A prayer of Moses the man of God.
Lord, thou hast been our refuge from generation to generation.

Oratio Moysi, hominis Dei.
Domine, refugium factus es nobis a generatione in generationem.

(A prayer. Of Moses, the man of God.)
Lord, thou hast been our refuge from generation to generation.

Before the mountains were made, or the earth and the world was formed; from eternity and to eternity thou art God.

Priusquam montes fierent, aut formaretur terra et orbis, a sæculo et usque in sæculum tu es, Deus.

Before the hills came to birth, before the whole frame of the world was engendered, from eternity to eternity, O God, thou art.

Turn not man away to be brought low: and thou hast said: Be converted, O ye sons of men.

Ne avertas hominem in humilitatem: et dixisti: Convertimini, filii hominum.

And wilt thou bring man to dust again, that thou sayest, Return, children of Adam, to what you were?

For a thousand years in thy sight are as yesterday, which is past. And as a watch in the night,

Quoniam mille anni ante oculos tuos tamquam dies hesterna quæ præteriit: et custodia in nocte

In thy sight, a thousand years are but as yesterday, that has come and gone, or as one of the night-watches.

things that are counted nothing, shall their years be.

quæ pro nihilo habentur, eorum anni erunt.

Swiftly thou bearest our lives away, as a waking dream,

In the morning man shall grow up like grass; in the morning he shall flourish and pass away: in the evening he shall fall, grow dry, and wither.

Mane sicut herba transeat; mane floreat, et transeat; vespere decidat, induret, et arescat.

or the green grass that blooms fresh with the morning; night finds it faded and dead.

For in thy wrath we have fainted away: and are troubled in thy indignation.

Quia defecimus in ira tua, et in furore tuo turbati sumus.

Still thy anger takes toll of us, thy displeasure denies us rest,

Thou hast set our iniquities before thy eyes: our life in the light of thy countenance.

Posuisti iniquitates nostras in conspectu tuo; sæculum nostrum in illuminatione vultus tui.

so jealous thy scrutiny of our wrong-doing, so clear our hidden sins shew in the light of thy presence.

For all our days are spent; and in thy wrath we have fainted away. Our years shall be considered as a spider:

Quoniam omnes dies nostri defecerunt, et in ira tua defecimus. Anni nostri sicut aranea meditabuntur;

Day after day vanishes, and still thy anger lasts; swift as a breath our lives pass away.

the days of our years in them are threescore and ten years. But if in the strong they be fourscore years: and what is more of them is labour and sorrow. For mildness is come upon us: and we shall be corrected.

dies annorum nostrorum in ipsis septuaginta anni. Si autem in potentatibus octoginta anni, et amplius eorum labor et dolor; quoniam supervenit mansuetudo, et corripiemur.

What is our span of days? Seventy years it lasts, eighty years, if lusty folk we be; for the more part, toil and frustration; years that vanish in a moment, and we are gone.

Who knoweth the power of thy anger, and for thy fear

Quis novit potestatem iræ tuæ, et præ timore tuo iram tuam

Alas, that so few heed thy vengeance,

can number thy wrath? So make thy right hand known: and men learned in heart, in wisdom.

dinumerare? Dexteram tuam sic notam fac, et eruditos corde in sapientia.

measure thy anger by the reverence we owe thee! Teach us to count every passing day, till our hearts find wisdom.

Return, O Lord, how long? and be entreated in favour of thy servants.

Convertere, Domine; usquequo? et deprecabilis esto super servos tuos.

Relent, Lord; must it be for ever? Be gracious to thy servants.

We are filled in the morning with thy mercy: and we have rejoiced, and are delighted all our days.

Repleti sumus mane misericordia tua; et exsultavimus, et delectati sumus omnibus diebus nostris.

For us thy timely mercies, for us abiding happiness and content;

We have rejoiced for the days in which thou hast humbled us: for the years in which we have seen evils.

Lætati sumus pro diebus quibus nos humiliasti; annis quibus vidimus mala.

happiness that shall atone for the time when thou didst afflict us, for the long years of ill fortune.

Look upon thy servants and upon their works: and direct their children.

Respice in servos tuos et in opera tua, et dirige filios eorum.

Let these eyes see thy purpose accomplished, to our own sons reveal thy glory; the favour of the Lord our God smile on us! Prosper our doings, Lord, prosper our doings yet.

And let the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us: and direct thou the works of our hands over us; yea, the work of our hands do thou direct.

Et sit splendor Domini Dei nostri super nos, et opera manuum nostrarum dirige super nos, et opus manuum nostrarum dirige.