Study Desk

BOOK IV

Psalms 90–106

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)

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)

If only we knew the power of your anger! Your wrath^(p) is as great as the fear that is your due.^(q)

Teach us to number our days,^(r) that we may gain a heart of wisdom.^(s)

Relent, Lord ! How long^(t) will it be? Have compassion on your servants.^(u)

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)

Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.

May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children.^(z)

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)

Whoever dwells in the shelter^(a) of the Most High will rest in the shadow^(b) of the Almighty.^[a]

I will say of the Lord , "He is my refuge^(c) and my fortress,^(d) my God, in whom I trust."

Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare^(e) and from the deadly pestilence.^(f)

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;^(g) his faithfulness will be your shield^(h) and rampart.

You will not fear⁽ⁱ⁾ 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.^(j)

If you say, "The Lord is my refuge," and you make the Most High your dwelling,

no harm^(k) will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.

For he will command his angels^(l) concerning you to guard you in all your ways;^(m)

they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.⁽ⁿ⁾

You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.^(o)

"Because he^[b] loves me," says the Lord , "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.^(p)

With long life^(q) I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.^(r)"

A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.

It is good to praise the Lord and make music^(a) to your name,^(b) O Most High,^(c)

proclaiming your love in the morning^(d) and your faithfulness at night,

to the music of the ten-stringed lyre^(e) and the melody of the harp.^(f)

For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord ; I sing for joy^(g) at what your hands have done.^(h)

How great are your works,⁽ⁱ⁾ Lord , how profound your thoughts!^(j)

Senseless people^(k) do not know, fools do not understand,

that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.^(l)

But you, Lord , are forever exalted.

For surely your enemies^(m), Lord , surely your enemies will perish; all evildoers will be scattered.⁽ⁿ⁾

You have exalted my horn^[b](o) like that of a wild ox;^(p) fine oils^(q) have been poured on me.

My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries; my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.^(r)

The righteous will flourish^(s) like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;^(t)

planted in the house of the Lord , they will flourish in the courts of our God.^(u)

They will still bear fruit^(v) in old age, they will stay fresh and green,

proclaiming, "The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.^(w)"

The Lord reigns,^(a) he is robed in majesty;^(b) the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength;^(c) indeed, the world is established,^(d) firm and secure.^(e)

Your throne was established^(f) long ago; you are from all eternity.^(g)

The seas^(h) have lifted up, Lord , the seas have lifted up their voice;⁽ⁱ⁾ the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.^(j)

Mightier than the thunder^(k) of the great waters, mightier than the breakers^(l) of the sea— the Lord on high is mighty.^(m)

Your statutes, Lord , stand firm; holiness⁽ⁿ⁾ adorns your house^(o) for endless days.

The Lord is a God who avenges.^(a) O God who avenges, shine forth.^(b)

Rise up,^(c) Judge^(d) of the earth; pay back^(e) to the proud what they deserve.

How long, Lord , will the wicked, how long will the wicked be jubilant?^(f)

They pour out arrogant^(g) words; all the evildoers are full of boasting.^(h)

They crush your people,⁽ⁱ⁾ Lord ; they oppress your inheritance.^(j)

They slay the widow^(k) and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless.^(l)

They say, "The Lord does not see;^(m) the God of Jacob⁽ⁿ⁾ takes no notice."

Take notice, you senseless ones^(o) among the people; you fools, when will you become wise?

Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?^(p)

Does he who disciplines^(q) nations not punish? Does he who teaches^(r) mankind lack knowledge?

The Lord knows all human plans;^(s) he knows that they are futile.^(t)

Blessed is the one you discipline,^(u) Lord , the one you teach^(v) from your law;

you grant them relief from days of trouble,^(w) till a pit^(x) is dug for the wicked.

For the Lord will not reject his people;^(y) he will never forsake his inheritance.

Judgment will again be founded on righteousness,^(z) and all the upright in heart^(aa) will follow it.

Who will rise up^(ab) for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?^(ac)

Unless the Lord had given me help,^(ad) I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.^(ae)

When I said, "My foot is slipping,^(af)" your unfailing love, Lord , supported me.

When anxiety^(ag) was great within me, your consolation^(ah) brought me joy.

Can a corrupt throne^(ai) be allied with you— a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?^(aj)

The wicked band together^(ak) against the righteous and condemn the innocent^(al) to death.^(am)

But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock^(an) in whom I take refuge.^(ao)

He will repay^(ap) them for their sins and destroy^(aq) them for their wickedness; the Lord our God will destroy them.

Come,^(a) let us sing for joy^(b) to the Lord ; let us shout aloud^(c) to the Rock^(d) of our salvation.

Let us come before him^(e) with thanksgiving^(f) and extol him with music^(g) and song.

For the Lord is the great God,^(h) the great King⁽ⁱ⁾ above all gods.^(j)

In his hand are the depths of the earth,^(k) and the mountain peaks belong to him.

The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.^(l)

Come, let us bow down^(m) in worship,⁽ⁿ⁾ let us kneel^(o) before the Lord our Maker;^(p)

for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture,^(q) the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice,

"Do not harden your hearts^(r) as you did at Meribah,^[a](s) as you did that day at Massah^[b] in the wilderness,^(t)

where your ancestors tested^(u) me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did.

For forty years^(v) I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray,^(w) and they have not known my ways.'^(x)

So I declared on oath^(y) in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.'"^(z)