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Psalm 89

A Contemplative Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever;
    with my mouth I will make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever;
    Your faithfulness shall be established in the heavens.”
You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
    I have sworn to David my servant:
‘Your offspring I will establish forever,
    and build up your throne for all generations.’ ” Selah

Let the heavens praise Your wonders, O Lord;
    Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.
For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
    Who among the heavenly sons is like the Lord?
God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the holy ones
    and awesome to all those who surround Him.
O Lord God of Hosts, who is a mighty Lord like You,
    with Your faithfulness all around You?

You rule the raging of the sea;
    when the waves arise, You still them.
10 You crushed Rahab like a corpse;
    You scattered Your enemies with Your strong arm.
11 The heavens are Yours; the earth also is Yours;
    the world and all that is in it, You have founded them.
12 The north and the south, You have created them;
    Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.
13 You have a mighty arm,
    and strong is Your hand, and victorious is Your right hand.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
    mercy and truth shall go before Your presence.
15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful shout.
    They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your presence.
16 In Your name they rejoice all the day,
    and in Your righteousness they shall be exalted.
17 For You are the beauty of their strength;
    by Your favor our horn is exalted.
18 For the Lord is our shield of defense,
    and the Holy One of Israel is our king.

19 Long ago You spoke in a vision
    to Your godly one and said:
“I have given help to one who is mighty;
    I have exalted one chosen from the people.
20 I have found David, My servant;
    with My holy oil I have anointed him:
21 By whom My hand shall be established;
    My arm also shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not take tribute from him,
    nor the wicked humiliate him.
23 I will beat down his foes before him
    and strike down those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him,
    and in My name his horn shall be exalted.
25 I will set his hand on the sea
    and his right hand on the rivers.
26 He shall cry unto Me, ‘You are my Father, my God,
    and the Rock of my salvation.’
27 Also I will make him my firstborn,
    the highest of the kings of the earth.
28 In My mercy I will keep him forever,
    and My covenant shall stand firm with him.
29 His offspring also I will establish forever
    and his throne as the days of heaven.

30 “If his children forsake My law
    and do not walk in My judgments,
31 if they break My statutes
    and do not keep My commandments,
32 then I will punish their transgression with the rod
    and their iniquity with lashes.
33 Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not remove from him
    nor be false in My faithfulness.
34 My covenant I will not violate
    nor alter the word that has gone out from My lips.
35 Once and for all I have sworn by My holiness
    that I will not lie to David:
36 His offspring shall endure forever,
    and his throne as the sun before Me;
37 it shall be established forever as the moon
    and as a faithful witness in the heavens.” Selah

38 But now You have cast off and rejected him,
    You have been wrathful with Your anointed king.
39 You have renounced the covenant with Your servant;
    You have defiled his crown by casting it to the ground.
40 You have broken down all his walls;
    You have brought his strongholds to ruin.
41 All who pass by the way plunder him;
    he is a reproach to his neighbors.
42 You have set high the right hand of his adversaries;
    You have made all his enemies rejoice.
43 You have also turned back the edge of his sword
    and have not made him stand in battle.
44 You have made his glory cease
    and cast his throne down to the ground.
45 The days of his youth You have shortened;
    You have covered him with shame. Selah

46 How long, O Lord? Will You hide Yourself forever?
    How long shall Your wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember how short my time is!
    Why have You made all people in such emptiness?
48 What man can live and not see death?
    Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah
49 Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses,
    which You swore to David in Your faithfulness?
50 Remember, O Lord, the reproach of Your servants
    and how I bear in my heart the insults of the many nations,
51 which Your enemies taunt, O Lord,
    with which they mock the footsteps of Your anointed king.

52 Blessed be the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.

Psalm 89[a]

A maskil[b] of Ethan the Ezrahite.

