1Lord, thou hast been our refuge
from generation to generation. 2Before the mountains were brought forth,
or earth and world were born in travail,
from age to age everlasting thou art God. 3Thou turnest man back into dust;
'Turn back,' thou sayest, 'you sons of men'; 4for in thy sight a thousand years are as yesterday;
a night-watch passes, 5and thou hast cut them off;
they are like a dream at daybreak,
they fade like grass 6which springs up prob. rdg, Heb adds and passes away with the morning
but when evening comes is parched and withered. 7So we are brought to an end by thy anger
and silenced by thy wrath. 8Thou dost lay bare our iniquities before thee
and our lusts in the full light of thy presence. 9All our days go by under the shadow of thy wrath;
our years die away like a murmur. 10Seventy years is the span of our life,
eighty if our strength holds Or eighty at the most;
the hurrying years are labour and sorrow,
so quickly they pass and are forgotten. 11Who feels the power of thy anger,
who feels thy wrath like those that fear thee? 12Teach us to order our days rightly,
that we may enter the gate of wisdom.
13How long, O LORD?
Relent, and take pity on thy servants. 14Satisfy us with thy love when morning breaks,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. 15Repay us days of gladness for our days of suffering,
for the years thou hast humbled us. 16Show thy servants thy deeds
and their children thy majesty. 17May all delightful things be ours, O Lord our God;
establish firmly all we do.