BOOK 4

God’s Eternity and Man’s Transitoriness.

A Prayer of [a]Moses, the man of God.

90 Lord, You have been our [b](A)dwelling place in all generations.
Before (B)the mountains were born
[c]Or You (C)gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even (D)from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

You (E)turn man back into dust
And say, “Return, O children of men.”
For (F)a thousand years in Your sight
Are like (G)yesterday when it passes by,
[d]Or as a (H)watch in the night.
You (I)have [e]swept them away like a flood, they [f](J)fall asleep;
In the morning they are like (K)grass which [g]sprouts anew.
In the morning it (L)flourishes and [h]sprouts anew;
Toward evening it (M)fades and (N)withers away.

For we have been (O)consumed by Your anger
And by Your wrath we have been [i]dismayed.
You have (P)placed our iniquities before You,
Our (Q)secret sins in the light of Your presence.
For (R)all our days have declined in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a [j]sigh.
10 As for the days of our [k]life, [l]they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, (S)eighty years,
Yet their pride is but (T)labor and sorrow;
For soon it is gone and we (U)fly away.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 90:1 Deut 33:1
  2. Psalm 90:1 Or hiding place; some ancient mss read place of refuge
  3. Psalm 90:2 Or And
  4. Psalm 90:4 Or And
  5. Psalm 90:5 Or flooded
  6. Psalm 90:5 Lit become asleep
  7. Psalm 90:5 Or passes away
  8. Psalm 90:6 Or passes away
  9. Psalm 90:7 Or terrified
  10. Psalm 90:9 Or whisper
  11. Psalm 90:10 Lit years
  12. Psalm 90:10 Lit in them are