Psalms 90
1 A prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, you have been our refuge throughout all generations.
BOOK FOURTH: “A prayer of Moses the man of God.” Lord, a place of refuge hast thou been unto us in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were formed, or you formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.
Before yet the mountains were brought forth, or thou hadst ever produced the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
3 You return man to dust, and you say, “Return, you descendants of mankind.”
Thou turnest man to contrition, and sayest, Return ye children of men.
4 For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
For a thousand years are in thy eyes but as the yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
5 You sweep them away as with a flood and they sleep; in the morning they are like the grass that sprouts up.
Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning [they grow] like the grass which changeth.
6 In the morning it blooms and grows up; in the evening it withers and dries up.
In the morning it blossometh, and is changed: in the evening it is mowed off, and withereth.
7 Truly, we are consumed in your anger, and in your wrath we are terrified.
For [thus] are we consumed by thy anger, and by thy fury are we terrified.
8 You have set our iniquities before you, our hidden sins in the light of your presence.
Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our concealed sins before the light of thy countenance.
9 Our life passes away under your wrath; our years quickly pass like a sigh.
For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we consume our years like a word that is spoken.
10 Our years are seventy, or even eighty if we are healthy; but even our best years are marked by trouble and sorrow. Yes, they pass quickly, and we fly away.
The days of our years in this life are seventy years; and if by uncommon vigor they be eighty, yet is their greatness trouble and mishap; for it soon hasteneth off, and we fly away.
11 Who knows the intensity of your anger, and your wrath that is equal to the fear of you?
Who knoweth the strength of thy anger, and thy wrath which is like the fear of thee?
12 So teach us to consider our life so that we might live wisely.
Let us then know how to number our days, that we may obtain a heart endowed with wisdom.
13 Turn back, Yahweh! How long will it be? Have pity on your servants.
Return, O Lord, how long yet? and bethink thee concerning thy servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your covenant faithfulness so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
O satisfy us in the morning with thy kindness, that we may be glad and rejoice throughout all our days.
15 Make us glad in proportion to the days you afflicted us and to the years we have experienced trouble.
Cause us to rejoice as many days as those wherein thou hast afflicted us, the years wherein we have seen unhappiness.
16 Let your servants see your work, and let our children see your majesty.
Let thy act be visible on thy servants, and thy majesty over their children.
17 May the favor of the Lord our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands; indeed, prosper the work of our hands.
And may the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; and the work of our hands do thou firmly establish upon us: yea, the work of our hands—firmly establish thou it.
