Psalms 89
1 An instruction. Of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of the loving-kindness of Jehovah for ever; with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness from generation to generation.
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 said, Loving-kindness shall be built up for ever; in the very heavens wilt thou establish thy faithfulness.
For I have said, “Your unfailing love lasts forever; your faithfulness endures as long as the heavens.”
3 I have made a covenant with mine elect, 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 from generation to generation. (Selah)
I will make sure your lineage lasts forever; I will keep your throne secure for all generations.” (Selah)
5 And the heavens shall celebrate thy wonders, O Jehovah, and thy faithfulness 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 to Jehovah? [who] among the sons of the mighty shall be likened to Jehovah?
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 council of the saints, and terrible for all that are round about him.
The heavenly council are in awe of God; all who surround him are overwhelmed by him.
8 Jehovah, God of hosts, who is like unto thee, the strong Jah? And thy faithfulness is round about thee.
Lord God Almighty, who is as powerful as you? In all this, Lord, you are completely trustworthy.
9 Thou rulest the pride of the sea: when its waves arise, thou stillest them.
You rule the restless seas; you calm their stormy waves.
10 Thou hast crushed Rahab as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with the arm of thy strength.
You crushed Rahab the sea-monster to death; by your power you scattered your enemies.
11 Thine are the heavens, the earth also is thine; the world and its fulness, 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 triumph in thy name.
You created north and south; Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon celebrate you.
13 Thine is the arm of might: strong is thy hand, 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; loving-kindness and truth 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 shout of joy: they walk, O Jehovah, 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 are they joyful all the day, and in thy righteousness are they 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 Jehovah is our shield, and the Holy One of Israel, 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 of thy Holy One, and saidst, I have laid help upon a mighty one; 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; and mine arm shall strengthen him.
I have placed my hand on him to steady him; and I have made him strong by my powerful arm.
22 No enemy shall exact upon him, nor the son of wickedness afflict him;
His enemies will not deceive him; the wicked will not bring him down.
23 But I will beat down his adversaries before his face, and will smite them that hate him.
I will wipe out his enemies before him; I will strike down those who hate him.
24 And my faithfulness and my loving-kindness shall be with him, and by my name shall his horn be exalted.
My trustworthiness and unfailing love will be with him, and through me he will be victorious.
25 And I will set his hand 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 call 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 And as to me, I will make him firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.
I will also make him my first-born son, the highest of the kings of the earth.
28 My loving-kindness 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 And I will establish his seed 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 sons forsake my law, and walk not in mine ordinances;
But if his descendants abandon my laws, if they do not follow my rules,
31 If they profane 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 loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor belie my faithfulness;
However, I will not take away my love from him; I will not break my promise to him.
34 My covenant will I not profane, 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; 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 the witness in the sky is firm. (Selah)
It will continue forever like the moon, an enduring witness in the heavens.” (Selah)
38 But thou hast rejected and cast off; thou hast been very 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 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 strongholds to ruin.
You have torn down his defensive walls; you have ruined his fortresses.
41 All that pass by the way plunder him; he is become 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 exalted the right hand of his oppressors; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice:
You have made his enemies strong; you have made them celebrate their victory.
43 Yea, thou hast turned back the edge of his sword, and hast not made him stand in the battle.
You have repelled his sharp sword; you have not helped him in battle.
44 Thou hast made his brightness 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, Jehovah, wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy fury burn like fire?
How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself from us forever, your anger burning like fire?
47 Remember, as regards me, what life is. Wherefore hast thou created all the children of men to be vanity?
Remember me—my life is so short! Why did you bother creating futile humanity?
48 What man liveth, and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? (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 Where, Lord, are thy former loving-kindnesses, [which] thou swarest unto David in thy faithfulness?
Where is the trustworthy love you used to have, Lord, that you faithfully promised to David?
50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants — that I bear in my bosom [that of] all the mighty peoples —
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, O Jehovah, have reproached, wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.
Your enemies taunt me, Lord, mocking your king wherever he goes.
52 Blessed be Jehovah for evermore! Amen, and Amen.
May the Lord be blessed for ever. Amen and amen.
