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1Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place
in generations all.
2Before thou ever hadst brought forth
the mountains great or small;
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Ere
ever thou hadst form'd the earth,
and all the world abroad;
Ev'n
thou from everlasting art
to everlasting God.
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3Thou dost unto destruction
man that is mortal turn;
And
unto them thou say'st, Again,
ye sons of men, return.
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4Because a thousand years appear
no more before thy sight
Than
yesterday, when it is past,
or than a watch by night.
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5As with an overflowing flood
thou carry'st them away:
They
like a sleep are, like the grass
that grows at morn are they.
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6At morn it flourishes and grows,
cut down at ev'n doth fade.
7For by thine anger we're consum'd,
thy wrath makes us afraid.
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8Our sins thou and iniquities
dost in thy presence place,
And
sett'st our secret faults before
the brightness of thy face.
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9For in thine anger all our days
do pass on to an end;
And
as a tale that hath been told,
so we our years do spend.
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10Threescore and ten years do sum up
our days and years, we see;
Or,
if, by reason of more strength,
in some fourscore they be:
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Yet
doth the strength of such old men
but grief and labour prove;
For
it is soon cut off, and we
fly hence, and soon remove.
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11Who knows the power of thy wrath?
according to thy fear
12So is thy wrath: Lord, teach thou us
our end in mind to bear;
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And
so to count our days, that we
our hearts may still apply
To
learn thy wisdom and thy truth,
that we may live thereby.
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13Turn yet again to us, O Lord,
how long thus shall it be?
Let
it repent thee now for those
that servants are to thee.
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14O with thy tender mercies, Lord,
us early satisfy;
So
we rejoice shall all our days,
and still be glad in thee.
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15According as the days have been,
wherein we grief have had,
And
years wherein we ill have seen,
so do thou make us glad.
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16O let thy work and pow'r appear
thy servants' face before;
And
shew unto their children dear
thy glory evermore:
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17And let the beauty of the Lord
our God be us upon:
Our
handy-works establish thou,
establish them each one.
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