Psalm 90-106

Contemporary English Version

³ At your command we die
    and turn back to dust,
^4 (A) but a thousand years
    mean nothing to you!
They are merely a day gone by
    or a few hours in the night.

⁵ You bring our lives to an end
    just like a dream.
We are merely tender grass
⁶     that sprouts and grows
in the morning,
    but dries up by evening.
⁷ Your furious anger frightens
    and destroys us,
⁸ and you know all our sins,
    even those we do in secret.

⁹ Your anger is a burden
each day we live,
    then life ends like a sigh.
^10 (B) We can expect seventy years,
or maybe eighty,
    if we are healthy,
but even our best years
    bring trouble and sorrow.
Suddenly our time is up,
    and we disappear.
¹¹ No one knows the full power
    of your furious anger,
but it is as great as the fear
    that we owe to you.
¹² Teach us to use wisely
    all the time we have.

¹³ Help us, Lord! Don't wait!
    Pity your servants.
¹⁴ When morning comes,
let your love satisfy
    all our needs.
Then we can celebrate
and be glad for what time
    we have left.
¹⁵ Make us happy for as long
as you caused us trouble
    and sorrow.
¹⁶ Do wonderful things for us,
    your servants,
and show your mighty power
    to our children.
¹⁷ Our Lord and our God,
    treat us with kindness
and let all go well for us.
    Please let all go well!

³ The Lord will keep you safe
from secret traps
    and deadly diseases.
⁴ He will spread his wings
over you
    and keep you secure.
His faithfulness is like
    a shield or a city wall.^[a]

⁵ You won't need to worry
about dangers at night
    or arrows during the day.
⁶ And you won't fear diseases
that strike in the dark
    or sudden disaster at noon.

⁷ You will not be harmed,
though thousands fall
    all around you.
⁸ And with your own eyes
you will see the punishment
    of the wicked.
⁹ The Lord Most High
    is your fortress.
Run to him for safety,
¹⁰ and no terrible disasters
    will strike you
    or your home.

^11 (C) God will command his angels
to protect you
    wherever you go.
^12 (D) They will carry you
    in their arms,
and you won't hurt your feet
    on the stones.
^13 (E) You will overpower
the strongest lions
    and the most deadly snakes.

¹⁴ The Lord says, “If you love me
    and truly know who I am,
I will rescue you
    and keep you safe.
¹⁵ When you are in trouble,
    call out to me.
I will answer and be there
    to protect and honor you.
¹⁶ You will live a long life
    and see my saving power.”

⁵ You do great things, Lord.
    Your thoughts are too deep
^6 (F) for an ignorant fool
    to know or understand.
⁷ Though the wicked sprout
    and spread like grass,
they will be pulled up
    by their roots.
⁸ But you will rule
    over all of us forever,
⁹ and your hateful enemies
will be scattered
    and then destroyed.

¹⁰ You have given me
    the strength of a wild ox,
and you have chosen me
    to be your very own.
¹¹ My eyes have seen,
    and my ears have heard
the doom and destruction
    of my evil enemies.

¹² Good people will prosper
    like palm trees,
and they will grow strong
    like the cedars of Lebanon.
¹³ They will take root
in your house, Lord God,
    and they will do well.
¹⁴ They will be like trees
that stay healthy and fruitful,
    even when they are old.
¹⁵ And they will say about you,
“The Lord always does right!
    God is our mighty rock.”^[b]

³ The ocean is roaring, Lord!
    The sea is pounding hard.
⁴ Its mighty waves are majestic,
but you are even more majestic,
    and you rule over all.
⁵ Your decisions are firm,
and your temple will always
    be beautiful and holy.

⁴ All of those cruel people
    strut and boast,
⁵ and they crush and wound
    your chosen nation, Lord.
⁶ They murder widows,
    foreigners, and orphans.
⁷ Then they say,
“The Lord God of Jacob
    doesn't see or know.”

⁸ Can't you fools see?
    Won't you ever learn?
⁹ God gave us ears and eyes!
    Can't he hear and see?
¹⁰ God instructs the nations
and gives knowledge to us all.
    Won't he also correct us?
^11 (G) The Lord knows how useless
    our plans really are.

¹² Our Lord, you bless everyone
that you instruct and teach
    by using your Law.
¹³ You give them rest
    from their troubles,
until a pit can be dug
    for the wicked.
¹⁴ You won't turn your back
    on your chosen nation.
¹⁵ Justice and fairness
    will go hand in hand,
and all who do right
    will follow along.

