Psalms 89
1 An Instructive Psalm, by Ethan the Ezrahite. The lovingkindnesses of Yahweh, age-abidingly will I sing, To generation after generation, will I make known thy faithfulness with my mouth.
A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing evermore of the love of the Lord, proclaiming to all generations his faithfulness.
2 For I said, To times age-abiding, shall lovingkindness be built up, As for the heavens, thou wilt establish thy faithfulness therein.
For your love you did promise to build up forever, your faithfulness firm as the heavens themselves.
3 I have solemnised a covenant, for my chosen one, I have sworn unto David my servant:
‘I have made with my chosen a covenant, and sworn to David my servant,
4 Unto times age-abiding, will I establish thy seed, And will build up, unto generation after generation, thy throne. (Selah)
to establish his seed forever, and to build up his throne to all ages.’ (Selah)
5 So shall the heavens praise thy wondrousness, O Yahweh, —Yea, thy faithfulness, in the convocation of holy ones.
Then the holy assembly in heaven praised your marvellous faithfulness, Lord.
6 For whom, in the skies, can one compare unto Yahweh? [Or] can one liken unto Yahweh, among the sons of the mighty?
For who in the skies may compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the gods?
7 A GOD inspiring awe in the circle of the holy ones, exceedingly, And to be reverenced above all who are round about him.
A God to be feared in the holy assembly, awful and great above all who are round him.
8 O Yahweh, God of hosts! Who, like thee, is mighty, O Yah! With thy faithfulness round about thee:
O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you? Your strength and faithfulness, Lord, surround you.
9 Thou, rulest over the swelling of the sea, When the rolling waves thereof lift themselves, Thou, dost bid them be still:
You are the Lord of the raging sea: when its waves surge, it is you who still them.
10 Thou, hast crushed—as one slain—Rahab, With thy strong arm, hast thou scattered thy foes.
It was you who did pierce and crush Rahab in pieces, and scatter your foes by your mighty arm.
11 Thine, are the heavens, Yea, thine, the earth, The world and the fulness thereof, Thou, didst found them;
Yours are the heavens, yours also the earth, the world and its fulness, it’s you who did found them.
12 The north and the south, Thou, didst create them, —Tabor and Hermon, with thy Name, shall shout for joy:
The north and the south, it’s you have created them; Tabor and Hermon shout praise to your name.
13 Thine is an arm with might, Strong is thy hand, High is thy right hand;
You have an arm with the might of a hero; strong is your hand, high uplifted your right hand.
14 Righteousness and justice, are the establishing of thy throne, Lovingkindness and faithfulness, go before thy face.
Justice and right are the base of your throne, kindness and faithfulness ever attend you.
15 How happy are the people who know the joyful sound! O Yahweh! in the light of thy countenance, shall they firmly march along;
Happy the people who know the glad shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face.
16 In thy Name, shall they exult all the day, And, in thy righteousness, shall they be exalted.
They exult in your name all the day, and your righteousness they extol.
17 For, the beauty of their strength, thou art, And, in thine acceptance, shall our horns be exalted.
For you are our strength and our pride. Your favour will lift us to honour.
18 For, to Yahweh, belongeth our Shield, And, to the Holy One of Israel, belongeth our King.
For the holy Lord of Israel keeps our defender and king.
19 Then spakest thou in vision of thy men of lovingkindness, and saidst—I have laid help upon a mighty one, I have exalted one chosen from among the people;
In a vision of old you did speak in this way to the one whom you loved: ‘A crown I have set on the hero I chose to be over the people
20 I have found David my servant, With mine own holy oil, have I anointed him;
‘I found my servant David, and anointed with holy oil.
21 With whom my hand shall be firm, Yea, mine arm, shall strengthen him;
My hand will be with him forever, my arm will give him strength.
22 No foe shall make exactions on him, Nor shall, a son of perversity, humiliate him;
‘No enemy will dare to assail him, nor the wicked to oppress him;
23 And I will shatter, from before him, his adversaries, And, them who hate him, will I smite;
but his foes I will shatter before him, I will strike down those who hate him.
24 And, my faithfulness and my lovingkindness, shall be with him, And, in my Name, exalted shall be his horn;
‘My loyal love shall attend him, and I will lift him to honour.
