page you can look through. and don't forget to tip your artist for their work, i've heard of a lot of first timers forgetting

I like the reason behind it and where you want it. I do think it looks like it says "Be sfill" so I would definitely have a tattoo artist work up a couple of options for you. Be sure to show us the final product when you get it done!!

I got my tattoo when I was 18 and I still love it.

I got my first at 18, my second at 20 and now am planning another one at 25. I love both of mine.

As for finding a reputable artist, I'd ask around for people you know that have one. I'd also check yelp or something similar for highly-regarded parlors and then look through the portfolio of each individual artist to find someone you jive with.

I love my tattoos! I have four that I got from ages 19-22, and I do not regret them. That being said, visible tattoos do come with judgment. Make sure you are ok with people wanting to look, ask about it, and even touch it. I can't tell you how many times someone has moved my clothing to get a closer look. So, as for a tattoo studio, ask around! Look for reviews, look up their website, and ask to see their portfolio. Some artists are more comfortable with certain types of art than others, so make sure you go to someone that is great with script. I have large paragraph of text on my back that would have been a disaster if I hadn't gotten someone with a really steady hand!

Don't be afraid to go check out a few places before choosing. The only tattoo I have that I don't think is perfect was the one where Ididn't do my research!

Good luck!!