Lord, our mainstay, come! * Be ours from age to age!

Before the mountains were born, * or the earth and the world came to birth, * from eternity to eternity you are!

    Do not send man back to the Slime, * nor say, “Back, you sons of men!”

    For a thousand years before your eyes * just pass like yesterday, * like a watch in the night.

        If you pluck them at night, * at dawn they are like grass that was cut.

        It sprouts in the morning, * is cut in the evening, * and withers and dries.

    We are really consumed by your anger * and worn out by your rage.

    You have kept our offenses before you, * the sins of our youth in the light of your face.

        All our days have passed away * under your fury;

            we are finished; * our years are like a sigh.

           Our life, then, lasts seventy years, * and if heaven wills, eighty.

       So arrogance is harmful and wrong; * pleasure is fleeting, and we too vanish.

    Who can understand the violence of your anger, * or that those who fear you can undergo your fury.

    So teach us to number our days * that we might gain the heart of wisdom.

        Return, Yahweh! Why so long? * Have pity on your servants.

        Fill us at daybreak with your love, * that we may shout for joy and happiness all our days.

    Make our happiness equal the days you afflicted us, * the years we saw disaster.

    Let your action be manifest to your servants, * and your dominion to their children.

May the graciousness of the Lord * our God be upon us!

The work of our hands * may he sustain for our good.

The work of our hands * mayhe sustain for himself.