Lord, you have been a hide-out for us generation after generation.

Before the mountains were born,

or before you had painfully given birth to earth and world,

From everlasting to everlasting,

you are God.

You turn human beings back to dust,

You thereby say:

"Turn back, human children."

A thousand years to you is like yesterday when it is over,

Like a sentry’s time at night.

You scatter them, they are sleep--

In the morning it flourishes like grass,

In the morning it sprouts and flourishes,

at evening it withers and dries up.

Aye, we are finished off by your anger,

we are thrown into confusion by your wrath.

You put our iniquities before yourself,

Our secret sins under the light of your face.

All our days lose face because of your hot displeasure.;

our years come to an end like a sigh.

As for the days of our years--in them are seventy years,

and if, because of strength, eighty years,

Their scurrying is toil and trouble,

for it passes away quickly and off we fly.

Who knows the power of your anger?

The fear of you matches your hot displeasure.

So teach us to measure our days,

so that we can bring our heart to wisdom.

Turn back, Yahweh. How long?

Change your mind about your servants.

Satisfy us every morning with your love unfailing,

Then we will give a ringing cheer and rejoice all our days.

Make us rejoice as many days as you have afflicted us,

as many years as we have seen calamities.

Let your deed be seen by your servants,

your majesty by their descendants.

Let the pleasantness of the Lord our God be upon us.

Make sure for us the deeds of our hands.

The deeds of our hands make sure.

 

© Ralph W. Klein

December 22, 1999