I will sing(A) of the Lord’s great love forever;
    with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known(B)
    through all generations.
I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
    that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.(C)
You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
    I have sworn to David my servant,
‘I will establish your line forever
    and make your throne firm through all generations.’”[c](D)

The heavens(E) praise your wonders, Lord,
    your faithfulness too, in the assembly(F) of the holy ones.
For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?
    Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?(G)
In the council(H) of the holy ones(I) God is greatly feared;
    he is more awesome than all who surround him.(J)
Who is like you,(K) Lord God Almighty?(L)
    You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

You rule over the surging sea;
    when its waves mount up, you still them.(M)
10 You crushed Rahab(N) like one of the slain;
    with your strong arm you scattered(O) your enemies.
11 The heavens are yours,(P) and yours also the earth;(Q)
    you founded the world and all that is in it.(R)
12 You created the north and the south;
    Tabor(S) and Hermon(T) sing for joy(U) at your name.
13 Your arm is endowed with power;
    your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.(V)

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;(W)
    love and faithfulness go before you.(X)
15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
    who walk(Y) in the light(Z) of your presence, Lord.
16 They rejoice in your name(AA) all day long;
    they celebrate your righteousness.
17 For you are their glory and strength,(AB)
    and by your favor you exalt our horn.[d](AC)
18 Indeed, our shield[e](AD) belongs to the Lord,
    our king(AE) to the Holy One of Israel.

19 Once you spoke in a vision,
    to your faithful people you said:
“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;
    I have raised up a young man from among the people.
20 I have found David(AF) my servant;(AG)
    with my sacred oil(AH) I have anointed(AI) him.
21 My hand will sustain him;
    surely my arm will strengthen him.(AJ)
22 The enemy will not get the better of him;(AK)
    the wicked will not oppress(AL) him.
23 I will crush his foes before him(AM)
    and strike down his adversaries.(AN)
24 My faithful love will be with him,(AO)
    and through my name his horn[f] will be exalted.
25 I will set his hand over the sea,
    his right hand over the rivers.(AP)
26 He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,(AQ)
    my God, the Rock(AR) my Savior.’(AS)
27 And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,(AT)
    the most exalted(AU) of the kings(AV) of the earth.
28 I will maintain my love to him forever,
    and my covenant with him will never fail.(AW)
29 I will establish his line forever,
    his throne as long as the heavens endure.(AX)

30 “If his sons forsake my law
    and do not follow my statutes,
31 if they violate my decrees
    and fail to keep my commands,
32 I will punish their sin with the rod,
    their iniquity with flogging;(AY)
33 but I will not take my love from him,(AZ)
    nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.
34 I will not violate my covenant
    or alter what my lips have uttered.(BA)
35 Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
    and I will not lie to David—
36 that his line will continue forever
    and his throne endure before me like the sun;(BB)
37 it will be established forever like the moon,
    the faithful witness in the sky.”(BC)

38 But you have rejected,(BD) you have spurned,
    you have been very angry with your anointed one.
39 You have renounced the covenant with your servant
    and have defiled his crown in the dust.(BE)
40 You have broken through all his walls(BF)
    and reduced his strongholds(BG) to ruins.
41 All who pass by have plundered(BH) him;
    he has become the scorn of his neighbors.(BI)
42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
    you have made all his enemies rejoice.(BJ)
43 Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword
    and have not supported him in battle.(BK)
44 You have put an end to his splendor
    and cast his throne to the ground.
45 You have cut short(BL) the days of his youth;
    you have covered him with a mantle of shame.(BM)

46 How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
    How long will your wrath burn like fire?(BN)
47 Remember how fleeting is my life.(BO)
    For what futility you have created all humanity!
48 Who can live and not see death,
    or who can escape the power of the grave?(BP)
49 Lord, where is your former great love,
    which in your faithfulness you swore to David?
50 Remember, Lord, how your servant has[g] been mocked,(BQ)
    how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,
51 the taunts with which your enemies, Lord, have mocked,
    with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.(BR)

52 Praise be to the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.(BS)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 89:1 In Hebrew texts 89:1-52 is numbered 89:2-53.
  2. Psalm 89:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 89:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 37, 45 and 48.
  4. Psalm 89:17 Horn here symbolizes strong one.
  5. Psalm 89:18 Or sovereign
  6. Psalm 89:24 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  7. Psalm 89:50 Or your servants have