¹⁶ Who will stand up for me
    against those cruel people?
¹⁷ If you had not helped me, Lord,
I would soon have gone
    to the land of silence.^[c]
18 When I felt my feet slipping,
you came with your love
    and kept me steady.
¹⁹ And when I was burdened
    with worries,
you comforted me
    and made me feel secure.
²⁰ But you are opposed
    to dishonest lawmakers
²¹ who gang up to murder
    innocent victims.

²² You, Lord God, are my fortress,
that mighty rock^[d]
    where I am safe.
²³ You will pay back my enemies,
and you will wipe them out
    for the evil they did.

³ The Lord is the greatest God,
    king over all other gods.
⁴ He holds the deepest part
    of the earth in his hands,
and the mountain peaks
    also belong to him.
⁵ The ocean is the Lord's
    because he made it,
and with his own hands
    he formed the dry land.

⁶ Bow down and worship
    the Lord our Creator!
^7 (H)(I) The Lord is our God,
    and we are his people,
the sheep he takes care of
    in his own pasture.

Listen to God's voice today!
^8 (J) Don't be stubborn and rebel
    as your ancestors did
at Meribah and Massah^[f]
    out in the desert.
⁹ For forty years
they tested God and saw
    the things he did.
¹⁰ Then God got tired of them
    and said,
“You never show good sense,
and you don't understand
    what I want you to do.”
^11 (K) In his anger, God told them,
“You people will never enter
    my place of rest.”

Day after day announce,
    “The Lord has saved us!”
³ Tell every nation on earth,
“The Lord is wonderful
    and does marvelous things!
⁴ The Lord is great and deserves
    our greatest praise!
He is the only God
    worthy of our worship.
⁵ Other nations worship idols,
but the Lord created
    the heavens.
⁶ Give honor and praise
    to the Lord,
whose power and beauty
    fill his holy temple.”

^7 (L) Tell everyone of every nation,
“Praise the glorious power
    of the Lord.
⁸ He is wonderful! Praise him
and bring an offering
    into his temple.
⁹ Everyone on earth, now tremble
and worship the Lord,
    majestic and holy.”

¹⁰ Announce to the nations,
    “The Lord is King!
The world stands firm,
    never to be shaken,
and he will judge its people
    with fairness.”

¹¹ Tell the heavens and the earth
    to be glad and celebrate!
Command the ocean to roar
    with all its creatures
¹² and the fields to rejoice
    with all their crops.
Then every tree in the forest
will sing joyful songs
¹³     to the Lord.
He is coming to judge
all people on earth
    with fairness and truth.

⁶ The heavens announce,
“The Lord brings justice!”
    Everyone sees God's glory.
⁷ Those who brag about
the useless idols they worship
    are terribly ashamed,
and all the false gods
    bow down to the Lord.

⁸ When the people of Zion
    and of the towns of Judah
hear that God brings justice,
    they will celebrate.
⁹ The Lord rules the whole earth,
and he is more glorious
    than all the false gods.

¹⁰ Love the Lord
    and hate evil!
God protects his loyal people
and rescues them
    from violence.
¹¹ If you obey and do right,
a light will show you the way
    and fill you with happiness.
¹² You are the Lord's people!
So celebrate and praise
    the only God.

⁴ Tell everyone on this earth
to sing happy songs
    in praise of the Lord.
⁵ Make music for him on harps.
    Play beautiful melodies!
⁶ Sound the trumpets and horns
and celebrate with joyful songs
    for our Lord and King!

⁷ Command the ocean to roar
    with all its creatures,
and the earth to shout
    with all its people.
⁸ Order the rivers
    to clap their hands,
and all the hills
    to sing together.
⁹ Let them worship the Lord!
He is coming to judge
    everyone on the earth,
and he will be honest
    and fair.

⁶ Moses and Aaron were two
    of your priests.
Samuel was also one of those
    who prayed in your name,
and you, our Lord,
    answered their prayers.
^7 (N) You spoke to them
from a thick cloud,
    and they obeyed your laws.

⁸ Our Lord and our God,
you answered their prayers
    and forgave their sins,
but when they did wrong,
    you punished them.
⁹ We praise you, Lord God,
    and we worship you
at your sacred mountain.
    Only you are God!

³ You know the Lord is God!
He created us,
    and we belong to him;
we are his people,
    the sheep in his pasture.

⁴ Be thankful and praise the Lord
    as you enter his temple.
^5 (O) The Lord is good!
His love and faithfulness
    will last forever.

