Psalm 90

A Prayer of Moses the man of God.

1        Lord, thou hast been our dwellingplace

                   in generations all.

2        Before thou ever hadst brought forth

                   the mountains great or small;

          Ere ever thou hadst form'd the earth,

                   and all the world abroad;

          Ev'n thou from everlasting art

                   to everlasting God.

3        Thou dost unto destruction

                   man that is mortal turn;

          And unto them thou say'st, Again,

                   ye sons of men, return.

4        Because a thousand years appear

                   no more before thy sight

          Than yesterday, when it is past,

                   or than a watch by night.

5        As with an overflowing flood

                   thou carry'st them away:

          They like a sleep are, like the grass

                   that grows at morn are they.

6        At morn it flourishes and grows,

                   cut down at ev'n doth fade.

7        For by thine anger we're consum'd,

                   thy wrath makes us afraid.

8        Our sins thou and iniquities

                   dost in thy presence place,

          And sett'st our secret faults before

                   the brightness of thy face.

9        For in thine anger all our days

                   do pass on to an end;

          And as a tale that hath been told,

                   so we our years do spend.

10      Threescore and ten years do sum up

                   our days and years, we see;

          Or, if, by reason of more strength,

                   in some fourscore they be:

          Yet doth the strength of such old men

                   but grief and labour prove;

          For it is soon cut off, and we

                   fly hence, and soon remove.

11      Who knows the power of thy wrath?

                   according to thy fear

12      So is thy wrath: Lord, teach thou us

                   our end in mind to bear;

          And so to count our days, that we

                   our hearts may still apply

          To learn thy wisdom and thy truth,

                   that we may live thereby.

13      Turn yet again to us, O Lord,

                   how long thus shall it be?

          Let it repent thee now for those

                   that servants are to thee.

14      O with thy tender mercies, Lord,

                   us early satisfy;

          So we rejoice shall all our days,

                   and still be glad in thee.

15      According as the days have been,

                   wherein we grief have had,

          And years wherein we ill have seen,

                   so do thou make us glad.

16      O let thy work and pow'r appear

                   thy servants' face before;

          And shew unto their children dear

                   thy glory evermore:

17      And let the beauty of the Lord

                   our God be us upon:

          Our handy-works establish thou,

                   establish them each one.