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BOOK FOUR

(Psalms 90–106)

Psalm 90

A prayer by Moses, the man of Elohim.

O Adonay, you have been our refuge throughout every generation.
Before the mountains were born,
    before you gave birth to the earth and the world, you were El.
        You are El from everlasting to everlasting.

You turn mortals back into dust
    and say, “Return, descendants of Adam.”
Indeed, in your sight a thousand years are like a single day,
    like yesterday—already past—
    like an hour in the night.
You sweep mortals away.
    They are a dream.
    They sprout again in the morning like cut grass.
        In the morning they blossom and sprout.
        In the evening they wither and dry up.

Indeed, your anger consumes us.
    Your rage terrifies us.
        You have set our sins in front of you.
        You have put our secret sins in the light of your presence.
Indeed, all our days slip away because of your fury.
    We live out our years like one long sigh.
10 Each of us lives for 70 years—
    or even 80 if we are in good health.
        But the best of them[a] bring trouble and misery.
            Indeed, they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who fully understands the power of your anger?
    A person fears you more when he better understands your fury.[b]
12 Teach us to number each of our days
    so that we may grow in wisdom.

13 Return, Yahweh! How long . . . ?
    Change your plans about us, your servants.
14 Satisfy us every morning with your mercy
    so that we may sing joyfully and rejoice all our days.
15 Make us rejoice for as many days as you have made us suffer,
    for as many years as we have experienced evil.
16 Let us, your servants, see what you can do.
    Let our children see your glorious power.
17 Let the kindness of Adonay our Elohim be with us.
    Make us successful in everything we do.
        Yes, make us successful in everything we do.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 90:10 Hebrew meaning of “the best of them” uncertain.
  2. Psalm 90:11 Hebrew meaning of this line uncertain.

90 (Tefillah of Moshe, ish HaElohim) Adonoi, Thou hast been our ma’on (dwelling place) b’dor vador.

Before the harim were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed eretz and the tevel (inhabited world), even from olam ad olam, Thou art El (G-d).

Thou turnest enosh to dakka (dust); and sayest, Shuvu, ye Bnei Adam.

For an elef shanim in Thy sight are but as yom etmol (yesterday) when it is past, and as an ashmurah (watch, division of time) in the lailah.

Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sheinah (sleep); in the boker they are like khatzir (grass) which withereth.

In the boker it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the erev it is cut down, and drieth up.

For we are consumed by Thine anger, and by Thy chemah are we troubled.

Thou hast set avonoteinu before Thee, our secret sins in the ohr of Thy countenance.

For kol yameinu are passed away in Thy evrah (fury); we spend shaneinu (our years) like a sigh.

10 The yamim of shnoteinu (our years, life) are threescore shanah and ten; and if by reason of gevurot they are fourscore shanah, yet is their boast amal (trouble, toil) and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

11 Who has da’as of the oz (power) of Thine anger? Thy evrah is as great as Thy yirah (fear of, reverence owed G-d).

12 So teach us to number yameinu, that we may apply levav unto chochmah.

13 Shuvah, Hashem. Ad mosai? Have compassion on Thy avadim.

14 O satisfy us baboker with Thy chesed; that we may sing for joy and be glad kol yameinu (all our days).

15 Make us glad according to the days wherein Thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen ra’ah.

16 Let Thy work appear unto Thy avadim, and Thy glory unto their banim.

17 And let the no’am (favor, delightfulness) of Adonoi Eloheinu be upon us; and establish Thou the ma’aseh yadeinu upon us; yes, the ma’aseh yadeinu establish Thou it.