Psalms 89
1 [A contemplation by Ethan, the Ezrahite.] I will sing of the loving kindness of the LORD forever. With my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
Maschil. Of Ethan the Ezrahite. My song will be of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make his faith clear to all generations.
2 I indeed declare, "Love stands firm forever. You established the heavens. Your faithfulness is in them."
For you have said, Mercy will be made strong for ever; my faith will be unchanging in the heavens.
3 "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David, my servant,
I have made an agreement with the man of my selection, I have made an oath to David my servant;
4 'I will establish your offspring forever, and build up your throne for all generations.'" (Selah)
I will make your seed go on for ever, your kingdom will be strong through all generations. (Selah)
5 The heavens will praise your wonders, LORD; your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.
In heaven let them give praise for your wonders, O Lord; and your unchanging faith among the saints.
6 For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the sons of God is like the LORD,
For who is there in the heavens in comparison with the Lord? who is like the Lord among the sons of the gods?
7 a very awesome God in the council of the holy ones, to be feared above all those who are around him?
God is greatly to be feared among the saints, and to be honoured over all those who are about him.
8 LORD, God of hosts, who is a mighty one like you, LORD? Your faithfulness is around you.
O Lord God of armies, who is strong like you, O Jah? and your unchanging faith is round about you.
9 You rule the pride of the sea. When its waves rise up, you calm them.
You have rule over the sea in storm; when its waves are troubled, you make them calm.
10 You have broken Rahab in pieces, like one of the slain. You have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
Rahab was crushed by you like one wounded to death; with your strong arm you put to flight all your haters.
11 The heavens are yours. The earth also is yours; the world and its fullness. You have founded them.
Yours are the heavens, and the earth is yours; you have made the world, and everything which is in it.
12 The north and the south, you have created them. Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.
You have made the north and the south; Tabor and Hermon are sounding with joy at your name.
13 You have a mighty arm. Your hand is strong, and your right hand is exalted.
Yours is an arm of power; strong is your hand and high your right hand.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Loving kindness and truth go before your face.
The seat of your kingdom is resting on righteousness and right judging: mercy and good faith come before your face.
15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful shout. They walk in the light of your presence, LORD.
Happy are the people who have knowledge of the holy cry: the light of your face, O Lord, will be shining on their way.
16 In your name they rejoice all day. In your righteousness, they are exalted.
In your name will they have joy all the day: in your righteousness will they be lifted up.
17 For you are the glory of their strength. In your favor, our horn will be exalted.
For you are the glory of their strength; in your pleasure will our horn be lifted up.
18 For our shield belongs to the LORD; our king to the Holy One of Israel.
For our breastplate is the Lord; and our king is the Holy One of Israel's.
19 Then you spoke in a vision to your faithful ones, and said, "I have bestowed strength on the warrior. I have exalted a young man from the people.
Then your voice came to your holy one in a vision, saying, I have put the crown on a strong one, lifting up one taken from among the people.
20 I have found David, my servant. I have anointed him with my holy oil,
I have made discovery of David my servant; I have put my holy oil on his head.
21 with whom my hand shall be established. My arm will also strengthen him.
My hand will be his support; my arm will give him strength.
22 No enemy will tax him. No wicked man will oppress him.
The deceit of those who are against him will not overcome him; he will not be troubled by the sons of evil.
23 I will beat down his adversaries before him, and strike those who hate him.
I will have those who are against him broken before his face, and his haters will be crushed under my blows.
24 But my faithfulness and my loving kindness will be with him. In my name, his horn will be exalted.
But my faith and my mercy will be with him; and in my name will his horn be lifted up.
25 I will set his hand also on the sea, and his right hand on the rivers.
I will put his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.
26 He will call to me, 'You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.'
He will say to me, You are my father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.
27 I will also appoint him my firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.
And I will make him the first of my sons, most high over the kings of the earth.
28 I will keep my loving kindness for him forevermore. My covenant will stand firm with him.
I will keep my mercy for him for ever; my agreement with him will not be changed.
29 And I will establish his descendants forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
His seed will keep their place for ever; his kingdom will be eternal, like the heavens.
30 If his children forsake my Law, and do not walk in my ordinances;
If his children give up my law, and are not ruled by my decisions;
31 if they break my statutes, and do not keep my commandments;
If my rules are broken, and my orders are not kept;
32 then I will punish their sin with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
Then I will send punishment on them for their sin; my rod will be the reward of their evil-doing.
33 But I will not completely take my loving kindness from him, nor allow my faithfulness to fail.
But I will not take away my mercy from him, and will not be false to my faith.
34 I will not break my covenant, nor alter what my lips have uttered.
I will be true to my agreement; the things which have gone out of my lips will not be changed.
35 Once have I sworn by my holiness, I will not lie to David.
I have made an oath once by my holy name, that I will not be false to David.
36 His descendants will endure forever, his throne like the sun before me.
His seed will not come to an end for ever; the seat of his kingdom will be like the sun before me.
37 It will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky." (Selah)
It will be fixed for ever like the moon; and the witness in heaven is true. (Selah)
38 But you have rejected and spurned. You have been angry with your anointed.
But you have put him away in disgust; you have been angry with the king of your selection.
39 You have renounced the covenant of your servant. You have defiled his crown in the dust.
You have made your agreement with your servant of no effect: you have had no respect for his crown, it has come down even to the earth.
40 You have broken down all his hedges. You have brought his strongholds to ruin.
All his walls are broken down; you have given his strong towers to destruction.
41 All who pass by the way rob him. He has become an object of ridicule to his neighbors.
All those who come by take away his goods; he is laughed at by his neighbours.
42 You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries. You have made all of his enemies rejoice.
You have given power to the right hand of his haters; you have made glad all those who are against him.
43 Yes, you turn back the edge of his sword, and haven't supported him in battle.
His sword is turned back; you have not been his support in the fight.
44 You have ended his splendor, and thrown his throne down to the ground.
You have put an end to his glory: the seat of his kingdom has been levelled to the earth.
45 You have shortened the days of his youth. You have covered him with shame. (Selah)
You have made him old before his time; he is covered with shame. (Selah)
46 How long, LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? Will your wrath burn like fire?
How long, O Lord, will you Keep yourself for ever from our eyes? how long will your wrath be burning like fire?
47 Remember how short my time is. Have you created the descendants of Adam for no reason?
See how short my time is; why have you made all men for no purpose?
48 What man is he who shall live and not see death, who shall deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? (Selah) (Sheol h7585)
What man now living will not see death? will he be able to keep back his soul from the underworld? (Selah) (Sheol h7585)
49 LORD, where are your former loving kindnesses, which you swore to David in your faithfulness?
Lord, where are your earlier mercies? where is the oath which you made to David in unchanging faith?
50 Remember, LORD, the ridicule of all the many peoples against your servants I have borne in my heart,
Keep in mind, O Lord, the shame of your servants, and how the bitter words of all the people have come into my heart;
51 how your enemies have ridiculed, LORD, how they have ridiculed the footsteps of your anointed one.
The bitter words of your haters, O Lord, shaming the footsteps of your king.
52 Blessed be the LORD forevermore. Amen, and Amen.
Let the Lord be praised for ever. So be it, So be it.
