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BOOK IV

(Psalms 90–106)

(A prayer by Moses, the man of God.)

God Is Eternal

Our Lord, in all generations
    you have been our home.
You have always been God—
long before the birth
    of the mountains,
even before you created
    the earth and the world.

At your command we die
    and turn back to dust,
(A) but a thousand years
    mean nothing to you!
They are merely a day gone by
    or a few hours in the night.

You bring our lives to an end
    just like a dream.
We are merely tender grass
    that sprouts and grows
in the morning,
    but dries up by evening.
Your furious anger frightens
    and destroys us,
and you know all our sins,
    even those we do in secret.

Your anger is a burden
each day we live,
    then life ends like a sigh.
10 (B) 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!

The Lord Is My Fortress

Live under the protection
    of God Most High
and stay in the shadow
    of God All-Powerful.
Then you will say to the Lord,
“You are my fortress,
    my place of safety;
you are my God,
    and I trust you.”

The Lord will keep you safe
from secret traps
    and deadly diseases.
He will spread his wings
over you
    and keep you secure.
His faithfulness is like
    a shield or a city wall.[a]

You won't need to worry
about dangers at night
    or arrows during the day.
And you won't fear diseases
that strike in the dark
    or sudden disaster at noon.

You will not be harmed,
though thousands fall
    all around you.
And with your own eyes
you will see the punishment
    of the wicked.
The Lord Most High
    is your fortress.
Run to him for safety,
10 and no terrible disasters
    will strike you
    or your home.

11 (C) God will command his angels
to protect you
    wherever you go.
12 (D) They will carry you
    in their arms,
and you won't hurt your feet
    on the stones.
13 (E) You will overpower
the strongest lions
    and the most deadly snakes.

14 The Lord says, “If you love me
    and truly know who I am,
I will rescue you
    and keep you safe.
15 When you are in trouble,
    call out to me.
I will answer and be there
    to protect and honor you.
16 You will live a long life
    and see my saving power.”

(A psalm and a song for the Sabbath.)

Sing Praises to the Lord

It is wonderful to be grateful
and to sing your praises,
    Lord Most High!
It is wonderful each morning
    to tell about your love
and at night to announce
    how faithful you are.
I enjoy praising your name
    to the music of harps,
because everything you do
makes me happy,
    and I sing joyful songs.

You do great things, Lord.
    Your thoughts are too deep
(F) for an ignorant fool
    to know or understand.
Though the wicked sprout
    and spread like grass,
they will be pulled up
    by their roots.
But you will rule
    over all of us forever,
and your hateful enemies
will be scattered
    and then destroyed.

10 You have given me
    the strength of a wild ox,
and you have chosen me
    to be your very own.
11 My eyes have seen,
    and my ears have heard
the doom and destruction
    of my evil enemies.

12 Good people will prosper
    like palm trees,
and they will grow strong
    like the cedars of Lebanon.
13 They will take root
in your house, Lord God,
    and they will do well.
14 They will be like trees
that stay healthy and fruitful,
    even when they are old.
15 And they will say about you,
“The Lord always does right!
    God is our mighty rock.”[b]

Footnotes

  1. 91.4 city wall: One possible meaning for a difficult Hebrew word; it may possibly mean some kind of shield or weapon.
  2. 92.15 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.

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