Psalms 89
1 Of understanding, for Ethan the Ezrahite. The mercies of the Lord I will sing for ever. I will shew forth thy truth with my mouth to generation and generation.
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 thou hast said: Mercy shall be built up for ever in the heavens: thy truth shall be prepared in them.
For I have said, “Your unfailing love lasts forever; your faithfulness endures as long as the heavens.”
3 I have made a covenant with my elect: I have sworn 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 Thy seed will I settle for ever. And I will build up thy throne unto generation and generation.
I will make sure your lineage lasts forever; I will keep your throne secure for all generations.” (Selah)
5 The heavens shall confess thy wonders, O Lord: and thy truth in the church 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 clouds can be compared to the Lord: or who among the sons of God shall be like to God?
For who in heaven can compare to the Lord? Who is like the Lord even among the angels?
7 God, who is glorified in the assembly of the saints: great and terrible above all them that are 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 thee? thou art mighty, O Lord, and thy truth is round about thee.
Lord God Almighty, who is as powerful as you? In all this, Lord, you are completely trustworthy.
9 Thou rulest the power of the sea: and appeasest the motion of the waves thereof.
You rule the restless seas; you calm their stormy waves.
10 Thou hast humbled the proud one, as one that is slain: with the arm of thy strength thou hast scattered thy enemies.
You crushed Rahab the sea-monster to death; by your power you scattered your enemies.
11 Thine are the heavens, and thine is the earth: the world and the fulness thereof thou hast founded:
The heavens belong to you, and the earth too; you made the world and everything in it.
12 The north and the sea thou hast created. Thabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name:
You created north and south; Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon celebrate you.
13 Thy arm is with might. Let thy hand be strengthened, and thy right hand exalted:
Your arm is powerful. Your hand is strong. Your right hand is held up high in command.
14 Justice and judgment are the preparation of thy throne. Mercy and truth shall go before thy 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 knoweth jubilation. They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance:
How happy are those who know how to shout your praises, Lord. They live in the light of your presence.
16 And in thy name they shall rejoice all the day, and in thy justice they shall be exalted.
They celebrate the person you are all day long, so glad that you do what's right.
17 For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy 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 protection is of the Lord, and of our king the holy one of Israel.
Yes, the Lord is the one who shields us, and our king belongs to the Holy One of Israel.
19 Then thou spokest in a vision to thy saints, and saidst: I have laid help upon one that is mighty, and 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: with my holy oil I have anointed him.
I have selected David my servant, and I have anointed him with the oil of my holiness.
21 For my hand shall help him: and my 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 over him: nor the son of iniquity have power to hurt him.
His enemies will not deceive him; the wicked will not bring him down.
23 And I will cut down his enemies before his face; and them that hate him I will put to flight.
I will wipe out his enemies before him; I will strike down those who hate him.
24 And 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 cry out to me: Thou art my father: my God, and the support 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, high above 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 faithful to him.
I will love him faithfully forever; my agreement with him shall never come to an end.
29 And I will make his seed to endure for evermore: 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 And if his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments:
But if his descendants abandon my laws, if they do not follow my rules,
31 If they profane my justices: and keep not my commandments:
if they break my decrees, and do not keep my commandments,
32 I will visit their iniquities with a rod: and their sins with stripes.
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 take away from him: nor will I suffer my truth to fail.
However, I will not take away my love from him; I will not break my promise to him.
34 Neither will I profane my covenant: and the words that proceed from my mouth I will not make void.
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: I will not lie unto David:
By my holy character I have made a vow to David that I will not lie to him.
36 His seed shall endure for ever.
His royal line will last forever, and his dynasty will continue before me as long as the sun endures.
37 And his throne as the sun before me: and as the moon perfect for ever, and a faithful witness in heaven.
It will continue forever like the moon, an enduring witness in the heavens.” (Selah)
38 But thou hast rejected and despised: thou hast been angry with thy anointed.
But you have rejected and abandoned him! You are angry with your chosen king!
39 Thou hast overthrown the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his sanctuary on the earth.
You have broken the agreement you had with him; you have thrown his crown to the ground!
40 Thou hast broken down all his hedges: thou hast made his strength fear.
You have torn down his defensive walls; you have ruined his fortresses.
41 All that pass by the way have robbed 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 Thou hast set up the right hand of them that oppress him: thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.
You have made his enemies strong; you have made them celebrate their victory.
43 Thou hast turned away the help of his sword; and hast not assisted him in battle.
You have repelled his sharp sword; you have not helped him in battle.
44 Thou hast made his purification to cease: and thou hast cast his throne down to the ground.
You took away his glory; you threw his throne to the ground.
45 Thou hast shortened the days of his time: thou hast covered him with confusion.
You have made him grow old before his time; you have totally humiliated him. (Selah)
46 How long, O Lord, turnest thou away unto the end? shall thy anger burn like fire?
How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself from us forever, your anger burning like fire?
47 Remember what my substance is for hast thou made all the children of men in vain?
Remember me—my life is so short! Why did you bother creating futile humanity?
48 Who is the man that shall live, and not see death: that shall deliver his soul from the hand of hell? (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 thy ancient mercies, according to what thou didst swear to David in thy truth?
Where is the trustworthy love you used to have, Lord, that you faithfully promised to David?
50 Be mindful, O Lord, of the reproach of thy servants (which I have held in my bosom) 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 thy enemies have reproached, O Lord; wherewith they have reproached the change of thy anointed.
Your enemies taunt me, Lord, mocking your king wherever he goes.
52 Blessed be the Lord for evermore. So be it. So be it.
May the Lord be blessed for ever. Amen and amen.
