Psalms 89
1 I will sing of the mercies of Yhwh for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness 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 I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
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 chosen, I have sworn unto 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 establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. (Selah)
I will make sure your lineage lasts forever; I will keep your throne secure for all generations.” (Selah)
5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Yhwh: thy faithfulness also in the congregation 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 heaven can be compared unto Yhwh? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto Yhwh?
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 in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.
The heavenly council are in awe of God; all who surround him are overwhelmed by him.
8 O Yhwh God of Armies, who is a strong Yah like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
Lord God Almighty, who is as powerful as you? In all this, Lord, you are completely trustworthy.
9 Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.
You rule the restless seas; you calm their stormy waves.
10 Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.
You crushed Rahab the sea-monster to death; by your power you scattered your enemies.
11 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.
The heavens belong to you, and the earth too; you made the world and everything in it.
12 The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.
You created north and south; Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon celebrate you.
13 Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
Your arm is powerful. Your hand is strong. Your right hand is held up high in command.
14 Righteousness and judgment are the foundation 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 know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Yhwh, 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 In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they 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 favour our horn shall be exalted.
They rely on you, their glory and strength; by your grace you lift us up.
18 For Yhwh is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.
Yes, the Lord is the one who shields us, and our king belongs to the Holy One of Israel.
19 Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of 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 found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:
I have selected David my servant, and I have anointed him with the oil of my holiness.
21 With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also 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 not exact tribute from him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
His enemies will not deceive him; the wicked will not bring him down.
23 And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.
I will wipe out his enemies before him; I will strike down those who hate him.
24 But my faithfulness 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 I will set his hand also 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 unto me, Thou art 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 Also 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 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
I will love him faithfully forever; my agreement with him shall never come to an end.
29 His seed also will I make to endure for 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 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 break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;
if they break my decrees, and do not keep my commandments,
32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
I will punish their rebellion by beating them with a rod, and their sin by lashing them with a whip.
33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
However, I will not take away my love from him; I will not break my promise to him.
34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone 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 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, 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 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. (Selah)
It will continue forever like the moon, an enduring witness in the heavens.” (Selah)
38 But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.
But you have rejected and abandoned him! You are angry with your chosen king!
39 Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.
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 brought his strong holds to ruin.
You have torn down his defensive walls; you have ruined his fortresses.
41 All that pass by the way spoil him: he is 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 his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.
You have made his enemies strong; you have made them celebrate their victory.
43 Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle.
You have repelled his sharp sword; you have not helped him in battle.
44 Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground.
You took away his glory; you threw his throne to the ground.
45 The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. (Selah)
You have made him grow old before his time; you have totally humiliated him. (Selah)
46 How long, Yah? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?
How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself from us forever, your anger burning like fire?
47 Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?
Remember me—my life is so short! Why did you bother creating futile humanity?
48 What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? (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 thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth?
Where is the trustworthy love you used to have, Lord, that you faithfully promised to David?
50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people;
Don't forget, Lord, how your servants are being humiliated! I'm burdened down with the insults of so many nations!
51 Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O Yhwh; wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.
Your enemies taunt me, Lord, mocking your king wherever he goes.
52 Blessed be Yhwh for evermore. Amen, and Amen.
May the Lord be blessed for ever. Amen and amen.
