CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. IV
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Corpus Psalterium · Vol. IV

Psalm XC (90)

Cantillated — Reflective Lament Turning

Paul Whitehorn

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Psalm 90 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

A Prayer by Moses, the man of God.

1

Lord, you have been our dwelling place for all generations.

תְּפִלָּה֮ לְמֹשֶׁ֪ה אִֽישׁ־הָאֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים אֲֽדֹנָ֗י מָע֣וֹן אַ֭תָּה הָיִ֥יתָ לָּ֗נוּ בְּדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר׃

2

Before the mountains were born, before you had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.

בְּטֶ֤רֶם ׀ הָ֘רִ֤ים יֻלָּ֗דוּ וַתְּח֣וֹלֵֽל אֶ֣רֶץ וְתֵבֵ֑ל וּֽמֵעוֹלָ֥ם עַד־ע֝וֹלָ֗ם אַתָּ֥ה אֵֽל׃

3

You turn man to destruction, saying, “Return, you children of men.”

תָּשֵׁ֣ב אֱ֭נוֹשׁ עַד־דַּכָּ֑א וַ֝תֹּ֗אמֶר שׁ֣וּבוּ בְנֵי־אָדָֽם׃

4

For a thousand years in your sight are just like yesterday when it is past, like a watch in the night.

כִּ֤י אֶ֪לֶף שָׁנִ֡ים בְּֽעֵינֶ֗יךָ כְּי֣וֹם אֶ֭תְמוֹל כִּ֣י יַעֲבֹ֑ר וְאַשְׁמוּרָ֥ה בַלָּֽיְלָה׃

5

You sweep them away as they sleep. In the morning they sprout like new grass.

זְ֭רַמְתָּם שֵׁנָ֣ה יִהְי֑וּ בַּ֝בֹּ֗קֶר כֶּחָצִ֥יר יַחֲלֹֽף׃

6

In the morning it sprouts and springs up. By evening, it is withered and dry.

בַּ֭בֹּקֶר יָצִ֣יץ וְחָלָ֑ף לָ֝עֶ֗רֶב יְמוֹלֵ֥ל וְיָבֵֽשׁ׃

7

For we are consumed in your anger. We are troubled in your wrath.

כִּֽי־כָלִ֥ינוּ בְאַפֶּ֑ךָ וּֽבַחֲמָתְךָ֥ נִבְהָֽלְנוּ׃

8

You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.

שת עֲוֺנֹתֵ֣ינוּ לְנֶגְדֶּ֑ךָ עֲ֝לֻמֵ֗נוּ לִמְא֥וֹר פָּנֶֽיךָ׃

9

For all our days have passed away in your wrath. We bring our years to an end as a sigh.

כִּ֣י כָל־יָ֭מֵינוּ פָּנ֣וּ בְעֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ כִּלִּ֖ינוּ שָׁנֵ֣ינוּ כְמוֹ־הֶֽגֶה׃

10

The days of our years are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty years; yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for it passes quickly, and we fly away.

יְמֵֽי־שְׁנוֹתֵ֨ינוּ בָהֶ֥ם שִׁבְעִ֪ים שָׁנָ֡ה וְאִ֤ם בִּגְבוּרֹ֨ת ׀ שְׁמ֘וֹנִ֤ים שָׁנָ֗ה וְ֭רָהְבָּם עָמָ֣ל וָאָ֑וֶן כִּי־גָ֥ז חִ֝֗ישׁ וַנָּעֻֽפָה׃

11

Who knows the power of your anger, your wrath according to the fear that is due to you?

מִֽי־י֭וֹדֵעַ עֹ֣ז אַפֶּ֑ךָ וּ֝כְיִרְאָתְךָ֗ עֶבְרָתֶֽךָ׃

12

So teach us to count our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

לִמְנ֣וֹת יָ֭מֵינוּ כֵּ֣ן הוֹדַ֑ע וְ֝נָבִ֗א לְבַ֣ב חָכְמָֽה׃

13

Relent, Yahweh! How long? Have compassion on your servants!

שׁוּבָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה עַד־מָתָ֑י וְ֝הִנָּחֵ֗ם עַל־עֲבָדֶֽיךָ׃

14

Satisfy us in the morning with your loving kindness, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

שַׂבְּעֵ֣נוּ בַבֹּ֣קֶר חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ וּֽנְרַנְּנָ֥ה וְ֝נִשְׂמְחָ֗ה בְּכָל־יָמֵֽינוּ׃

15

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

שַׂ֭מְּחֵנוּ כִּימ֣וֹת עִנִּיתָ֑נוּ שְׁ֝נ֗וֹת רָאִ֥ינוּ רָעָֽה׃

16

Let your work appear to your servants, your glory to their children.

