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 maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of Yahweh's acts of covenant faithfulness forever. I will proclaim your truthfulness to future generations.
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, “Covenant faithfulness has been established forever; your truthfulness you have established in the heavens.”
3 I have made a covenant with my elect: I have sworn to David my servant:
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have made an oath to David my servant.
4 Thy seed will I settle for ever. And I will build up thy throne unto generation and generation.
I will establish your descendants forever, and I will establish your throne through all generations.” (Selah)
5 The heavens shall confess thy wonders, O Lord: and thy truth in the church of the saints.
The heavens praise your wonders, Yahweh; your truthfulness is praised in the assembly of the holy ones.
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 the skies can be compared to Yahweh? Who among the sons of the gods is like Yahweh?
7 God, who is glorified in the assembly of the saints: great and terrible above all them that are about him.
He is a God who is greatly honored in the council of the holy ones and is awesome among all who surround him.
8 O Lord God of hosts, who is like to thee? thou art mighty, O Lord, and thy truth is round about thee.
Yahweh God of hosts, who is strong like you, Yahweh? Your truthfulness surrounds you.
9 Thou rulest the power of the sea: and appeasest the motion of the waves thereof.
You rule the raging sea; when the waves surge, you calm them.
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 as one who is killed. You scattered your enemies with your strong arm.
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 also. You made the world and all it contains.
12 The north and the sea thou hast created. Thabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name:
You created the north and the south. Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.
13 Thy arm is with might. Let thy hand be strengthened, and thy right hand exalted:
You have a mighty arm and a strong hand, and your right hand is high.
14 Justice and judgment are the preparation of thy throne. Mercy and truth shall go before thy face:
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness come before you.
15 Blessed is the people that knoweth jubilation. They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance:
Blessed are the people who worship you! Yahweh, they walk in the light of your face.
16 And in thy name they shall rejoice all the day, and in thy justice they shall be exalted.
They rejoice in your name all day long, and in your righteousness they exalt you.
17 For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy good pleasure shall our horn be exalted.
You are their majestic strength, and by your favor we are victorious.
18 For our protection is of the Lord, and of our king the holy one of Israel.
For our shield belongs to Yahweh; 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.
Long ago you spoke in a vision to your faithful ones; you said, “I have set a crown on a mighty one.” I have raised up one chosen from among the people.
20 I have found David my servant: with my holy oil I have anointed him.
I have chosen David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him.
21 For my hand shall help him: and my arm shall strengthen him.
My hand will support him; my arm will strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall have no advantage over him: nor the son of iniquity have power to hurt him.
No enemy will deceive him; no son of wickedness will oppress him.
23 And I will cut down his enemies before his face; and them that hate him I will put to flight.
I will crush his enemies before him; I will kill 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 truth and my covenant faithfulness will be with him; by my name he will be victorious.
25 And I will set his hand in the sea; and his right hand in the rivers.
I will place his hand over the sea and his right hand over the rivers.
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 also will place him as my firstborn son, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
28 I will keep my mercy for him for ever: and my covenant faithful to him.
I will extend my covenant faithfulness to him forever; and my covenant with him will be secure.
29 And I will make his seed to endure for evermore: and his throne as the days of heaven.
I will make his descendants endure forever and his throne as enduring as the skies above.
30 And if his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments:
If his children forsake my law and do not walk in my regulations,
31 If they profane my justices: and keep not my commandments:
if they break my rules and do not keep my commands,
32 I will visit their iniquities with a rod: and their sins with stripes.
then will I punish their rebellion with a rod and their iniquity with blows.
33 But my mercy I will not take away from him: nor will I suffer my truth to fail.
But I will not remove my steadfast love from him or be unfaithful to my promise.
34 Neither will I profane my covenant: and the words that proceed from my mouth I will not make void.
I will not break my covenant or change the words of my lips.
35 Once have I sworn by my holiness: I will not lie unto David:
Once and for all I have sworn by my holiness— I will not lie to David:
36 His seed shall endure for ever.
his descendants will continue forever and his throne as long as the sun before me.
37 And his throne as the sun before me: and as the moon perfect for ever, and a faithful witness in heaven.
It will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky.” (Selah)
38 But thou hast rejected and despised: thou hast been angry with thy anointed.
But you have refused and rejected; you have been angry with your anointed king.
39 Thou hast overthrown the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his sanctuary on the earth.
You have renounced the covenant of your servant. You have desecrated his crown on the ground.
40 Thou hast broken down all his hedges: thou hast made his strength fear.
You have broken down all his walls. You have ruined his strongholds.
41 All that pass by the way have robbed him: he is become a reproach to his neighbours.
All who pass by have robbed him. He has become an object of disgust to his neighbors.
42 Thou hast set up the right hand of them that oppress him: thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.
You have raised the right hand of his enemies; you have made all his enemies rejoice.
43 Thou hast turned away the help of his sword; and hast not assisted him in battle.
You turn back the edge of his sword and have not made him stand when in battle.
44 Thou hast made his purification to cease: and thou hast cast his throne down to the ground.
You have brought his splendor to an end; you have brought down his throne to the ground.
45 Thou hast shortened the days of his time: thou hast covered him with confusion.
You have shortened the days of his youth. You have covered him with shame. (Selah)
46 How long, O Lord, turnest thou away unto the end? shall thy anger burn like fire?
How long, Yahweh? Will you hide yourself, forever? How long will your anger burn like fire?
47 Remember what my substance is for hast thou made all the children of men in vain?
Oh, think about how short my time is, and for what uselessness you have created all the children of mankind!
48 Who is the man that shall live, and not see death: that shall deliver his soul from the hand of hell? (Sheol h7585)
Who can live and not die, or rescue his own life from the hand of Sheol? (Selah) (Sheol h7585)
49 Lord, where are thy ancient mercies, according to what thou didst swear to David in thy truth?
Lord, where are your former acts of covenant faithfulness that you swore to David in your truthfulness?
50 Be mindful, O Lord, of the reproach of thy servants (which I have held in my bosom) of many nations:
Call to mind, Lord, the mocking directed against your servants and how I bear in my heart so many insults from the nations.
51 Wherewith thy enemies have reproached, O Lord; wherewith they have reproached the change of thy anointed.
Your enemies hurl insults, Yahweh; they mock the footsteps of your anointed one.
52 Blessed be the Lord for evermore. So be it. So be it.
Blessed be Yahweh forever. Amen and Amen.
