Psalms 90

1 BOOK IV A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations.

A prayer of Moses, the man of God. Lord, you have been a home to us one generation after another.

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

Before the mountains were born, or the earth and the world were brought forth, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3 Thou turnest man to contrition; and sayest: 'Return, ye children of men.'

You bring us back to the dust, you summon mortals to return.

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

For you see a thousand years as the passing of yesterday, as a watch in the night.

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

Your floods sweep them away; they are like a dream, or like grass which sprouts in the morning,

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

which blossoms and sprouts in the morning, but by evening is cut and withered.

7 For we are consumed in Thine anger, and by Thy wrath are we hurried away.

For your anger consumes us, the heat of your wrath confounds us.

8 Thou hast set our iniquities before Thee, our secret sins in the light of Thy countenance.

Our sins you have set before you, our secrets in the light of your face.

9 For all our days are passed away in Thy wrath; we bring our years to an end as a tale that is told.

For through your wrath our days are declining, we bring our years to an end as a sigh.

10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten, or even by reason of strength fourscore years; yet is their pride but travail and vanity; for it is speedily gone, and we fly away.

The span of our life is seventy years, or, if we are strong, maybe eighty; yet is their breadth but empty toil, for swiftly they go, and we fly away.

11 Who knoweth the power of Thine anger, and Thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto Thee?

Who lays to heart the power of your anger? Or who stands in reverent awe of your wrath?

12 So teach us to number our days, that we may get us a heart of wisdom.

O teach us to count our days so our minds may learn wisdom.

13 Return, O LORD; how long? And let it repent Thee concerning Thy servants.

Return, O Lord; why so long? Relent on your servants.

14 O satisfy us in the morning with Thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Grant us your love to the full in the morning, that all our days we may shout for joy.

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

Make us glad for the days you have humbled us, for the evil years we have seen.

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

Let your servants see you in action, show your majesty to their children.

17 And let the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; establish Thou also upon us the work of our hands; yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it.

Let the grace of the Lord our God be upon us, uphold what our hands are striving to do.