Psalm 90

Eternal God and Mortal Man

A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

1 Lord, You have been our refuge k

in every generation. l

2 Before the mountains were born,

before You gave birth to the earth and the world,

from eternity to eternity, You are God. m

3 You return mankind to the dust,

saying, “Return, descendants of Adam.” n

4 For in Your sight a thousand years

are like yesterday that passes by,

like a few hours of the night. o

5 You end their lives; p they sleep. q

They are like grass that grows in the morning—

6 in the morning it sprouts and grows;

by evening it withers and dries up. r

7 For we are consumed by Your anger;

we are terrified by Your wrath. s

8 You have set our unjust ways before You,

our secret sins in the light of Your presence. t

9 For all our days ebb away under Your wrath;

we end our years like a sigh. u

10 Our lives last v seventy years

or, if we are strong, eighty years.

Even the best of them are w struggle and sorrow;

indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away. x

11 Who understands the power of Your anger?

Your wrath matches the fear that is due You. y

12 Teach us to number our days carefully

so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts. z a

13 Lord—how long?

Turn and have compassion on Your servants. b

14 Satisfy us in the morning with Your faithful love

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

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

for as many years as we have seen adversity. d

16 Let Your work be seen by Your servants,

and Your splendor by their children. e

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

establish for us the work of our hands—

establish the work of our hands! f