1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place
in generations all.
2 Before 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.
3 Thou dost unto destruction
man that is mortal turn;
And unto them thou say’st, Again,
ye sons of men, return.
4 Because a thousand years appear
no more before thy sight
Than yesterday, when it is past,
or than a watch by night.
5 As with an overflowing flood
thou carry’st them away:
They like a sleep are, like the grass
that grows at morn are they.
6 At morn it flourishes and grows,
cut down at ev’n doth fade.
7 For by thine anger we’re consum’d,
thy wrath makes us afraid.
8 Our sins thou and iniquities
dost in thy presence place,
And sett’st our secret faults before
the brightness of thy face.
9 For 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.
10 Threescore 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.
Verses 11-17 to the tune of To Us A Child of Hope Is Born
11 Who knows the power of thy wrath?
according to thy fear
12 So 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.
13 Turn yet again to us, O Lord,
how long thus shall it be?
Let it repent thee now for those
that servants are to thee.
14 O with thy tender mercies, Lord,
us early satisfy;
So we rejoice shall all our days,
and still be glad in thee.
15 According as the days have been,
wherein we grief have had,
And years wherein we ill have seen,
so do thou make us glad.
16 O let thy work and pow’r appear
thy servants’ face before;
And shew unto their children dear
thy glory evermore:
17 And let the beauty of the Lord
our God be us upon:
Our handy-works establish thou,
establish them each one.