Psalms 90
1 A prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our refuge from generation to generation.
A prayer of Moses, the man of God. Lord, through every generation, you have been “home” for us!
2 Before the mountains were made, or the earth and the world was formed; from eternity and to eternity thou art God.
Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the universe, from eternity past to eternity future, you are God.
3 Turn not man away to be brought low: and thou hast said: Be converted, O ye sons of men.
You turn people back into dust, saying, “Return to dust, human beings.”
4 For a thousand years in thy sight are as yesterday, which is past. And as a watch in the night,
In your eyes, a thousand years are like a day that's already gone; like a few passing hours of the night.
5 Things that are counted nothing, shall their years be.
You bring people's lives to a sudden end, like dreams that vanish. They are like grass that grows up in the morning—
6 In the morning man shall grow up like grass; in the morning he shall flourish and pass away: in the evening he shall fall, grow dry, and wither.
it sprouts in the morning, fresh and new, but by the evening it is withered and dead.
7 For in thy wrath we have fainted away: and are troubled in thy indignation.
We are burned up by your anger, terrified by your fury.
8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thy eyes: our life in the light of thy countenance.
You have set out our sins before you—our secret sins are visible in the light of your presence.
9 For all our days are spent; and in thy wrath we have fainted away. Our years shall be considered as a spider:
Our lives fade away under your anger, coming to an end as quickly as a sigh.
10 The days of our years in them are threescore and ten years. But if in the strong they be fourscore years: and what is more of them is labour and sorrow. For mildness is come upon us: and we shall be corrected.
We live for seventy years—eighty if we have the strength. But even in the prime of life all that we have is hardship and suffering. Soon our lives are over and we're gone.
11 Who knoweth the power of thy anger, and for thy fear
Who can know the power of your anger? Who understands your fury so you can be shown reverence?
12 Can number thy wrath? So make thy right hand known: and men learned in heart, in wisdom.
Teach us to value every one of our days so we can live wisely!
13 Return, O Lord, how long? and be entreated in favour of thy servants.
Lord, how long will it be before you come back to us and have pity on us your servants?
14 We are filled in the morning with thy mercy: and we have rejoiced, and are delighted all our days.
Show us every morning your trustworthy love so we may be happy, full of joy throughout our lives.
15 We have rejoiced for the days in which thou hast humbled us: for the years in which we have seen evils.
Make us glad for as many days as you made us sad, for all the years we suffered!
16 Look upon thy servants and upon their works: and direct their children.
May we, your servants, see you at work for us again; may our children see your glory.
17 And let the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us: and direct thou the works of our hands over us; yea, the work of our hands do thou direct.
May our Lord God be pleased with us, blessing what we do, blessing what we do.
