Psalm 90

BOOK FOUR (Psalms 90–106)Psalm 90

A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

1 Lord, through all the generations
you have been our home!2 Before the mountains were born,
before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
from beginning to end, you are God.3 You turn people back to dust, saying,
“Return to dust, you mortals!”4 For you, a thousand years are as a passing day,
as brief as a few night hours.5 You sweep people away like dreams that disappear.
They are like grass that springs up in the morning.6 In the morning it blooms and flourishes,
but by evening it is dry and withered.7 We wither beneath your anger;
we are overwhelmed by your fury.8 You spread out our sins before you—
our secret sins—and you see them all.9 We live our lives beneath your wrath,
ending our years with a groan.10 Seventy years are given to us!
Some even live to eighty.
But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble;
soon they disappear, and we fly away.11 Who can comprehend the power of your anger?
Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve.12 Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
so that we may grow in wisdom.13 O LORD, come back to us!
How long will you delay?
Take pity on your servants!14 Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love,
so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.15 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery!
Replace the evil years with good.16 Let us, your servants, see you work again;
let our children see your glory.17 And may the Lord our God show us his approval
and make our efforts successful.
Yes, make our efforts successful!

PSALMS 90

BOOK IV

(Psalms 90–106)

God Is Eternal

1 Our Lord, in all generations
you have been our home.

2 You have always been God—
long before the birth
of the mountains,
even before you created
the earth and the world.

3 At your command we die
and turn back to dust,

4  t but a thousand years
mean nothing to you!
They are merely a day gone by
or a few hours in the night.

5 You bring our lives to an end
just like a dream.
We are merely tender grass

6 that sprouts and grows
in the morning,
but dries up by evening.

7 Your furious anger frightens
and destroys us,

8 and you know all our sins,
even those we do in secret.

9 Your anger is a burden
each day we live,
then life ends like a sigh.

10  t We can expect seventy years,
or maybe eighty,
if we are healthy,
but even our best years
bring trouble and sorrow.
Suddenly our time is up,
and we disappear.

11 No one knows the full power
of your furious anger,
but it is as great as the fear
that we owe to you.

12 Teach us to use wisely
all the time we have.

13 Help us, [Lord]! Don't wait!
Pity your servants.

14 When morning comes,
let your love satisfy
all our needs.
Then we can celebrate
and be glad for what time
we have left.

15 Make us happy for as long
as you caused us trouble
and sorrow.

16 Do wonderful things for us,
your servants,
and show your mighty power
to our children.

17 Our Lord and our God,
treat us with kindness
and let all go well for us.
Please let all go well!