Psalms 89
1 Maschil. Of Ethan the Ezrahite. My song will be of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make his faith clear to all generations.
A psalm (maskil) of Ethan the Ezraite I will sing of the Lord's trustworthy love forever; I will tell all generations of your faithfulness.
2 For you have said, Mercy will be made strong for ever; my faith will be unchanging in the heavens.
For I have said, “Your unfailing love lasts forever; your faithfulness endures as long as the heavens.”
3 I have made an agreement with the man of my selection, I have made an oath to David my servant;
You said, “I have made an agreement with my chosen one, I gave a binding promise to my servant David:
4 I will make your seed go on for ever, your kingdom will be strong through all generations. (Selah)
I will make sure your lineage lasts forever; I will keep your throne secure for all generations.” (Selah)
5 In heaven let them give praise for your wonders, O Lord; and your unchanging faith among the saints.
All the heavenly beings will sing of the wonderful things you have done, Lord; angels will gather to sing of your faithfulness.
6 For who is there in the heavens in comparison with the Lord? who is like the Lord among the sons of the gods?
For who in heaven can compare to the Lord? Who is like the Lord even among the angels?
7 God is greatly to be feared among the saints, and to be honoured over all those who are about him.
The heavenly council are in awe of God; all who surround him are overwhelmed by him.
8 O Lord God of armies, who is strong like you, O Jah? and your unchanging faith is round about you.
Lord God Almighty, who is as powerful as you? In all this, Lord, you are completely trustworthy.
9 You have rule over the sea in storm; when its waves are troubled, you make them calm.
You rule the restless seas; you calm their stormy waves.
10 Rahab was crushed by you like one wounded to death; with your strong arm you put to flight all your haters.
You crushed Rahab the sea-monster to death; by your power you scattered your enemies.
11 Yours are the heavens, and the earth is yours; you have made the world, and everything which is in it.
The heavens belong to you, and the earth too; you made the world and everything in it.
12 You have made the north and the south; Tabor and Hermon are sounding with joy at your name.
You created north and south; Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon celebrate you.
13 Yours is an arm of power; strong is your hand and high your right hand.
Your arm is powerful. Your hand is strong. Your right hand is held up high in command.
14 The seat of your kingdom is resting on righteousness and right judging: mercy and good faith come before your face.
Your character of goodness and fairness is the basis for the way you rule; dependable love and trustworthiness are always with you.
15 Happy are the people who have knowledge of the holy cry: the light of your face, O Lord, will be shining on their way.
How happy are those who know how to shout your praises, Lord. They live in the light of your presence.
16 In your name will they have joy all the day: in your righteousness will they be lifted up.
They celebrate the person you are all day long, so glad that you do what's right.
17 For you are the glory of their strength; in your pleasure will our horn be lifted up.
They rely on you, their glory and strength; by your grace you lift us up.
18 For our breastplate is the Lord; and our king is the Holy One of Israel's.
Yes, the Lord is the one who shields us, and our king belongs to the Holy One of Israel.
19 Then your voice came to your holy one in a vision, saying, I have put the crown on a strong one, lifting up one taken from among the people.
Once you spoke in a vision to your faithful servant and said, “I have given strength to the warrior I have chosen from the people to become king.
20 I have made discovery of David my servant; I have put my holy oil on his head.
I have selected David my servant, and I have anointed him with the oil of my holiness.
21 My hand will be his support; my arm will give him strength.
I have placed my hand on him to steady him; and I have made him strong by my powerful arm.
22 The deceit of those who are against him will not overcome him; he will not be troubled by the sons of evil.
His enemies will not deceive him; the wicked will not bring him down.
23 I will have those who are against him broken before his face, and his haters will be crushed under my blows.
I will wipe out his enemies before him; I will strike down those who hate him.
24 But my faith and my mercy will be with him; and in my name will his horn be lifted up.
My trustworthiness and unfailing love will be with him, and through me he will be victorious.
25 I will put his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.
I will extend his rule from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River.
26 He will say to me, You are my father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.
He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.’
27 And I will make him the first of my sons, most high over the kings of the earth.
I will also make him my first-born son, the highest of the kings of the earth.
28 I will keep my mercy for him for ever; my agreement with him will not be changed.
I will love him faithfully forever; my agreement with him shall never come to an end.
29 His seed will keep their place for ever; his kingdom will be eternal, like the heavens.
I will make sure his royal line lasts forever; his dynasty will continue as long as the heavens endure.
30 If his children give up my law, and are not ruled by my decisions;
But if his descendants abandon my laws, if they do not follow my rules,
31 If my rules are broken, and my orders are not kept;
if they break my decrees, and do not keep my commandments,
32 Then I will send punishment on them for their sin; my rod will be the reward of their evil-doing.
I will punish their rebellion by beating them with a rod, and their sin by lashing them with a whip.
33 But I will not take away my mercy from him, and will not be false to my faith.
However, I will not take away my love from him; I will not break my promise to him.
34 I will be true to my agreement; the things which have gone out of my lips will not be changed.
I will not annul the agreement I have with him; I will not alter a single word I've said.
35 I have made an oath once by my holy name, that I will not be false to David.
By my holy character I have made a vow to David that I will not lie to him.
36 His seed will not come to an end for ever; the seat of his kingdom will be like the sun before me.
His royal line will last forever, and his dynasty will continue before me as long as the sun endures.
37 It will be fixed for ever like the moon; and the witness in heaven is true. (Selah)
It will continue forever like the moon, an enduring witness in the heavens.” (Selah)
38 But you have put him away in disgust; you have been angry with the king of your selection.
But you have rejected and abandoned him! You are angry with your chosen king!
39 You have made your agreement with your servant of no effect: you have had no respect for his crown, it has come down even to the earth.
You have broken the agreement you had with him; you have thrown his crown to the ground!
40 All his walls are broken down; you have given his strong towers to destruction.
You have torn down his defensive walls; you have ruined his fortresses.
41 All those who come by take away his goods; he is laughed at by his neighbours.
Everyone who passes by has robbed him; he has become an object of mockery to the nations nearby.
42 You have given power to the right hand of his haters; you have made glad all those who are against him.
You have made his enemies strong; you have made them celebrate their victory.
43 His sword is turned back; you have not been his support in the fight.
You have repelled his sharp sword; you have not helped him in battle.
44 You have put an end to his glory: the seat of his kingdom has been levelled to the earth.
You took away his glory; you threw his throne to the ground.
45 You have made him old before his time; he is covered with shame. (Selah)
You have made him grow old before his time; you have totally humiliated him. (Selah)
46 How long, O Lord, will you Keep yourself for ever from our eyes? how long will your wrath be burning like fire?
How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself from us forever, your anger burning like fire?
47 See how short my time is; why have you made all men for no purpose?
Remember me—my life is so short! Why did you bother creating futile humanity?
48 What man now living will not see death? will he be able to keep back his soul from the underworld? (Selah) (Sheol h7585)
There's no one who doesn't die—no one can save themselves from the power of the grave. (Selah) (Sheol h7585)
49 Lord, where are your earlier mercies? where is the oath which you made to David in unchanging faith?
Where is the trustworthy love you used to have, Lord, that you faithfully promised to David?
50 Keep in mind, O Lord, the shame of your servants, and how the bitter words of all the people have come into my heart;
Don't forget, Lord, how your servants are being humiliated! I'm burdened down with the insults of so many nations!
51 The bitter words of your haters, O Lord, shaming the footsteps of your king.
Your enemies taunt me, Lord, mocking your king wherever he goes.
52 Let the Lord be praised for ever. So be it, So be it.
May the Lord be blessed for ever. Amen and amen.
