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God Is Forever—Man’s Short Life

90 Lord, You have been the place of comfort for all people of all time. Before the mountains were born, before You gave birth to the earth and the world, forever and ever, You are God.

You change man into dust again, and say, “Return, O children of men.” For a thousand years in Your eyes are like yesterday when it passes by, or like the hours of the night. You carry men away as with a flood. They fall asleep. In the morning they are like the new grass that grows. It grows well in the morning, but dries up and dies by evening.

For we are burned up by Your anger. By Your anger we are troubled and afraid. You have set our wrong-doing before You, our secret sins in the light of Your face. For all our days pass away in Your anger. We finish our years with a quiet cry. 10 The days of our life are seventy years, or eighty if we have the strength. Yet the best of them are only hard work and sorrow. For they are soon gone and we fly away. 11 Who understands the power of Your anger? Your anger is as great as the fear that we should have for You. 12 Teach us to understand how many days we have. Then we will have a heart of wisdom to give You.

13 Return, O Lord. How long will it be? Have pity upon those who work for You. 14 Fill us in the morning with Your loving-kindness. Let us sing for joy and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad for as many days as You have made us suffer, and for the years we have seen trouble. 16 Let Your work be shown to Your servants. And let Your wonderful greatness be shown to their children. 17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us. And make the work of our hands stand strong. Yes, make the work of our hands stand strong.

The Lord—the One We Trust

91 He who lives in the safe place of the Most High will be in the shadow of the All-powerful. I will say to the Lord, “You are my safe and strong place, my God, in Whom I trust.” For it is He Who takes you away from the trap, and from the killing sickness. He will cover you with His wings. And under His wings you will be safe. He is faithful like a safe-covering and a strong wall.

You will not be afraid of trouble at night, or of the arrow that flies by day. You will not be afraid of the sickness that walks in darkness, or of the trouble that destroys at noon. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand. But it will not come near you. You will only look on with your eyes, and see how the sinful are punished. Because you have made the Lord your safe place, and the Most High the place where you live, 10 nothing will hurt you. No trouble will come near your tent.

11 For He will tell His angels to care for you and keep you in all your ways. 12 They will hold you up in their hands. So your foot will not hit against a stone. 13 You will walk upon the lion and the snake. You will crush under your feet the young lion and the snake.

14 Because he has loved Me, I will bring him out of trouble. I will set him in a safe place on high, because he has known My name. 15 He will call upon Me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will take him out of trouble and honor him. 16 I will please him with a long life. And I will show him My saving power.