Psalm 90-91
English Standard Version
Book Four
From Everlasting to Everlasting
A (A)Prayer of Moses, the (B)man of God.
90 Lord, you have been our (C)dwelling place[a]
in all generations.
2 (D)Before the (E)mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
(F)from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You return man to dust
and say, (G)“Return, (H)O children of man!”[b]
4 For (I)a thousand years in your sight
are but as (J)yesterday when it is past,
or as (K)a watch in the night.
5 You (L)sweep them away as with a flood; they are like (M)a dream,
like (N)grass that is renewed in the morning:
6 in (O)the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it (P)fades and (Q)withers.
7 For we are brought to an end by your anger;
by your wrath we are dismayed.
8 You have (R)set our iniquities before you,
our (S)secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath;
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10 The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span[c] is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you?
12 (T)So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 (U)Return, O Lord! (V)How long?
Have (W)pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the (X)morning with your steadfast love,
that we may (Y)rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have (Z)afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your (AA)work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the (AB)favor[d] of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish (AC)the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!
My Refuge and My Fortress
91 He who dwells in (AD)the shelter of the Most High
will abide in (AE)the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say[e] to the Lord, “My (AF)refuge and my (AG)fortress,
my God, in whom I (AH)trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from (AI)the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will (AJ)cover you with his pinions,
and under his (AK)wings you will (AL)find refuge;
his (AM)faithfulness is (AN)a shield and buckler.
5 (AO)You will not fear (AP)the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and (AQ)see the recompense of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord your (AR)dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my (AS)refuge[f]—
10 (AT)no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
(AU)no plague come near your tent.
11 (AV)For he will command his (AW)angels concerning you
to (AX)guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you (AY)strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on (AZ)the lion and the (BA)adder;
the young lion and (BB)the serpent you will (BC)trample underfoot.
14 “Because he (BD)holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he (BE)knows my name.
15 When he (BF)calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and (BG)honor him.
16 With (BH)long life I will satisfy him
and (BI)show him my salvation.”
Notas al pie
- Psalm 90:1 Some Hebrew manuscripts (compare Septuagint) our refuge
- Psalm 90:3 Or of Adam
- Psalm 90:10 Or pride
- Psalm 90:17 Or beauty
- Psalm 91:2 Septuagint He will say
- Psalm 91:9 Or For you, O Lord, are my refuge! You have made the Most High your dwelling place
Psalm 90-91
The Voice
Book Four
There are endless reasons to praise God, and many of them are included in the Book of Psalms. Book Four (Psalms 90–106) is made up of songs that praise and celebrate God for His creation, strength, work in history, and kingship. Although these songs are written to honor God, many require something from us. Throughout these psalms is the Hebrew word hallelujah, translated “Praise the Eternal!” That’s not just a passive verb, as in, “Praise be to the Eternal”; it’s an active imperative! We are commanded to praise Him. We are commanded to join angels above, people below, and all creatures in praising Him!
Psalm 90
A prayer of Moses, a man of God.
1 Lord, You have always been our refuge.
Our ancestors made You their home long ago.
2 Before mountains were born,
before You fashioned the earth and filled it with life,
from ages past to distant futures,
You are truly God.
3 You turn people back to dust,
saying, “Go back to the dust, children of Adam.”
4 For You a thousand years is like a day when it is over,
a watch during the night;
there is no difference to You.
5-6 You release the waters of death to sweep mankind away in his slumber.
In the morning, we are blades of grass,
Growing rapidly under the sun but withering quickly;
yet in the evening, we fade and die, soon to be cut down.
7 For Your anger has consumed us.
Your wrath has shaken us to the core
and left us deeply troubled.
8 You have written our offenses before You—
the light of Your presence shines brightly on our secret sins,
and we can’t run or hide.
9 For all our days are spent beneath Your wrath;
our youth gives way to old age, and then
one day our years come to an end with a sigh.
10 We may journey through life for 70 years;
some may live and breathe 80 years—if we are strong.
Yet our time here is only toil and trouble;
soon our days are gone, and we fly away.
11 Who can truly comprehend the power unleashed by Your anger?
Your wrath matches the fear that is due to You.
12 Teach us to number our days
so that we may truly live and achieve wisdom.
13 How long will we wait here alone?
Return, O Eternal One, with mercy.
Rescue Your servants with compassion.
14 With every sun’s rising, surprise us with Your love,
satisfy us with Your kindness.
Then we will sing with joy and celebrate every day we are alive.
15 You have spent many days afflicting us with pain and sorrow;
now match those with years of unspent joy.
16 Let Your work of love be on display for all Your servants;
let Your children see Your majesty.
17 And then let the beauty and grace of the Lord—our God—rest upon us
and bring success to all we do;
yes, bring success to all we do!
Psalm 91
1 He who takes refuge in the shelter of the Most High
will be safe in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 He will say to the Eternal, “My shelter, my mighty fortress,
my God, I place all my trust in You.”
3 For He will rescue you from the snares set by your enemies who entrap you
and from deadly plagues.
4 Like a bird protecting its young, God will cover you with His feathers,
will protect you under His great wings;
His faithfulness will form a shield around you, a rock-solid wall to protect you.
Psalm 91 is a beautiful psalm of trust in God. But how does God take care of all His people, all at the same time? Well, keep reading because Psalm 91 is one of just a few places in Scripture that describe what we might call “guardian angels” (Exodus 23:20; Psalm 43:3). Though rare, these passages teach that God is not alone in maintaining and protecting His creation and His people. He has made a host of heavenly messengers ready to do His bidding, and His bidding is often to guard His people throughout their lives and protect them—sometimes from dangers they are not even aware of.
5 You will not dread the terrors that haunt the night
or enemy arrows that fly in the day
6 Or the plagues that lurk in darkness
or the disasters that wreak havoc at noon.
7 A thousand may fall on your left,
ten thousand may die on your right,
but these horrors won’t come near you.
8 Only your eyes will witness
the punishment that awaits the evil,
but you will not suffer because of it.
9 For you made the Eternal [your][a] refuge,
the Most High your only home.
10 No evil will come to you;
plagues will be turned away at your door.
11 He will command His heavenly messengers to guard you,
to keep you safe in every way.
12 They will hold you up in their hands
so that you will not crash, or fall, or even graze your foot on a stone.[b]
13 You will walk on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the lion and the serpent underfoot.
14 “Because he clings to Me in love,
I will rescue him from harm;
I will set him above danger.
Because he has known Me by name,
15 He will call on Me, and I will answer.
I’ll be with him through hard times;
I’ll rescue him and grant him honor.
16 I’ll reward him with many good years on this earth
and let him witness My salvation.”
Notas al pie
- 91:9 Hebrew manuscripts read, “who is my.”
- 91:11–12 Matthew 4:6; Luke 4:10–11
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.