³ I refuse to be corrupt
or to take part
    in anything crooked,
⁴ and I won't be dishonest
    or deceitful.

⁵ Anyone who spreads gossip
    will be silenced;
no one who is conceited
    will be my friend.

⁶ I will find trustworthy people
    to serve as my advisors;
only an honest person
    will serve as an official.

⁷ No one who cheats or lies
will have a position
    in my royal court.
⁸ Each morning I will silence
    any lawbreakers I find
in the countryside
    or in the city of the Lord.

³ My days disappear like smoke,
and my bones are burning
    as though in a furnace.
⁴ I am wasting away like grass,
    and my appetite is gone.
⁵ My groaning never stops,
and my bones can be seen
    through my skin.
⁶ I am like a lonely owl
    in the desert
⁷ or a restless sparrow
    alone on a roof.

⁸ My enemies insult me all day,
and they use my name
    for a curse word.
⁹ Instead of food,
I have ashes to eat
    and tears to drink,
¹⁰ because you are furious
    and have thrown me aside.
¹¹ My life fades like a shadow
at the end of day
    and withers like grass.

¹² Our Lord, you are King forever
    and will always be famous.
¹³ You will show pity to Zion
    because the time has come.
¹⁴ We, your servants,
    love each stone in the city,
and we are sad to see them
    lying in the dirt.

¹⁵ Our Lord, the nations
    will honor you,
and all kings on earth
    will praise your glory.
¹⁶ You will rebuild
    the city of Zion.
Your glory will be seen,
¹⁷ and the prayers of the homeless
    will be answered.

¹⁸ Future generations must also
praise the Lord,
    so write this for them:
¹⁹ “From his holy temple,
the Lord looked down
    at the earth.
²⁰ He listened to the groans
    of prisoners,
and he rescued everyone
    who was doomed to die.”

²¹ All Jerusalem should praise
    you, our Lord,
²² when people from every nation
    meet to worship you.

²³ I should still be strong,
but you, Lord, have made
    an old person of me.
²⁴ You will live forever!
Years mean nothing to you.
    Don't cut my life in half!

^25 (P) In the beginning, Lord,
you laid the earth's foundation
    and created the heavens.
²⁶ They will all disappear
    and wear out like clothes.
You change them,
as you would a coat,
    but you last forever.
²⁷ You are always the same.
    You are God for all time.
²⁸ Every generation of those
who serve you
    will live in your presence.

³ The Lord forgives our sins,
heals us when we are sick,
⁴     and protects us from death.
His kindness and love
    are a crown on our heads.
⁵ Each day that we live,^[i]
    he provides for our needs
and gives us the strength
    of a young eagle.

⁶ For all who are mistreated,
    the Lord brings justice.
⁷ He taught his Law to Moses
and showed all Israel
    what he could do.

^8 (Q) The Lord is merciful!
He is kind and patient,
    and his love never fails.
⁹ The Lord won't always be angry
    and point out our sins;
¹⁰ he doesn't punish us
    as our sins deserve.

¹¹ How great is God's love for all
    who worship him?
Greater than the distance
    between heaven and earth!
¹² How far has the Lord taken
    our sins from us?
Farther than the distance
    from east to west!

¹³ Just as parents are kind
    to their children,
the Lord is kind
    to all who worship him,
¹⁴ because he knows
    we are made of dust.
¹⁵ We humans are like grass
or wild flowers
    that quickly bloom.
¹⁶ But a scorching wind blows,
and they quickly wither
    to be forever forgotten.

¹⁷ The Lord is always kind
    to those who worship him,
and he keeps his promises
to their descendants
¹⁸ who faithfully obey him.

¹⁹ God has set up his kingdom
in heaven, and he rules
    the whole creation.
²⁰ All of you mighty angels,
who obey God's commands,
    come and praise your Lord!
²¹ All of you thousands
who serve and obey God,
    come and praise your Lord!
²² All of God's creation
and all that he rules,
    come and praise your Lord!
With all my heart
    I praise the Lord!

⁵ You built foundations
for the earth, and it
    will never be shaken.
⁶ You covered the earth
with the ocean that rose
    above the mountains.
⁷ Then your voice thundered!
And the water flowed
⁸     down the mountains
and through the valleys
    to the place you prepared.
⁹ Now you have set boundaries,
so that the water will never
    flood the earth again.

