< Psalms 89 >

1 Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
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 have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever; thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
For your love you did promise to build up forever, your faithfulness firm as the heavens themselves.
3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant;
‘I have made with my chosen a covenant, and sworn to David my servant,
4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. (Selah)
to establish his seed forever, and to build up his throne to all ages.’ (Selah)
5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD; thy faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.
Then the holy assembly in heaven praised your marvellous faithfulness, Lord.
6 For who in the skies can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty is like unto the LORD,
For who in the skies may compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the gods?
7 A God very terrible in the council of the holy ones, and to be feared above all them that are round about him?
A God to be feared in the holy assembly, awful and great above all who are round him.
8 O LORD God of hosts, who is a mighty one, like unto thee, O JAH? and thy faithfulness is round about thee.
O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you? Your strength and faithfulness, Lord, surround you.
9 Thou rulest the pride of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.
You are the Lord of the raging sea: when its waves surge, it is you who still them.
10 Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with the arm of thy strength.
It was you who did pierce and crush Rahab in pieces, and scatter your foes by your mighty arm.
11 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded 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 hast created them: Tabor and Hermon rejoice in thy name.
The north and the south, it’s you have created them; Tabor and Hermon shout praise to your name.
13 Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and 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 judgment are the foundation of thy throne: mercy and truth go before thy face.
Justice and right are the base of your throne, kindness and faithfulness ever attend you.
15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.
Happy the people who know the glad shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face.
16 In thy name do they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness are they exalted.
They exult in your name all the day, and your righteousness they extol.
17 For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.
For you are our strength and our pride. Your favour will lift us to honour.
18 For our shield belongeth unto the LORD; and our king to the Holy One of Israel.
For the holy Lord of Israel keeps our defender and king.
19 Then thou spakest in vision to thy saints, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of 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 my holy oil have I anointed him:
‘I found my servant David, and anointed with holy oil.
21 With whom my hand shall be established; mine arm also shall strengthen him.
My hand will be with him forever, my arm will give him strength.
22 The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
‘No enemy will dare to assail him, nor the wicked to oppress him;
23 And I will beat down his adversaries before him, and smite them that hate him.
but his foes I will shatter 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 loyal love shall attend him, and I will lift him to honour.
25 I will set his hand also on the sea, and his right hand on the rivers.
I will set his hand on the sea, and his right hand on the rivers.
26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
‘As for him, he will call me “My father, my God, and my rock of salvation.”
27 I also will make him [my] firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.
And I will make him my firstborn, highest of kings on the earth.
28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
‘My love will I keep for him ever, my covenant with him shall stand fast.
29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
His line will I make everlasting, and his throne as the days of the heavens.
30 If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;
‘If his children forsake my law, and walk not as I have ordained;
31 If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;
if they profane my statutes, 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 sin with the rod, their iniquity with scourges.
33 But my mercy will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
But my love will I not take from him, nor will I belie my faithfulness.
34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
‘I will not profane my covenant by changing the word that has passed my lips.
35 Once have I sworn by my holiness; I will not lie unto David;
Once have I solemnly sworn and I would not lie to David,
36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.
‘that his line should endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me,
37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and [as] the faithful witness in the sky. (Selah)
firm as the moon which for ever and ever is fixed in the sky.’ (Selah)
38 But thou hast cast off and rejected, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.
But you have cast off in contempt, and been furious with your anointed.
39 Thou hast abhorred the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown [even] to the ground.
You have spurned the covenant with your servant, and his sacred crown dashed to the ground.
40 Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to rain.
You have broken down all his walls, and laid his bulwarks in ruins.
41 All that pass by the way spoil him: he is 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 exalted the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.
You have given his foes the victory, and made all his enemies glad.
43 Yea, thou turnest back the edge his sword, and hast not made 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 made his brightness to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground.
The sceptre you took from his hand, and his throne you did hurl to the ground.
45 The days of his youth hast thou shortened: 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 LORD, wilt thou hid thyself for ever? [how long] shall thy wrath burn like fire?
How long, Lord will you hide you forever? How long are the fires of your wrath to burn?
47 O remember how short my time is: for what vanity hast thou created all the children of men!
Remember, Lord, the shortness of life how fleeting you made all people.
48 What man is he that shall live and not see death, that shall deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? (Selah) (Sheol h7585)
Who can live without seeing death? Who can rescue their life from the clutch of Sheol? (Selah) (Sheol h7585)
49 Lord, where are thy former mercies, which thou swarest unto David in thy faithfulness?
Where, Lord, is your kindness of old, which you in your faithfulness swore to David?
50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; how I do bear in my bosom [the reproach of] all the mighty peoples:
Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked, how I bear in my heart the scorn of all nations
51 Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O LORD, wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.
The scorn which your enemies hurl, O Lord, which they hurl at the footsteps of your anointed.
52 Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen.
Blest be the Lord, for ever and ever. Amen and Amen.

< Psalms 89 >