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Book 4: Psalms 90–106

God Is Eternal, and We Are Not

A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

90 Lord, you have been our ·home [dwelling place; Deut. 33:27]
    ·since the beginning [L from all generations].
Before the mountains were born
    and before you ·created [brought forth] the earth and the world,
you are God [Prov. 8:22–31].
    You have always been, and you will always be.

You turn people back into ·dust [L what is crushed; Gen. 2:7; 3:19; Eccl. 12:7].
    You say, “·Go back into dust [L Return; Turn back], human beings.”
·To you [L In your eyes], a thousand years
    is like the passing of a day [2 Pet. 3:8],
    or ·like a few hours [L a watch; C the night was divided into four watches of three hours each] in the night.
While people sleep, you ·take [put an end to] their lives.
    They are like grass that ·grows up [is new] in the morning.
In the morning they ·are fresh and new [blossom and are renewed],
    but by evening they ·dry up [fade] and ·die [wither].

We are ·destroyed [annihilated] by your anger;
    we are terrified by your hot anger.
You have ·put [set] ·the evil we have done [our guilt/iniquity] right in front of you;
    ·you clearly see our secret sins [L our hidden/secret sins in the light of your face].
All our days pass while you are angry.
    Our years end with a ·moan [sigh].
10 ·Our lifetime is [L The days of our years are] seventy years
    or, if we are strong, eighty years.
But ·the years are full of [L their pride are] ·hard work [toil] and ·pain [trouble; Eccl. 1:2].
    They pass quickly, and then we ·are gone [L fly away].

11 Who knows the ·full power [strength] of your anger?
    Your anger is as great as our fear of you should be.
12 ·Teach us [Make us know] ·how short our lives really are [L to count our days]
    so that we ·may be wise [L gain a wise heart].

13 Lord, how long before you ·return [turn]
    and show ·kindness [compassion] to your servants?
14 ·Fill [Satisfy] us with your ·love [loyalty] every morning.
    Then we will sing and rejoice all our ·lives [L days].
15 We have seen years of ·trouble [harm; hurt].
    Now give us as ·much [L many days of] joy as you gave us ·sorrow [affliction].
16 Show your servants ·the wonderful things you do [your miracles];
    ·show your greatness [your splendor/beauty] to their children.
17 Lord our God, ·treat us well [favor us].
    ·Give us success in what we do [L Establish the work of our hands for us];
·yes, give us success in what we do [L establish the work of our hands].

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.