יֵרָאֶ֣ה אֶל־עֲבָדֶ֣יךָ פָעֳלֶ֑ךָ וַ֝הֲדָרְךָ֗ עַל־בְּנֵיהֶֽם׃

17

Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us. Establish the work of our hands for us. Yes, establish the work of our hands.

וִיהִ֤י ׀ נֹ֤עַם אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ עָ֫לֵ֥ינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָ֭דֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָ֥ה עָלֵ֑ינוּ וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דֵ֗ינוּ כּוֹנְנֵֽהוּ׃

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.

Lord

You have been our dwelling place

(In every generation

in every generation)

Before the mountains were born

(You are God

You are God)

From everlasting to everlasting

(You are God)

You return man to dust

(return to dust

return to dust)

You say return

(return

return)

sons of Adam

A thousand years in Your sight

(Like yesterday

like yesterday)

Like a watch in the night

(in the night

in the night)

You sweep them away

they are like sleep

(like sleep

like sleep)

In the morning like grass it passes

(it passes

it passes)

In the morning it sprouts and passes

In the evening it dries

(it fades

it fades)

Teach us

to number our days

(Teach us

teach us)

Teach us

to number our days

(that we may bring

that we may bring)

That we may bring

a heart of wisdom

(heart of wisdom

heart of wisdom)

Return O LORD

how long

(how long

how long)

Relent over Your servants

(Your servants

Your servants)

We are consumed by Your anger

(consumed

consumed)

By Your wrath we are dismayed

(dismayed

dismayed)

You have set our iniquities before You

(before You

before You)

Our hidden sins in the light of Your face

(in Your light

in Your light)

All our days pass away

(pass away

pass away)

We finish our years like a breath

(a breath

a breath)

The days of our years are seventy

(seventy

seventy)

Or eighty in strength

(eighty

eighty)

Yet their pride is toil and trouble

(toil and trouble

toil and trouble)

Soon it is cut off

(cut off

cut off)

We fly away

(we fly away

we fly away)

Teach us

to number our days

(Teach us

teach us)

Teach us

to number our days

(that we may bring

that we may bring)

That we may bring

a heart of wisdom

(heart of wisdom

heart of wisdom)

Return O LORD

how long

(how long

how long)

Relent over Your servants

(Your servants

Your servants)

Satisfy us in the morning

(in the morning

in the morning)

with Your steadfast love

(steadfast love

steadfast love)

That we may rejoice and be glad

(all our days

all our days)

Make us glad according to the days You afflicted us

(the days

the days)

The years we have seen evil

(we have seen evil

we have seen evil)

Let Your work be seen to Your servants

(be seen

be seen)

Your majesty upon their children

(Your majesty

Your majesty)

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us

(be upon us

be upon us)

Establish the work of our hands

(establish

establish)

Yes establish the work of our hands

(the work of our hands

the work of our hands)

Teach us

to number our days

(Teach us

teach us)

Teach us

to number our days

(that we may bring

that we may bring)

That we may bring

a heart of wisdom

(heart of wisdom

heart of wisdom)

Return O LORD

how long

(how long

how long)

Relent over Your servants

(Your servants

Your servants)

Establish the work of our hands

(establish

establish)

From everlasting

to everlasting

(You are God

You are God)

You are God

(You are God)

Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.

Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.

About these songs. They are a summary and a commentary on the Psalms, not a word-for-word translation. Read what these songs are →

What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not

These songs are not a word-for-word translation of the Psalms. They were never meant to be. Nor do they try to capture every idea in every psalm. In a song, that would be impossible.

What we have done is capture the essence of each psalm: what matters most in it. Think of each song as a summary. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The purpose of the psalm is still being met. God's word to mankind is still being heard.

Behind many of these lines is word research: deep study of the meaning of the Hebrew. So where a line sounds different from your translation, and you think it is wrong, study it. We believe you will find that the essence of what we sing is true.

The truth is that no one can set the Psalms to music without also becoming a commentator. That is what this is. It is a modern commentary on the Psalms: not only the Psalms themselves, and not only the Psalms being sung. So do not think that every word of the psalm is here. It is not. Read the psalm itself, in full.

Why do this at all? Because we believe God intended humanity to be surrounded by His word. This was always the entertainment He wanted us to have: not hours of television, not a day lost in a phone looking at nonsense. The blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates on God's word day and night. How can we meditate on His word if we do not surround ourselves with it?

As ministers, our first responsibility is to share God's word with people. That is what these songs are for.

Paul Whitehorn