Domine, refugium. A prayer for the mercy of God: recounting the shortness and miseries of the days of man.

 1 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.

 2 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 saeculo et usque in saeculum tu es Deus.

 3 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.

 4 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 quae praeteriit, et custodia in nocte;

 5 Things that are counted nothing, shall their years be.
quae pro nihilo habentur eorum anni erunt.

 6 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.

 7 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.

 8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thy eyes: our life in the light of thy countenance.
Posuisti iniquitates nostras in conspectu tuo, saeculum nostrum in illuminatione vultus tui.

 9 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;

 10 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.

 11 Who knoweth the power of thy anger, and for thy fear
Quis novit potestatem irae tuae,

 12 Can number thy wrath? So make thy right hand known: and men learned in heart, in wisdom.
et prae timore tuo iram tuam dinumerare? Dexteram tuam sic notam fac, et eruditos corde in sapientia.

 13 Return, O Lord, how long? and be entreated in favour of thy servants.
Convertere, Domine; usquequo? et deprecabilis esto super servos tuos.

 14 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.

 15 We have rejoiced for the days in which thou hast humbled us: for the years in which we have seen evils.
Laetati sumus pro diebus quibus nos humiliasti, annis quibus vidimus mala.

 16 Look upon thy servants and upon their works: and direct their children.
Respice in servos tuos et in opera tua, et dirige filios eorum.

 17 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.