The Book of Psalms

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

- Chapter 90 -

The Lord is our dwelling place

A prayer of Moses, the man of God. O Lord, you have been our refuge from generation to generation.

Before the mountains became, or the land was formed along with the world: from ages past, even to all ages, you are God.

And, lest man be turned aside in humiliation, you have said: Be converted, O sons of men.(a)

For a thousand years before your eyes are like the days of yesterday, which have passed by, and they are like a watch of the night,

which was held for nothing: so their years shall be.(b)

In the morning, he may pass away like grass; in the morning, he may flower and pass away. In the evening, he will fall, and harden, and become dry.

For, at your wrath, we have withered away, and we have been disturbed by your fury.

You have placed our iniquities in your sight, our age in the illumination of your countenance.

For all our days have faded away, and at your wrath, we have fainted. Our years will be considered to be like a spider’s web.(c)

The days of our years in them are seventy years. But in the powerful, they are eighty years, and more of these are with hardship and sorrow. For mildness has overwhelmed us, and we shall be corrected.(d)

Who knows the power of your wrath? And, before fear, can your wrath

be numbered? So make known your right hand, along with men learned in heart, in wisdom.

Return, O Lord, how long? And may you be persuaded on behalf of your servants.

We were filled in the morning with your mercy, and we exulted and delighted all our days.

We have been rejoicing, because of the days in which you humbled us, because of the years in which we saw evils.

Look down upon your servants and upon their works, and direct their sons.

And may the splendor of the Lord our God be upon us. And so, direct the works of our hands over us; direct even the work of our hands.

Footnotes

(a)89:3 Turn not man away, etc:Suffer him not quite to perish from you, since you are pleased to call upon him to be converted to you.(Challoner)

(b)89:5 Either the watch of the night was considered to be nothing (meaningless, valueless), or it was uneventful (nothing to report on that watch), or even futile.(Conte)

(c)89:9 As a spider:As frail and weak as a spider’s web; and miserable withal, whilst like a spider we spend our bowels in weaving webs to catch flies.(Challoner)

(d)89:10 Mildness is come upon us, etc:God’s mildness corrects us; inasmuch as he deals kindly with us, in shortening the days of this miserable life; and so weaning our affections from all its transitory enjoyments, and teaching us true wisdom.(Challoner)