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New International Version (NIV) |
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1 God, it seems you've been our home forever;
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1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.
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2 long before the mountains were born, Long before you brought earth itself to birth, from "once upon a time" to "kingdom come" - you are God.
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2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
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3 So don't return us to mud, saying, "Back to where you came from!"
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3 You turn men back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men."
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4 Patience! You've got all the time in the world - whether a thousand years or a day, it's all the same to you.
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4 For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.
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5 Are we no more to you than a wispy dream, no more than a blade of grass
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5 You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning--
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6 That springs up gloriously with the rising sun and is cut down without a second thought?
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6 though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered.
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7 Your anger is far and away too much for us; we're at the end of our rope.
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7 We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation.
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8 You keep track of all our sins; every misdeed since we were children is entered in your books.
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8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
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9 All we can remember is that frown on your face. Is that all we're ever going to get?
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9 All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.
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10 We live for seventy years or so (with luck we might make it to eighty), And what do we have to show for it? Trouble. Toil and trouble and a marker in the graveyard.
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10 The length of our days is seventy years-- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
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11 Who can make sense of such rage, such anger against the very ones who fear you?
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11 Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.
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12 Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well!
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12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
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13 Come back, God - how long do we have to wait? - and treat your servants with kindness for a change.
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13 Relent, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants.
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14 Surprise us with love at daybreak; then we'll skip and dance all the day long.
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14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
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15 Make up for the bad times with some good times; we've seen enough evil to last a lifetime.
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15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.
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16 Let your servants see what you're best at - the ways you rule and bless your children.
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16 May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children.
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17 And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us, confirming the work that we do. Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!
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17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us-- yes, establish the work of our hands.
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| Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved. (The Message Bible Online) |
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |
