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Book 4

Psalms 90—106

God Is Eternal, and We Are Not

A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

90 Lord, you have been our home
    since the beginning.
Before the mountains were born,
    and before you created the earth and the world,
you are God.
    You have always been, and you will always be.

You turn people back into dust.
    You say, “Go back into dust, human beings.”
To you, a thousand years
    is like the passing of a day.
    It passes like an hour in the night.
While people sleep, you take their lives.
    They are like weeds that grow in the morning.
In the morning they are fresh and new.
    But by evening they dry up and die.

We are destroyed by your anger.
    We are terrified by your hot anger.
You have put the evil we have done right in front of you.
    You clearly see our secret sins.
All our days pass while you are angry.
    Our years end with a moan.
10 Our lifetime is 70 years.
    If we are strong, we may live to be 80.
But the years are full of hard work and pain.
    They pass quickly, and then we are gone.

11 Who knows the full power of your anger?
    Your anger is as great as our fear of you should be.
12 Teach us how short our lives really are
    so that we may be wise.

13 Lord, how long before you return
    and show kindness to your servants?
14 Fill us with your love every morning.
    Then we will sing and rejoice all our lives.
15 We have seen years of trouble.
    Now give us joy as you gave us sorrow.
16 Show your servants the wonderful things you do.
    Show your greatness to their children.
17 Lord our God, be pleased with us.
    Give us success in what we do.
    Yes, give us success in what we do.

90 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.

For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.

In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.

Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.

For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.

10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.

12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

13 Return, O Lord, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.

14 O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

15 Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.

16 Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.

17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

BOOK FOUR

Psalms 90–106

The Eternity of God, and Man’s Frailty

A Prayer (A)of Moses the man of God.

90 Lord, (B)You have been our [a]dwelling place in all generations.
(C)Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You [b]had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

You turn man to destruction,
And say, (D)“Return, O children of men.”
(E)For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it is past,
And like a watch in the night.
You carry them away like a flood;
(F)They are like a sleep.
In the morning (G)they are like grass which grows up:
In the morning it flourishes and grows up;
In the evening it is cut down and withers.

For we have been consumed by Your anger,
And by Your wrath we are terrified.
(H)You have set our iniquities before You,
Our (I)secret sins in the light of Your countenance.
For all our days have passed away in Your wrath;
We finish our years like a sigh.
10 The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
11 Who knows the power of Your anger?
For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.
12 (J)So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

13 Return, O Lord!
How long?
And (K)have compassion on Your servants.
14 Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
(L)That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
15 Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us,
The years in which we have seen evil.
16 Let (M)Your work appear to Your servants,
And Your glory to their children.
17 (N)And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And (O)establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 90:1 LXX, Tg., Vg. refuge
  2. Psalm 90:2 Lit. gave birth to

BOOK FOUR

Psalms 90–106

Psalm 90

A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.

Lord, You have been our dwelling place
    in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
    or You had formed the earth and the world,
    even from everlasting to everlasting You are God.

You return man to the dust
    and say, “Return, you children of men.”
For a thousand years in Your sight
    are but as yesterday when it is past,
    or as a night watch in the night time.
You carry them away as with a flood;
    they are as a dream, like renewed grass in the morning:
In the morning it flourishes and grows up;
    in the evening it fades and withers.

For we are consumed by Your anger,
    and by Your wrath we are terrified.
You have set our iniquities before You,
    even our secret sins in the light of Your presence.
For all our days pass away in your wrath;
    we end our years with a groan.
10 The years of our life are seventy,
    and if by reason of strength eighty;
yet their length is toil and sorrow,
    for they soon end, and we fly away.
11 Who knows the power of Your anger?
    Or Your wrath according to Your fear?
12 So teach us to number our days,
    that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

13 Return, O Lord, how long?
    Have mercy on Your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the early morning with Your mercy,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad according to the days that You have afflicted us,
    and the years that we have seen evil.
16 Let Your work be displayed to Your servants
    and Your glory to their children.

17 Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and establish the work of our hands among us;
    yes, establish the work of our hands.