Psalms 89
1 [A Psalm] of instruction for Aetham the Israelite. I will sing of thy mercies, O Lord, for ever: I will declare thy truth with my mouth to all generations.
A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing evermore of the love of the Lord, proclaiming to all generations his faithfulness.
2 For thou hast said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy truth shall be established in the heavens.
For your love you did promise to build up forever, your faithfulness firm as the heavens themselves.
3 I made a covenant with my chosen ones, I sware unto David my servant.
‘I have made with my chosen a covenant, and sworn to David my servant,
4 I will establish thy seed for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. (Pause)
to establish his seed forever, and to build up his throne to all ages.’ (Selah)
5 The heavens shall declare thy wonders, O Lord; and thy truth in the assembly of the saints.
Then the holy assembly in heaven praised your marvellous faithfulness, Lord.
6 For who in the heavens shall be compared to the Lord? and who shall be likened to the Lord among the sons of God?
For who in the skies may compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the gods?
7 God is glorified in the council of the saints; great and terrible toward all that are round about him.
A God to be feared in the holy assembly, awful and great above all who are round him.
8 O Lord God of hosts, who is like to thee? thou art mighty, O Lord, and thy truth is round about thee.
O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you? Your strength and faithfulness, Lord, surround you.
9 Thou rulest the power of the sea; and thou calmest the tumult of its waves.
You are the Lord of the raging sea: when its waves surge, it is you who still them.
10 Thou has brought down the proud as one that is slain; and with the arm of thy power thou has scattered thine enemies.
It was you who did pierce and crush Rahab in pieces, and scatter your foes by your mighty arm.
11 The heavens are thine, and the earth is thine: thou hast founded the world, and the fullness of it.
Yours are the heavens, yours also the earth, the world and its fulness, it’s you who did found them.
12 Thou hast created the north and the west: Thabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.
The north and the south, it’s you have created them; Tabor and Hermon shout praise to your name.
13 Thine is the mighty arm: let thy hand be strengthened, let thy right hand be exalted.
You have an arm with the might of a hero; strong is your hand, high uplifted your right hand.
14 Justice and judgment are the establishment of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.
Justice and right are the base of your throne, kindness and faithfulness ever attend you.
15 Blessed is the people that knows the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.
Happy the people who know the glad shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face.
16 And in thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.
They exult in your name all the day, and your righteousness they extol.
17 For thou art the boast of their strength; and in thy good pleasure shall our horn be exalted,
For you are our strength and our pride. Your favour will lift us to honour.
18 for [our] help is of the Lord; and of the Holy One of Israel, our king.
For the holy Lord of Israel keeps our defender and king.
19 Then thou spokest in vision to thy children, and saidst, I have laid help on a mighty one; I have exalted one chosen out of my people.
In a vision of old you did speak in this way to the one whom you loved: ‘A crown I have set on the hero I chose to be over the people
20 I have found David my servant; I have anointed him by [my] holy mercy.
‘I found my servant David, and anointed with holy oil.
21 For my hand shall support him; and mine arm shall strengthen him.
My hand will be with him forever, my arm will give him strength.
22 The enemy shall have no advantage against him; and the son of transgression shall not hurt him again.
‘No enemy will dare to assail him, nor the wicked to oppress him;
23 And I will hew down his foes before him, and put to flight those that hate him.
but his foes I will shatter before him, I will strike down those who hate him.
24 But my truth and my mercy shall be with him; and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
‘My loyal love shall attend him, and I will lift him to honour.
25 And I will set his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.
I will set his hand on the sea, and his right hand on the rivers.
26 He shall call upon me, [saying], Thou art my Father, my God, and the helper of my salvation.
‘As for him, he will call me “My father, my God, and my rock of salvation.”
27 And I will make him [my] first-born, higher than the kings of the earth.
And I will make him my firstborn, highest of kings on the earth.
28 I will keep my mercy for him for ever, and my covenant [shall be] firm with him.
‘My love will I keep for him ever, my covenant with him shall stand fast.
29 And I will establish his seed for ever and ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
His line will I make everlasting, and his throne as the days of the heavens.
30 If his children should forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;
‘If his children forsake my law, and walk not as I have ordained;
31 if they should profane my ordinances, and not keep my commandments;
if they profane my statutes, and do not keep my commandments;
32 I will visit their transgressions with a rod, and their sins with scourges.
‘I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with scourges.
33 But my mercy I will not utterly remove from him, nor wrong my truth.
But my love will I not take from him, nor will I belie my faithfulness.
34 Neither will I by any means profane my covenant; and I will not make void the things that proceed out of my lips.
‘I will not profane my covenant by changing the word that has passed my lips.
35 Once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie to David.
Once have I solemnly sworn and I would not lie to David,
36 His see shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me;
‘that his line should endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me,
37 and as the moon [that is] established for ever, and as the faithful witness in heaven. (Pause)
firm as the moon which for ever and ever is fixed in the sky.’ (Selah)
38 But thou hast cast off and set at nought, thou has rejected thine anointed.
But you have cast off in contempt, and been furious with your anointed.
39 Thou hast overthrown the covenant of thy servant; thou has profaned his sanctuary, [casting it] to the ground.
You have spurned the covenant with your servant, and his sacred crown dashed to the ground.
40 Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast made his strong holds a terror.
You have broken down all his walls, and laid his bulwarks in ruins.
41 All that go by the way have spoiled him: he is become a reproach to his neighbours.
All who pass on their way despoil him, the scorn of his neighbours is he now.
42 Thou hast exalted the right hand of his enemies; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.
You have given his foes the victory, and made all his enemies glad.
43 Thou hast turned back the help of his sword, and hast not helped him in the battle.
You have turned back his sword from the foe, you did not lift him up in the battle.
44 Thou hast deprived him of glory: thou hast broken down his throne to the ground.
The sceptre you took from his hand, and his throne you did hurl to the ground.
45 Thou hast shortened the days of his throne: thou hast poured shame upon him. (Pause)
You have shortened the days of his youth, and covered him with shame. (Selah)
46 How long, O Lord, wilt thou turn away, for ever? shall thine anger flame out as fire?
How long, Lord will you hide you forever? How long are the fires of your wrath to burn?
47 Remember what my being is: for hast thou created all the sons of men in vain?
Remember, Lord, the shortness of life how fleeting you made all people.
48 What man is there who shall live, and not see death? shall [any one] deliver his soul from the hand of Hades? (Pause) (Sheol h7585)
Who can live without seeing death? Who can rescue their life from the clutch of Sheol? (Selah) (Sheol h7585)
49 Where are thine ancient mercies, O Lord, which thou swarest to David in thy truth?
Where, Lord, is your kindness of old, which you in your faithfulness swore to David?
50 Remember, O Lord, the reproach of thy servants, which I have borne in my bosom, [even the reproach] of many nations;
Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked, how I bear in my heart the scorn of all nations
51 wherewith thine enemies have reviled, O Lord: wherewith they have reviled the recompense of thine anointed.
The scorn which your enemies hurl, O Lord, which they hurl at the footsteps of your anointed.
52 Blessed be the Lord for ever. So be it, so be it.
Blest be the Lord, for ever and ever. Amen and Amen.
