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TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 90

Translation and Transliteration of 

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1A prayer of Moshe, the man of Hashem. O Hashem, You have been our refuge in every generation.

t'-fi-LAH l'-mo-SHE ish ha-e-lo-HEEM a-do-NAI ma-ON a-TAH ha-YEE-ta LA-nu b'-DOR va-DOR

אתְּפִלָּה֮ לְמֹשֶׁ֢ה אִֽישׁ־הָאֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים אֲֽדֹנָ֗י מָע֣וֹן אַ֭תָּה הָיִ֥יתָ לָּ֗נוּ בְּדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר׃

2Before the mountains came into being, before You brought forth the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity You are Hashem.

b'-TE-rem ha-REEM yu-la-DO va-t'-kho-LEL e-RETZ v'-te-VAYL u-may-o-LAM ad-o-LAM a-TAH EL

בבְּטֶ֤רֶם ׀ הָ֘רִ֤ים יֻלָּ֗דוּ וַתְּח֣וֹלֵֽל אֶ֣רֶץ וְתֵבֵ֑ל וּֽמֵעוֹלָ֥ם עַד־ע֝וֹלָ֗ם אַתָּ֥ה אֵֽל׃

3You return man to dust; You decreed, “Return you mortals!”

ta-SHAYV e-NOSH ad da-KA va-TO-mer SHU-vu v'-nay a-DAM

גתָּשֵׁ֣ב אֱ֭נוֹשׁ עַד־דַּכָּ֑א וַ֝תֹּ֗אמֶר שׁ֣וּבוּ בְנֵֽי־אָדָֽם׃

 90:3   Return you mortals

This psalm was composed by Moshe, praising God’s relationship with mankind. The simple interpretation of this verse is that Hashem is so powerful that He decides when to give life and when to take it away. The Hebrew word daka (דכא), found in the first part of the verse, means ‘that which is crushed,’ and refers to the earth. The first part of the phrase therefore means “you return man to dust [of the earth].” The Rabbis, however, offer a homiletic interpretation. God, by bringing pain and suffering, causes man to return to His righteous ways. The Hebrew word shuv (שוב), ‘return,’ appears in both halves of the verse, and the connotation of daka refers to a crushing of one’s hubris to pave the way for a return to Hashem. According to this interpretation, the end of the verse means “Return you mortals – to Hashem.”

4For in Your sight a thousand years are like yesterday that has passed, like a watch of the night.

ki e-LEF sha-NEEM b'-ay-NE-kha k'-YOM et-MOL ki ya-a-VOR v'-ash-mu-RAH ba-la-y'-LAH

דכִּ֤י אֶ֪לֶף שָׁנִ֡ים בְּֽעֵינֶ֗יךָ כְּי֣וֹם אֶ֭תְמוֹל כִּ֣י יַֽעֲבֹ֑ר וְאַשְׁמוּרָ֥ה בַלָּֽיְלָה׃

5You engulf men in sleep; at daybreak they are like grass that renews itself;

ze-ram-TAM she-NAH yi-HU ba-BO-ker ke-cha-TZIR ya-cha-LOF

הזְ֭רַמְתָּם שֵׁנָ֣ה יִהְי֑וּ בַּ֝בֹּ֗קֶר כֶּחָצִ֥יר יַחֲלֹֽף׃

6at daybreak it flourishes anew; by dusk it withers and dries up.

ba-BO-ker ya-TZITS v'-kha-LAF la-E-REV ye-mo-LEL v'-ya-VESH

ובַּ֭בֹּקֶר יָצִ֣יץ וְחָלָ֑ף לָ֝עֶ֗רֶב יְמוֹלֵ֥ל וְיָבֵֽשׁ׃

7So we are consumed by Your anger, terror-struck by Your fury.

ki-ka-LEE-nu v'-a-PE-kha u-va-cha-ma-te-kha ni-v'-ha-l'-NU

זכִּֽי־כָלִ֥ינוּ בְאַפֶּ֑ךָ וּֽבַחֲמָתְךָ֥ נִבְהָֽלְנוּ׃

8You have set our iniquities before You, our hidden sins in the light of Your face.

sha-TAT a-vo-NOTAY-nu l'-NEG-de-KHA, a-LU-me-NU lim-OR pa-NE-kha

חשַׁתָּ֣ עֲוֺנֹתֵ֣ינוּ לְנֶגְדֶּ֑ךָ עֲ֝לֻמֵ֗נוּ לִמְא֥וֹר פָּנֶֽיךָ׃

9All our days pass away in Your wrath; we spend our years like a sigh.