¹⁰ You provide streams of water
    in the hills and valleys,
¹¹ so that the donkeys
and other wild animals
    can satisfy their thirst.
¹² Birds build their nests nearby
    and sing in the trees.
¹³ From your home above
you send rain on the hills
    and water the earth.
¹⁴ You let the earth produce
    grass for cattle,
    plants for our food,
¹⁵     wine to cheer us up,
    olive oil for our skin,
    and grain for our health.

¹⁶ Our Lord, your trees
    always have water,
and so do the cedars
    you planted in Lebanon.
¹⁷ Birds nest in those trees,
and storks make their home
    in the fir trees.
¹⁸ Wild goats find a home
    in the tall mountains,
and small animals can hide
    between the rocks.

¹⁹ You created the moon
    to tell us the seasons.
The sun knows when to set,
²⁰     and you made the darkness,
so the animals in the forest
    could come out at night.
²¹ Lions roar as they hunt
    for the food you provide.
²² But when morning comes,
    they return to their dens,
²³ then we go out to work
    until the end of day.

²⁴ Our Lord, by your wisdom
    you made so many things;
the whole earth is covered
    with your living creatures.
²⁵ But what about the ocean
    so big and wide?
It is alive with creatures,
    large and small.
^26 (S) And there are the ships,
    as well as Leviathan,^[j]
the monster you created
    to splash in the sea.

²⁷ All of these depend on you
    to provide them with food,
²⁸ and you feed each one
with your own hand,
    until they are full.
²⁹ But when you turn away,
    they are terrified;
when you end their life,
    they die and rot.
³⁰ You created all of them
    by your Spirit,
and you give new life
    to the earth.

³¹ Our Lord, we pray
that your glory
    will last forever
and that you will be pleased
    with what you have done.
³² You look at the earth,
    and it trembles.
You touch the mountains,
    and smoke goes up.
³³ As long as I live,
I will sing and praise you,
    the Lord God.
³⁴ I hope my thoughts
    will please you,
because you are the one
    who makes me glad.

³⁵ Destroy all wicked sinners
from the earth
    once and for all.
With all my heart
I praise you, Lord!
    I praise you!

⁴ Trust the Lord
    and his mighty power.
⁵ Remember his miracles
and all his wonders
    and his fair decisions.
⁶ You belong to the family
    of Abraham, his servant;
you are his chosen ones,
    the descendants of Jacob.

⁷ The Lord is our God,
bringing justice
    everywhere on earth.
⁸ He will never forget
his agreement or his promises,
    not in thousands of years.
* ^9 (U) God made an eternal promise
^{10     (V)} to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
¹¹ when he said, “I'll give you
    the land of Canaan.”

¹² At the time there were
only a few of us,
    and we were homeless.
¹³ We wandered from nation
to nation, from one country
    to another.
^14 (W) God did not let anyone
    mistreat our people.
Instead he protected us
    by punishing rulers
¹⁵ and telling them,
“Don't touch my chosen leaders
    or harm my prophets!”

^16 (X) God kept crops from growing
until food was scarce
    everywhere in the land.
^17 (Y) But he had already sent Joseph,
    sold as a slave into Egypt,
^18 (Z) with chains of iron
    around his legs and neck.

¹⁹ Joseph remained a slave
until his own words
    had come true,
and the Lord had finished
    testing him.
^20 (AA) Then the king of Egypt
    set Joseph free
^21 (AB) and put him in charge
    of everything he owned.
²² Joseph was in command
    of the officials,
and he taught the leaders
    how to use wisdom.

^23 (AC) Jacob and his family
came and settled in Egypt
    as foreigners.
^24 (AD) They were the Lord's people,
so he let them grow stronger
    than their enemies.
²⁵ They served the Lord,
and he made the Egyptians plan
    hateful things against them.
^26 (AE) God sent his servant Moses.
He also chose and sent Aaron
²⁷     to his people in Egypt,
and they worked miracles
    and wonders there.
^28 (AF) Moses and Aaron obeyed God,
and he sent darkness
    to cover Egypt.
^29 (AG) God turned their rivers
into streams of blood,
    and the fish all died.
^30 (AH) Frogs were everywhere,
    even in the royal palace.
^31 (AI) When God gave the command,
flies and gnats
    swarmed all around.

^32 (AJ) In place of rain,
God sent hailstones
    and flashes of lightning.
³³ He destroyed their grapevines
    and their fig trees,
and he made splinters
    of all the other trees.
^34 (AK) God gave the command,
and more grasshoppers came
    than could be counted.
³⁵ They ate every green plant
and all the crops that grew
    in the land of Egypt.
^36 (AL) Then God took the life
    of every first-born son.

