Psalm 90

BOOK IV

(Psalms 90–106)

Psalm 90

ETERNAL GOD AND MORTAL MAN

A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

¹Lord, you have been our refuge^A

in every generation.^a

²Before the mountains were born,

before you gave birth to the earth and the world,

from eternity to eternity, you are God.^b

³You return mankind to the dust,

saying, “Return, descendants of Adam.”^c

⁴For in your sight a thousand years

are like yesterday that passes by,

like a few hours of the night.^d

⁵You end their lives;^B they sleep.^e

They are like grass that grows in the morning—

⁶in the morning it sprouts and grows;

by evening it withers and dries up.^f

⁷For we are consumed by your anger;

we are terrified by your wrath.^g

⁸You have set our iniquities before you,

our secret sins in the light of your presence.^h

⁹For all our days ebb away under your wrath;

we end our years like a sigh.ⁱ

¹⁰Our lives last^C seventy years

or, if we are strong, eighty years.

Even the best of them are^D struggle and sorrow;

indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away.^j

¹¹Who understands the power of your anger?

Your wrath matches the fear that is due you.^k

¹²Teach us to number our days carefully

so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.^El

¹³Lord—how long?

Turn and have compassion on your servants.^m

¹⁴Satisfy us in the morning with your faithful love

so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days.ⁿ

¹⁵Make us rejoice for as many days as you have humbled us,

for as many years as we have seen adversity.^o

¹⁶Let your work be seen by your servants,

and your splendor by their children.^p

¹⁷Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us;

establish for us the work of our hands—

establish the work of our hands!^q