BOOK IV From Everlasting to Everlasting 3 UST { When people die,} you cause their corpses to become soil again; you change their corpses to become dirt like that from which{ the first} man was created. BSB BSB: You return man to dust, saying, “Return, O sons of mortals.”
4 UST When you consider time, a thousand years are{ as short as} one day that passes; you consider that they are{ as short as} a few hours in the night. BSB BSB: For in Your sight a thousand years are but a day that passes, or a watch of the night.
5 UST You cause people to die suddenly; they live{ only a short time} as a dream lasts{ only a short time}. They are like grass in the morning that comes and goes. BSB BSB: You sweep them away in their sleep; they are like the new grass of the morning—
6 UST In the morning the grass sprouts and develops, then in the evening it dries up and completely withers. BSB BSB: in the morning it springs up new, but by evening it fades and withers.
7 UST Similarly,{ because of the sins that we commit,} you become angry with us; you terrify us and then you destroy us. BSB BSB: For we are consumed by Your anger and terrified by Your wrath.
8 UST It is as though you place our sins in front of you; spreading out even our secret sins where you can see them. BSB BSB: You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence.
9 UST Because you are angry with us, you cause our lives to end; the years that we live pass as quickly as a sigh passes. BSB BSB: For all our days decline in Your fury; we finish our years with a sigh.
10 UST People live for{ only} seventy years; if they are strong,{ some of them live} for eighty years. But throughout our time we have much pain and troubles; our lives soon end, and we die. BSB BSB: The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty if we are strong—yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
11 UST No one has fully experienced the powerful things that you can do to people when you are angry with them, No, people are not adequately afraid of how you can punish them because you are angry with them. BSB BSB: Who knows the power of Your anger? Your wrath matches the fear You are due.
12 UST So teach us to realize that we live for only a short time in order that we may think wisely{ about how we use our time}. BSB BSB: So teach us to number our days, that we may present a heart of wisdom.
13 UST Yahweh, how long will you be angry with us? Pity us who serve you. BSB BSB: Return, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on Your servants.
14 UST Each morning, show us that it is enough for us if you love us faithfully as you have promised that you would do.{ Show us this} so that we may shout joyfully and be happy all during the years that we live. BSB BSB: Satisfy us in the morning with Your loving devotion, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
15 UST Cause us now to be happy for as many years as you afflicted us and we experienced bad things. BSB BSB: Make us glad for as many days as You have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 UST Enable us who serve you to see the{ great} things that you do, and enable our descendants to see your glorious power{ also}. BSB BSB: May Your work be shown to Your servants, and Your splendor to their children.
17 UST Lord, our God, give us your blessings and enable us to be successful; yes, cause us to be successful in everything that we do! BSB BSB: May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish for us the work of our hands—yes, establish the work of our hands!
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.