25 And I will set, in the sea, his hand, And, in the rivers, his right hand;
I will set his hand on the sea, and his right hand on the rivers.
26 He, shall cry out unto me, My Father, thou art, My GOD, and my Rock of Salvation!
‘As for him, he will call me “My father, my God, and my rock of salvation.”
27 Yea, I, will appoint him, firstborn, Most High to the kings of the earth!
And I will make him my firstborn, highest of kings on the earth.
28 Age-abidingly, will I keep for him my lovingkindness, And, my covenant, hath been made steadfast for him;
‘My love will I keep for him ever, my covenant with him shall stand fast.
29 Therefore will I appoint, to futurity, his seed, And his throne as the days of the heavens.
His line will I make everlasting, and his throne as the days of the heavens.
30 If his sons forsake my law, And, in my regulations, do not walk;
‘If his children forsake my law, and walk not as I have ordained;
31 If, my statutes, they profane, And, my commandments, do not keep:
if they profane my statutes, and do not keep my commandments;
32 Then will I punish, with a rod, their transgression; And, with stripes, their iniquity:
‘I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with scourges.
33 But, my lovingkindness, will I not frustrate from them, Neither will I falsify my faithfulness;
But my love will I not take from him, nor will I belie my faithfulness.
34 I will not violate my covenant, And that which hath proceeded out of my lips, will I not alter:
‘I will not profane my covenant by changing the word that has passed my lips.
35 One thing, have I sworn by my holiness, Verily, to David, will I not lie;
Once have I solemnly sworn and I would not lie to David,
36 His seed, age-abidingly, shall remain, And, his throne, be like the sun before me;
‘that his line should endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me,
37 Like the moon, shall it be established unto times age-abiding, And, a witness, in the skies, hath been made sure. (Selah)
firm as the moon which for ever and ever is fixed in the sky.’ (Selah)
38 Yet, thou thyself, hast cast off, and rejected, Thou hast been wroth with thine Anointed One!
But you have cast off in contempt, and been furious with your anointed.
39 Thou hast cast down the covenant of thy Servant, Thou hast profaned, to the earth, his crown;
You have spurned the covenant with your servant, and his sacred crown dashed to the ground.
40 Thou hast broken down all his defenses, Thou hast laid his fortresses in ruins;
You have broken down all his walls, and laid his bulwarks in ruins.
41 All the passers by the way, have plundered him, He hath become a reproach to his neighbours;
All who pass on their way despoil him, the scorn of his neighbours is he now.
42 Thou hast raised the right hand of his adversaries, Thou hast gladdened all his enemies;
You have given his foes the victory, and made all his enemies glad.
43 Yea thou hast turned the edge of his sword, Neither hast thou caused him to stand in the battle;
You have turned back his sword from the foe, you did not lift him up in the battle.
44 Thou hast brought to an end his splendour, And, his throne—to the ground, hast thou hurled;
The sceptre you took from his hand, and his throne you did hurl to the ground.
45 Thou hast shortened the days of his youths, —Thou hast covered him with shame. (Selah)
You have shortened the days of his youth, and covered him with shame. (Selah)
46 How long, O Yahweh, Wilt thou hide thyself utterly? Shall thine indignation, burn like fire?
How long, Lord will you hide you forever? How long are the fires of your wrath to burn?
47 Remember how short-lived, I, am, Wherefore, in vain, hast thou created all the sons of Adam?
Remember, Lord, the shortness of life how fleeting you made all people.
48 Who is the man that shall live, and not see death? That can deliver his soul from the hand of hades. (Selah) (Sheol h7585)
Who can live without seeing death? Who can rescue their life from the clutch of Sheol? (Selah) (Sheol h7585)
49 Where are thy former lovingkindnesses, O My Lord? Thou didst swear unto David, in thy faithfulness!
Where, Lord, is your kindness of old, which you in your faithfulness swore to David?
50 Remember, O My Lord, the reproach of thy servants, I have carried in my bosom the insult of the peoples:
Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked, how I bear in my heart the scorn of all nations
51 In that thy foes have reproached, O Yahweh, In that they have reproached the footsteps of thine Anointed One!
The scorn which your enemies hurl, O Lord, which they hurl at the footsteps of your anointed.
52 Blessed be Yahweh to times age-abiding, Amen, and Amen!
Blest be the Lord, for ever and ever. Amen and Amen.
