Psalm 90

BOOK 4

God’s Eternity and Man’s Transitoriness.

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

1Lord, You have been our [b]dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were born
[c]Or You gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

You turn man back into dust
And say, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it passes by,
[d]Or as a watch in the night.
You have [e]swept them away like a flood, they [f]fall asleep;
In the morning they are like grass which [g]sprouts anew.
In the morning it flourishes and [h]sprouts anew;
Toward evening it fades and withers away.

For we have been consumed by Your anger
And by Your wrath we have been [i]dismayed.
You have placed our iniquities before You,
Our secret sins in the light of Your presence.
For all our days have declined in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a [j]sigh.
10 As for the days of our [k]life, [l]they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, eighty years,
Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow;
For soon it is gone and we fly away.
11 Who [m]understands the power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the fear [n]that is due You?
12 So teach us to number our days,
That we may [o]present to You a heart of wisdom.

13 Do return, O Lord; how long will it be?
And [p]be sorry for Your servants.
14 O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness,
That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad [q]according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the years we have seen [r]evil.
16 Let Your work appear to Your servants
And Your majesty [s]to their children.
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And [t]confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, [u]confirm the work of our hands.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 90:1 Deut 33:1
  2. Psalm 90:1 Or hiding place; some ancient mss read place of refuge
  3. Psalm 90:2 Or And
  4. Psalm 90:4 Or And
  5. Psalm 90:5 Or flooded
  6. Psalm 90:5 Lit become asleep
  7. Psalm 90:5 Or passes away
  8. Psalm 90:6 Or passes away
  9. Psalm 90:7 Or terrified
  10. Psalm 90:9 Or whisper
  11. Psalm 90:10 Lit years
  12. Psalm 90:10 Lit in them are
  13. Psalm 90:11 Or knows
  14. Psalm 90:11 Lit of You
  15. Psalm 90:12 Or gain, bring in
  16. Psalm 90:13 Or repent in regard to
  17. Psalm 90:15 Or as many days as
  18. Psalm 90:15 Or trouble
  19. Psalm 90:16 Or upon
  20. Psalm 90:17 Or give permanence to
  21. Psalm 90:17 Or give permanence to