BOOK 4

God’s Eternity and the Brevity of Human Life.

A Prayer of [a]Moses, the man of God.

90 Lord, You have been our [b](A)dwelling place in all generations.
Before (B)the mountains were born
[c]Or You (C)gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even (D)from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

You (E)turn mortals back into dust
And say, “Return, you sons of mankind.”
For (F)a thousand years in Your sight
Are like (G)yesterday when it passes by,
[d]Or like a (H)watch in the night.
You (I)have [e]swept them away like a flood, they [f](J)fall asleep;
In the morning they are like (K)grass that [g]sprouts anew.
In the morning it (L)flourishes and [h]sprouts anew;
Toward evening it (M)wilts and (N)withers away.

For we have been (O)consumed by Your anger,
And we have been terrified by Your wrath.
You have (P)placed our guilty deeds before You,
Our (Q)hidden sins in the light of Your presence.
For (R)all our days have dwindled away in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a [i]sigh.
10 As for the days of our [j]life, [k]they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, (S)eighty years,
Yet their pride is only (T)trouble and tragedy;
For it quickly passes, and we (U)disappear.
11 Who [l]understands the (V)power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the (W)fear [m]that is due You?
12 So (X)teach us to number our days,
That we may [n](Y)present to You a heart of wisdom.

13 Do (Z)return, Lord; (AA)how long will it be?
And [o]be (AB)sorry for Your servants.
14 (AC)Satisfy us in the morning with Your graciousness,
That we may (AD)sing for joy and rejoice all our days.
15 (AE)Make us glad [p]according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the (AF)years we have seen [q]evil.
16 Let Your (AG)work appear to Your servants
And Your (AH)majesty [r]to their children.
17 May the (AI)kindness of the Lord our God be upon us;
And [s](AJ)confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, [t]confirm the work of our hands.

Security of One Who Trusts in the Lord.

91 One who dwells in the (AK)shelter of the Most High
Will lodge in the (AL)shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My (AM)refuge and my (AN)fortress,
My God, in whom I (AO)trust!”
For it is He who rescues you from the (AP)net of the trapper
And from the deadly (AQ)plague.
He will (AR)cover you with His pinions,
And (AS)under His wings you may take refuge;
His (AT)faithfulness is a (AU)shield and wall.

You (AV)will not be afraid of the (AW)terror by night,
Or of the (AX)arrow that flies by day;
Of the (AY)plague that [u]stalks in darkness,
Or of the (AZ)destruction that devastates at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But (BA)it shall not approach you.
You will only look on with your eyes
And (BB)see the retaliation against the wicked.
[v]For you have made the Lord, (BC)my refuge,
The Most High, (BD)your dwelling place.
10 (BE)No evil will happen to you,
Nor will any plague come near your [w]tent.

11 For He will give (BF)His angels orders concerning you,
To protect you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will (BG)lift you up,
So that you do not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will (BH)walk upon the lion and cobra,
You will trample the young lion and the [x]serpent.

14 (BI)Because he has loved Me, I will save him;
I will (BJ)set him securely on high, because he has (BK)known My name.
15 He will (BL)call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in [y]trouble;
I will rescue him and (BM)honor him.
16 I will satisfy him with [z]a (BN)long life,
And [aa](BO)show him My salvation.”

Praise for the Lords Goodness.

A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath day.

92 It is (BP)good to give thanks to the Lord
And to (BQ)sing praises to Your name, Most High;
To (BR)declare Your goodness in the morning
And Your (BS)faithfulness by [ab]night,
[ac]With the (BT)ten-stringed lute and [ad]with the (BU)harp,
[ae]With resounding music on the (BV)lyre.
For You, Lord, have made me joyful by [af]what You (BW)have done,
I will (BX)sing for joy over the (BY)works of Your hands.

How (BZ)great are Your works, Lord!
Your [ag](CA)thoughts are very (CB)deep.
A (CC)stupid person has no knowledge,
Nor does a (CD)foolish person understand this:
When the wicked (CE)sprouted up like grass
And all (CF)who did injustice flourished,
It was only that they might be (CG)destroyed forevermore.
But You, Lord, are (CH)on high forever.
For, behold, Your enemies, Lord,
For, behold, (CI)Your enemies will perish;
All who do injustice will be (CJ)scattered.

10 But You have exalted my (CK)horn like that of the wild ox;
I have [ah]been (CL)anointed with fresh oil.
11 And my eye has (CM)looked at my enemies,
My ears hear of the evildoers who rise up against me.
12 The (CN)righteous person will [ai]flourish like the palm tree,
He will grow like a (CO)cedar in Lebanon.
13 (CP)Planted in the house of the Lord,
They will flourish (CQ)in the courtyards of our God.
14 They will still [aj](CR)yield fruit in advanced age;
They will be [ak]full of sap and very green,
15 To [al]declare that (CS)the Lord is just;
He is my (CT)rock, and there is (CU)no malice in Him.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 90 Title Deut 33:1
  2. Psalm 90:1 Or hiding place; some ancient mss place of refuge
  3. Psalm 90:2 Or And
  4. Psalm 90:4 Or And
  5. Psalm 90:5 Or flooded
  6. Psalm 90:5 Lit become asleep
  7. Psalm 90:5 Or passes away
  8. Psalm 90:6 Or passes away
  9. Psalm 90:9 Or whisper
  10. Psalm 90:10 Lit years
  11. Psalm 90:10 Lit in them are
  12. Psalm 90:11 Or knows
  13. Psalm 90:11 Lit of You
  14. Psalm 90:12 Lit bring in
  15. Psalm 90:13 Or repent in regard to
  16. Psalm 90:15 Or as many days as
  17. Psalm 90:15 Or trouble
  18. Psalm 90:16 Or upon
  19. Psalm 90:17 Or give permanence to
  20. Psalm 90:17 Or give permanence to
  21. Psalm 91:6 Or walks
  22. Psalm 91:9 Or For You, O Lord, are my Refuge; You have made the Most High your dwelling place
  23. Psalm 91:10 Or dwelling
  24. Psalm 91:13 Or dragon
  25. Psalm 91:15 Or distress
  26. Psalm 91:16 Lit length of days
  27. Psalm 91:16 Or cause him to feast his eyes on
  28. Psalm 92:2 Lit nights
  29. Psalm 92:3 Lit Upon
  30. Psalm 92:3 Lit Upon
  31. Psalm 92:3 Lit Upon
  32. Psalm 92:4 Lit Your working
  33. Psalm 92:5 Or purposes
  34. Psalm 92:10 Or become moist
  35. Psalm 92:12 Lit sprout
  36. Psalm 92:14 Or thrive in
  37. Psalm 92:14 Lit fat and
  38. Psalm 92:15 Or show forth

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