^37 (AM) When God led Israel from Egypt,
they took silver and gold,
    and no one was left behind.
³⁸ The Egyptians were afraid
    and gladly let them go.
^39 (AN) God hid them under a cloud
and guided them by fire
    during the night.

^40 (AO) When they asked for food,
he sent more birds
    than they could eat.
^41 (AP) God even split open a rock,
and streams of water
    gushed into the desert.
⁴² God never forgot
his sacred promise
    to his servant Abraham.

⁴³ When the Lord rescued
his chosen people from Egypt,
    they celebrated with songs.
^44 (AQ) The Lord gave them the land
and everything else
    the nations had worked for.
⁴⁵ He did this so that his people
would obey all his laws.
    Shout praises to the Lord!

⁴ Remember me, Lord,
when you show kindness
    by saving your people.
⁵ Let me prosper with the rest
    of your chosen ones,
as they celebrate with pride
    because they belong to you.

⁶ We and our ancestors
    have sinned terribly.
^7 (AS) When they were in Egypt,
    they paid no attention
to your marvelous deeds
    or your wonderful love.
And they turned against you
    at the Red Sea.^[k]

⁸ But you were true to your name,
and you rescued them to prove
    how mighty you are.
^9 (AT) You said to the Red Sea,^[l]
    “Dry up!”
Then you led your people across
    on land as dry as a desert.
¹⁰ You saved all of them
¹¹ and drowned every one
    of their enemies.
^12 (AU) Then your people trusted you
    and sang your praises.

¹³ But they soon forgot
what you had done
    and rejected your advice.
^14 (AV) They became greedy for food
and tested you there
    in the desert.
¹⁵ So you gave them
    what they wanted,
but later you destroyed them
    with a horrible disease.

^16 (AW) Everyone in camp was jealous
of Moses and of Aaron,
    your chosen priest.
¹⁷ Dathan and Abiram rebelled,
and the earth opened up
    and swallowed them.
¹⁸ Then fire broke out
and destroyed all
    of their followers.

^19 (AX) At Horeb your people
made and worshiped the statue
²⁰     of a bull, instead of you,
    their glorious God.
²¹ You worked powerful miracles
    to save them from Egypt,
but they forgot about you
²² and the fearsome things
    you did at the Red Sea.^[m]
23 You were angry and started
    to destroy them,
but Moses, your chosen leader,
    begged you not to do it.

^24 (AY) They would not trust
    you, Lord,
and they did not like
    the promised land.
²⁵ They would not obey you,
and they grumbled
    in their tents.
²⁶ So you threatened them
by saying, “I'll kill you
    out here in the desert!
^27 (AZ) I'll scatter your children
    everywhere in the world.”

^28 (BA) Your people became followers
    of a god named Baal Peor,
and they ate sacrifices
    offered to the dead.^[n]
29 They did such terrible things
that you punished them
    with a deadly disease.
³⁰ But Phinehas^[o] helped them,
    and the sickness stopped.
³¹ Now he will always
    be highly honored.

^32 (BB) At Meribah Spring^[p]
they turned against you
    and made you furious.
³³ Then Moses got into trouble
    for speaking in anger.

^34 (BC) Our Lord, they disobeyed you
by refusing to destroy
    the nations.
³⁵ Instead they were friendly
with those foreigners
    and followed their customs.
³⁶ Then they fell into the trap
    of worshiping idols.
^37 (BD) They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to demons
^{38     (BE)} and to the gods of Canaan.
Then they poured out the blood
of these innocent children
    and made the land filthy.
³⁹ By doing such gruesome things,
    they also became filthy.

^40 (BF) Finally, Lord, you were angry
and terribly disgusted
    with your people.
⁴¹ So you put them in the power
    of nations that hated them.
⁴² They were mistreated and abused
    by their enemies,
⁴³ but you saved them
    time after time.
They were determined to rebel,
and their sins caused
    their downfall.

⁴⁴ You answered their prayers
    when they were in trouble.
⁴⁵ You kept your agreement
    and were so merciful
⁴⁶ that their enemies
    had pity on them.

^47 (BG) Save us, Lord God!
Bring us back
    from among the nations.
Let us celebrate and shout
    in praise of your holy name.

⁴⁸ Lord God of Israel,
you deserve to be praised
    forever and ever.
Let everyone say, “Amen!
    Shout praises to the Lord!”