Psalms 89
1 [A Psalm] of instruction for Aetham the Israelite. I will sing of your mercies, O Lord, for ever: I will declare your truth with my mouth 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 shall be built up for ever: your truth shall be established in the heavens.
For I have said, “Your unfailing love lasts forever; your faithfulness endures as long as the heavens.”
3 I made a covenant with my chosen ones, I sware 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 establish your seed for ever, and build up your throne to all generations. (Pause)
I will make sure your lineage lasts forever; I will keep your throne secure for all generations.” (Selah)
5 The heavens shall declare your wonders, O Lord; and your truth in the assembly of 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 in the heavens shall be compared to the Lord? and who shall be likened to the Lord amongst the sons of God?
For who in heaven can compare to the Lord? Who is like the Lord even among the angels?
7 God is glorified in the council of the saints; great and terrible towards all that are round about him.
The heavenly council are in awe of God; all who surround him are overwhelmed by him.
8 O Lord God of hosts, who is like to you? you are mighty, O Lord, and your truth is round about you.
Lord God Almighty, who is as powerful as you? In all this, Lord, you are completely trustworthy.
9 You rule the power of the sea; and you calm the tumult of its waves.
You rule the restless seas; you calm their stormy waves.
10 You has brought down the proud as one that is slain; and with the arm of your power you has scattered your enemies.
You crushed Rahab the sea-monster to death; by your power you scattered your enemies.
11 The heavens are your, and the earth is your: you have founded the world, and the fullness of it.
The heavens belong to you, and the earth too; you made the world and everything in it.
12 You have created the north and the west: Thabor and Hermon shall rejoice in your name.
You created north and south; Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon celebrate you.
13 Your is the mighty arm: let your hand be strengthened, let your right hand be exalted.
Your arm is powerful. Your hand is strong. Your right hand is held up high in command.
14 Justice and judgement are the establishment of your throne: mercy and truth shall go 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 Blessed is the people that knows the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance.
How happy are those who know how to shout your praises, Lord. They live in the light of your presence.
16 And in your name shall they rejoice all the day: and in your righteousness shall they be exalted.
They celebrate the person you are all day long, so glad that you do what's right.
17 For you are the boast of their strength; and in your good pleasure shall our horn be exalted,
They rely on you, their glory and strength; by your grace you lift us up.
18 for [our] help is of the Lord; and of the Holy One of Israel, our king.
Yes, the Lord is the one who shields us, and our king belongs to the Holy One of Israel.
19 Then you spoke in vision to your children, and said, I have laid help on a mighty one; I have exalted one chosen out of my 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 found David my servant; I have anointed him by [my] holy mercy.
I have selected David my servant, and I have anointed him with the oil of my holiness.
21 For my hand shall support him; and mine arm shall strengthen him.
I have placed my hand on him to steady him; and I have made him strong by my powerful arm.
22 The enemy shall have no advantage against him; and the son of transgression shall not hurt him again.
His enemies will not deceive him; the wicked will not bring him down.
23 And I will hew down his foes before him, and put to flight those that hate him.
I will wipe out his enemies 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 trustworthiness and unfailing love will be with him, and through me he will be victorious.
25 And I will set 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 shall call upon me, [saying], You are my Father, my God, and the helper 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 [my] firstborn, higher than 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, and my covenant [shall be] firm with him.
I will love him faithfully forever; my agreement with him shall never come to an end.
29 And I will establish his seed for ever and ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
I will make sure his royal line lasts forever; his dynasty will continue as long as the heavens endure.
30 If his children should forsake my law, and walk not in my judgements;
But if his descendants abandon my laws, if they do not follow my rules,
31 if they should profane my ordinances, and not keep my commandments;
if they break my decrees, and do not keep my commandments,
32 I will visit their transgressions with a rod, and their sins with scourges.
I will punish their rebellion by beating them with a rod, and their sin by lashing them with a whip.
33 But my mercy I will not utterly remove from him, nor wrong my truth.
However, I will not take away my love from him; I will not break my promise to him.
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 annul the agreement I have with him; I will not alter a single word I've said.
35 Once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie to David.
By my holy character I have made a vow to David that I will not lie to him.
36 His see shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me;
His royal line will last forever, and his dynasty will continue before me as long as the sun endures.
37 and as the moon [that is] established for ever, and as the faithful witness in heaven. (Pause)
It will continue forever like the moon, an enduring witness in the heavens.” (Selah)
38 But you have cast off and set at nothing, you has rejected your anointed.
But you have rejected and abandoned him! You are angry with your chosen king!
39 You have overthrown the covenant of your servant; you has profaned his sanctuary, [casting it] to the ground.
You have broken the agreement you had with him; you have thrown his crown to the ground!
40 You have broken down all his hedges; you have made his strong holds a terror.
You have torn down his defensive walls; you have ruined his fortresses.
41 All that go by the way have spoiled him: he is become a reproach to his neighbours.
Everyone who passes by has robbed him; he has become an object of mockery to the nations nearby.
42 You have exalted the right hand of his enemies; you have made all his enemies to rejoice.
You have made his enemies strong; you have made them celebrate their victory.
43 You have turned back the help of his sword, and have not helped him in the battle.
You have repelled his sharp sword; you have not helped him in battle.
44 You have deprived him of glory: you have broken down his throne to the ground.
You took away his glory; you threw his throne to the ground.
45 You have shortened the days of his throne: you have poured shame upon him. (Pause)
You have made him grow old before his time; you have totally humiliated him. (Selah)
46 How long, O Lord, will you turn away, for ever? shall your anger flame out as fire?
How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself from us forever, your anger burning like fire?
47 Remember what my being is: for have you created all the sons of men in vain?
Remember me—my life is so short! Why did you bother creating futile humanity?
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)
There's no one who doesn't die—no one can save themselves from the power of the grave. (Selah) (Sheol h7585)
49 Where are your ancient mercies, O Lord, which you sware to David in your truth?
Where is the trustworthy love you used to have, Lord, that you faithfully promised to David?
50 Remember, O Lord, the reproach of your servants, which I have borne in my bosom, [even the reproach] of many nations;
Don't forget, Lord, how your servants are being humiliated! I'm burdened down with the insults of so many nations!
51 wherewith your enemies have reviled, O Lord: wherewith they have reviled the recompense of your anointed.
Your enemies taunt me, Lord, mocking your king wherever he goes.
52 Blessed be the Lord for ever. So be it, so be it.
May the Lord be blessed for ever. Amen and amen.
