BOOK 4
God’s Eternity and the Brevity of Human Life.
A Prayer of [a]Moses, the man of God.
2 Before the mountains were born
[c]Or You gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
And say, “Return, you sons of mankind.”
4 For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it passes by,
[d]Or like a watch in the night.
5 You have [e]swept them away like a flood, they [f]fall asleep;
In the morning they are like grass that [g]sprouts anew.
6 In the morning it flourishes and [h]sprouts anew;
Toward evening it wilts and withers away.
And we have been terrified by Your wrath.
8 You have placed our guilty deeds before You,
Our hidden sins in the light of Your presence.
9 For all our days have dwindled away in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a [i]sigh.
10 As for the days of our [j]life, [k]they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, eighty years,
Yet their pride is only trouble and tragedy;
For it quickly passes, and we disappear.
11 Who [l]understands the power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the fear [m]that is due You?
12 So teach us to number our days,
That we may [n]present to You a heart of wisdom.
And [o]be sorry for Your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with Your graciousness,
That we may sing for joy and rejoice all our days.
15 Make us glad [p]according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the years we have seen [q]evil.
16 Let Your work appear to Your servants
And Your majesty [r]to their children.
17 May the kindness of the Lord our God be upon us;
And [s]confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, [t]confirm the work of our hands.
Footnotes
- Psalm 90 Title Deut 33:1
- Psalm 90:1 Or hiding place; some ancient mss place of refuge
- Psalm 90:2 Or And
- Psalm 90:4 Or And
- Psalm 90:5 Or flooded
- Psalm 90:5 Lit become asleep
- Psalm 90:5 Or passes away
- Psalm 90:6 Or passes away
- Psalm 90:9 Or whisper
- Psalm 90:10 Lit years
- Psalm 90:10 Lit in them are
- Psalm 90:11 Or knows
- Psalm 90:11 Lit of You
- Psalm 90:12 Lit bring in
- Psalm 90:13 Or repent in regard to
- Psalm 90:15 Or as many days as
- Psalm 90:15 Or trouble
- Psalm 90:16 Or upon
- Psalm 90:17 Or give permanence to
- Psalm 90:17 Or give permanence to