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BOOK 4

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

90 Lord,[b] you have been our dwelling place for all generations.
    Before the mountains were born,
    before you had formed the earth and the world,
    even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.
You turn man to destruction, saying,
    “Return, you children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight are just like yesterday when it is past,
    like a watch in the night.
You sweep them away as they sleep.
    In the morning they sprout like new grass.
In the morning it sprouts and springs up.
    By evening, it is withered and dry.
For we are consumed in your anger.
    We are troubled in your wrath.
You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins in the light of your presence.
For all our days have passed away in your wrath.
    We bring our years to an end as a sigh.
10 The days of our years are seventy,
    or even by reason of strength eighty years;
    yet their pride is but labor and sorrow,
    for it passes quickly, and we fly away.
11 Who knows the power of your anger,
    your wrath according to the fear that is due to you?
12 So teach us to count our days,
    that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
13 Relent, Yahweh![c]
    How long?
    Have compassion on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your loving kindness,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your work appear to your servants,
    your glory to their children.
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us.
    Establish the work of our hands for us.
    Yes, establish the work of our hands.

Footnotes

  1. 90:0 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
  2. 90:1 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”
  3. 90:13 “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations.

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.