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Book 4

(Psalms 90-106)

The prayer of Moses, the man of God.

90 My Lord, you have been our home forever and ever.
You were God before the mountains were born,
    before the earth and the world were made.
    You have always been and will always be God!

You bring people into this world,
    and you change them into dust again.
To you, a thousand years is like yesterday,
    like a few hours in the night.
Our life is like a dream that ends when morning comes.
We are like grass
    that grows and looks so fresh in the morning,
    but in the evening it is dry and dying.
Your anger could destroy us.
    Your anger frightens us!
You know about all our sins.
    You see every one of our secret sins.
Your anger can end our life.
    Our lives fade away like a whisper.
10 We live about 70 years
    or, if we are strong, 80 years.
But most of them are filled with hard work and pain.
    Then, suddenly, the years are gone, and we fly away.
11 No one really knows the full power of your anger,
    but our fear and respect for you is as great as your anger.
12 Teach us how short our lives are
    so that we can become wise.
13 Lord, come back to us.
    Be kind to your servants.
14 Fill us with your love every morning.
    Let us be happy and enjoy our lives.
15 For years you have made life hard for us and have given us many troubles.
    Now make us happy for just as long.
16 Let your servants see the wonderful things you can do for them.
    And let their children see your glory.
17 Lord, our God, be kind to us.
    Make everything we do successful.
    Yes, make it all successful.

91 You can go to God Most High to hide.
    You can go to God All-Powerful for protection.
I say to the Lord, “You are my place of safety, my fortress.
    My God, I trust in you.”
God will save you from hidden dangers
    and from deadly diseases.
You can go to him for protection.
    He will cover you like a bird spreading its wings over its babies.
    You can trust him to surround and protect you like a shield.
You will have nothing to fear at night
    and no need to be afraid of enemy arrows during the day.
You will have no fear of diseases that come in the dark
    or terrible suffering that comes at noon.
A thousand people may fall dead at your side
    or ten thousand right beside you,
    but nothing bad will happen to you!
All you will have to do is watch,
    and you will see that the wicked are punished.
You trust in the Lord for protection.
    You have made God Most High your place of safety.
10 So nothing bad will happen to you.
    No diseases will come near your home.
11 He will command his angels to protect you wherever you go.
12 Their hands will catch you
    so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.
13 You will have power to trample on lions
    and poisonous snakes.
14 The Lord says, “If someone trusts me, I will save them.
    I will protect my followers who call to me for help.
15 When my followers call to me, I will answer them.
    I will be with them when they are in trouble.
    I will rescue them and honor them.
16 I will give my followers a long life
    and show them my power to save.”

BOOK IV

Psalms 90–106

Psalm 90

A prayer of Moses the man of God.

Lord, you have been our dwelling place(A)
    throughout all generations.
Before the mountains were born(B)
    or you brought forth the whole world,
    from everlasting to everlasting(C) you are God.(D)

You turn people back to dust,
    saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”(E)
A thousand years in your sight
    are like a day that has just gone by,
    or like a watch in the night.(F)
Yet you sweep people away(G) in the sleep of death—
    they are like the new grass of the morning:
In the morning it springs up new,
    but by evening it is dry and withered.(H)

We are consumed by your anger
    and terrified by your indignation.
You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins(I) in the light of your presence.(J)
All our days pass away under your wrath;
    we finish our years with a moan.(K)
10 Our days may come to seventy years,(L)
    or eighty,(M) if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,(N)
    for they quickly pass, and we fly away.(O)
11 If only we knew the power of your anger!
    Your wrath(P) is as great as the fear that is your due.(Q)
12 Teach us to number our days,(R)
    that we may gain a heart of wisdom.(S)

13 Relent, Lord! How long(T) will it be?
    Have compassion on your servants.(U)
14 Satisfy(V) us in the morning with your unfailing love,(W)
    that we may sing for joy(X) and be glad all our days.(Y)
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    for as many years as we have seen trouble.
16 May your deeds be shown to your servants,
    your splendor to their children.(Z)

17 May the favor[a] of the Lord our God rest on us;
    establish the work of our hands for us—
    yes, establish the work of our hands.(AA)

Psalm 91

Whoever dwells in the shelter(AB) of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow(AC) of the Almighty.[b]
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge(AD) and my fortress,(AE)
    my God, in whom I trust.”

Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare(AF)
    and from the deadly pestilence.(AG)
He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;(AH)
    his faithfulness will be your shield(AI) and rampart.
You will not fear(AJ) the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.(AK)

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm(AL) will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels(AM) concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;(AN)
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.(AO)
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.(AP)

14 “Because he[c] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.(AQ)
16 With long life(AR) I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.(AS)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 90:17 Or beauty
  2. Psalm 91:1 Hebrew Shaddai
  3. Psalm 91:14 That is, probably the king