A Prayer of Moses the man of God.

8,6,8,6

^1Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place

in generations all.

^2Before thou ever hadst brought forth

the mountains great or small;

Ere ever thou hadst form'd the earth,

and all the world abroad;

Ev'n thou from everlasting art

to everlasting God.

^3Thou dost unto destruction

man that is mortal turn;

And unto them thou say'st, Again,

ye sons of men, return.

^4Because a thousand years appear

no more before thy sight

Than yesterday, when it is past,

or than a watch by night.

^5As with an overflowing flood

thou carry'st them away:

They like a sleep are, like the grass

that grows at morn are they.

^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.

^8Our sins thou and iniquities

dost in thy presence place,

And sett'st our secret faults before

the brightness of thy face.

^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.

^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:

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.

^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;

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.

^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.

^14O with thy tender mercies, Lord,

us early satisfy;

So we rejoice shall all our days,

and still be glad in thee.

^15According as the days have been,

wherein we grief have had,

And years wherein we ill have seen,

so do thou make us glad.

^16O let thy work and pow'r appear

thy servants' face before;

And shew unto their children dear

thy glory evermore:

^17And let the beauty of the Lord

our God be us upon:

Our handy-works establish thou,

establish them each one.