BOOK 4
A Prayer by Moses, the man of God.
1Lord, You have been our dwelling place for all generations.
2Before the mountains were born,
before You had formed the earth and the world,
even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
3You turn man to destruction, saying,
“Return, you children of men.”
4For a thousand years in Your sight are just like yesterday when it is past,
like a watch in the night.
5You sweep them away as they sleep.
In the morning they sprout like new grass.
6In the morning it sprouts and springs up.
By evening, it is withered and dry.
7For we are consumed in Your anger.
We are troubled in Your wrath.
8You have set our iniquities before You,
our secret sins in the light of Your presence.
9For all our days have passed away in Your wrath.
We bring our years to an end as a sigh.
10The days of our years are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty years;
yet their pride is but labor and sorrow,
for it passes quickly, and we fly away.
11Who knows the power of Your anger,
Your wrath according to the fear that is due to You?
12So teach us to count our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
13Relent, Lord!
How long?
Have compassion on Your servants!
14Satisfy us in the morning with Your loving kindness,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15Make us glad for as many days as You have afflicted us,
for as many years as we have seen evil.
16Let Your work appear to Your servants,
Your glory to their children.
17Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us.
Establish the work of our hands for us.
Yes, establish the work of our hands.
1Oratio Moysi, hominis Dei. Domine, refugium factus es nobis a generatione in generationem. 2Priusquam montes fierent, aut formaretur terra et orbis, a sæculo et usque in sæculum tu es, Deus. 3Ne avertas hominem in humilitatem: et dixisti: Convertimini, filii hominum. 4Quoniam mille anni ante oculos tuos tamquam dies hesterna quæ præteriit: et custodia in nocte 5quæ pro nihilo habentur, eorum anni erunt. 6Mane sicut herba transeat; mane floreat, et transeat; vespere decidat, induret, et arescat. 7Quia defecimus in ira tua, et in furore tuo turbati sumus. 8Posuisti iniquitates nostras in conspectu tuo; sæculum nostrum in illuminatione vultus tui. 9Quoniam omnes dies nostri defecerunt, et in ira tua defecimus. Anni nostri sicut aranea meditabuntur; 10dies annorum nostrorum in ipsis septuaginta anni. Si autem in potentatibus octoginta anni, et amplius eorum labor et dolor; quoniam supervenit mansuetudo, et corripiemur. 11Quis novit potestatem iræ tuæ, et præ timore tuo iram tuam 12dinumerare? Dexteram tuam sic notam fac, et eruditos corde in sapientia. 13Convertere, Domine; usquequo? et deprecabilis esto super servos tuos. 14Repleti sumus mane misericordia tua; et exsultavimus, et delectati sumus omnibus diebus nostris. 15Lætati sumus pro diebus quibus nos humiliasti; annis quibus vidimus mala. 16Respice in servos tuos et in opera tua, et dirige filios eorum. 17Et sit splendor Domini Dei nostri super nos, et opera manuum nostrarum dirige super nos, et opus manuum nostrarum dirige.