Psalms 90

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

1Lord, you have been our home. Every family, in every time, has been safe with you.

2Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

2You were God before the mountains were made. You were God before the earth and world began. You have no beginning and no end.

3Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.

3You turn people back into dust. You say, "Go back, children of people."

4For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

4A thousand years feel like yesterday to you. They pass like one short part of the night.

Note"A watch in the night" was a turn at guarding while others slept. It was only a few hours long.

5Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.

5You sweep people away like a flood. Their lives are as quick as sleep. In the morning they are like new grass.

6In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

6In the morning the grass grows tall and green. By evening it is cut down and dries up.

7For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.

7Your anger uses us up. Your anger leaves us shaken and afraid.

8Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.

8You have set our wrongs right in front of you. Even our hidden sins show up in your light.

9For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.

9All our days pass away under your anger. Our years end with a tired sigh.

10The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

10We live about seventy years. Strong people may reach eighty. Even those years are full of hard work and sadness. They go by fast, and then we fly away.

NoteThe King James Bible says "threescore years and ten" and "fourscore." A score is twenty, so those mean seventy and eighty.

11Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.

11Who really knows how strong your anger is? Your anger is as great as the fear you deserve.

12So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

12Teach us to count our days and use them well. Then our hearts will grow wise.

13Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.

13Come back to us, LORD. How long must we wait? Feel kindness for us, your servants.

Note"Let it repent thee" sounds like God did something wrong. In older English it meant to feel pity and turn toward someone with kindness.

14O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

14Fill us with your steady love each morning. Then we will sing and be glad all our days.

15Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.

15Give us as many happy days as our sad ones. Match the years when we saw trouble.

16Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.

16Let your servants see the things you do. Let their children see how great you are.

17And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

17Let the kindness of the LORD our God rest on us. Make the work of our hands last. Yes, make our work last.