ki kol-ya-MAY-nu PA-nu v'-ev-ra-TE-kha, ki-LEE-nu sha-NEE-nu k'-mo-he-GEH

טכִּ֣י כׇל־יָ֭מֵינוּ פָּנ֣וּ בְעֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ כִּלִּ֖ינוּ שָׁנֵ֣ינוּ כְמוֹ־הֶֽגֶה׃

10The span of our life is seventy years, or, given the strength, eighty years; but the best of them are trouble and sorrow. They pass by speedily, and we are in darkness.

y'-MEI sh'-no-TEI-nu va-HEM shi-VEEM sha-NAH v'-im bi-g'-vu-ROT sh'-mo-NEEM sha-NAH v'-ro-h'-BAM a-MAL va-a-VEN, ki-GAZ kh'-EESH va-NA-u-FAH.

ייְמֵֽי־שְׁנוֹתֵ֨ינוּ בָהֶ֥ם שִׁבְעִ֪ים שָׁנָ֡ה וְאִ֤ם בִּגְבוּרֹ֨ת ׀ שְׁמ֘וֹנִ֤ים שָׁנָ֗ה וְ֭רׇהְבָּם עָמָ֣ל וָאָ֑וֶן כִּי־גָ֥ז חִ֝֗ישׁ וַנָּעֻֽפָה׃

11Who can know Your furious anger? Your wrath matches the fear of You.

mi-YO-day oZ a-PE-kha u-khi-yir-a-te-KHA ev-ra-TE-kha

יאמִֽי־י֭וֹדֵעַ עֹ֣ז אַפֶּ֑ךָ וּ֝כְיִרְאָתְךָ֗ עֶבְרָתֶֽךָ׃

12Teach us to count our days rightly, that we may obtain a wise heart.

lim-NOT ya-ME-nu KEN ho-DA va-NA-ve lev-av kho-KH'-mah

יבלִמְנ֣וֹת יָ֭מֵינוּ כֵּ֣ן הוֹדַ֑ע וְ֝נָבִ֗א לְבַ֣ב חׇכְמָֽה׃

13Turn, Hashem! How long? Show mercy to Your servants.

SHU-va a-do-NAI ad-MA-tai, v'-hi-NA-khem al a-va-DE-kha

יגשׁוּבָ֣ה יְ֭הֹוָה עַד־מָתָ֑י וְ֝הִנָּחֵ֗ם עַל־עֲבָדֶֽיךָ׃

14Satisfy us at daybreak with Your steadfast love that we may sing for joy all our days.

sa-b'-E-nu va-BO-ker khas-DE-kha u-n'-ra-n'-NAH v'-nish-m'-HA b'-kol ya-MAY-nu

ידשַׂבְּעֵ֣נוּ בַבֹּ֣קֶר חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ וּֽנְרַנְּנָ֥ה וְ֝נִשְׂמְחָ֗ה בְּכׇל־יָמֵֽינוּ׃

15Give us joy for as long as You have afflicted us, for the years we have suffered misfortune.

sa-m'-khe-NU ki-MOT i-ni-TA-nu, sh'-NOT ra-I-nu ra-AH

טושַׂ֭מְּחֵנוּ כִּימ֣וֹת עִנִּיתָ֑נוּ שְׁ֝נ֗וֹת רָאִ֥ינוּ רָעָֽה׃

16Let Your deeds be seen by Your servants, Your glory by their children.

ye-RA-eh el-a-va-DE-kha po-e-LE-kha va-ha-da-RE-kha al be-NE-hem

טזיֵרָאֶ֣ה אֶל־עֲבָדֶ֣יךָ פׇעֳלֶ֑ךָ וַ֝הֲדָרְךָ֗ עַל־בְּנֵיהֶֽם׃

17May the favor of Hashem, our God, be upon us; let the work of our hands prosper, O prosper the work of our hands!

v'-yi-HI no-AM a-do-NAI e-lo-HAY-nu a-LE-nu u-ma-a-SEH ya-DEY-nu ko-n'-NAH a-LE-nu u-ma-a-SEH ya-DEY-nu ko-n'-NE-hu. (Selah)

יזוִיהִ֤י ׀ נֹ֤עַם אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ עָ֫לֵ֥ינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָ֭דֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָ֥ה עָלֵ֑ינוּ וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דֵ֗ינוּ כּוֹנְנֵֽהוּ׃