The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 A prayer of Moshe the man of God: Adonai, you have been our dwelling place in every generation.
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<A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.> Lord, you have been our resting-place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were born, before you had formed the earth and the world, from eternity past to eternity future you are God.
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Before the mountains were made, before you had given birth to the earth and the world, before time was, and for ever, you are God.
3 You bring frail mortals to the point of being crushed, then say, "People, repent!"
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You send man back to his dust; and say, Go back, you children of men.
4 For from your viewpoint a thousand years are merely like yesterday or a night watch.
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For to you a thousand years are no more than yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night.
5 When you sweep them away, they become like sleep; by morning they are like growing grass,
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6 growing and flowering in the morning, but by evening cut down and dried up.
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In the morning it is green; in the evening it is cut down, and becomes dry.
7 For we are destroyed by your anger, overwhelmed by your wrath.
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We are burned up by the heat of your passion, and troubled by your wrath.
8 You have placed our faults before you, our secret sins in the full light of your presence.
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You have put our evil doings before you, our secret sins in the light of your face.
9 All our days ebb away under your wrath; our years die away like a sigh.
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For all our days have gone by in your wrath; our years come to an end like a breath.
10 The span of our life is seventy years, or if we are strong, eighty; yet at best it is toil and sorrow, over in a moment, and then we are gone.
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The measure of our life is seventy years; and if through strength it may be eighty years, its pride is only trouble and sorrow, for it comes to an end and we are quickly gone.
11 Who grasps the power of your anger and wrath to the degree that the fear due you should inspire?
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Who has knowledge of the power of your wrath, or who takes note of the weight of your passion?
12 So teach us to count our days, so that we will become wise.
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So give us knowledge of the number of our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, ADONAI! How long must it go on? Take pity on your servants!
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Come back, O Lord; how long? let your purpose for your servants be changed.
14 Fill us at daybreak with your love, so that we can sing for joy as long as we live.
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In the morning give us your mercy in full measure; so that we may have joy and delight all our days.
15 Let our joy last as long as the time you made us suffer, for as many years as we experienced trouble.
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Make us glad in reward for the days of our sorrow, and for the years in which we have seen evil.
16 Show your deeds to your servants and your glory to their children.
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Make your work clear to your servants, and your glory to their children.
17 May the favor of Adonai our God be on us, prosper for us all the work that we do -yes, prosper the work that we do.
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Let the pleasure of the Lord our God be on us: O Lord, give strength to the work of our hands.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.