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.

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 For I said, To times age-abiding, shall lovingkindness be built up, As for the heavens, thou wilt establish thy faithfulness therein.

For you have said, Mercy will be made strong for ever; my faith will be unchanging in the heavens.

3 I have solemnised a covenant, for my chosen one, I have sworn unto David my servant:

I have made an agreement with the man of my selection, I have made an oath 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)

I will make your seed go on for ever, your kingdom will be strong through all generations. (Selah)

5 So shall the heavens praise thy wondrousness, O Yahweh, —Yea, thy faithfulness, in the convocation of holy ones.

In heaven let them give praise for your wonders, O Lord; and your unchanging faith among the saints.

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 is there in the heavens in comparison with the Lord? who is like the Lord among the sons of 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.

God is greatly to be feared among the saints, and to be honoured over all those who are about him.

8 O Yahweh, God of hosts! Who, like thee, is mighty, O Yah! With thy faithfulness round about thee:

O Lord God of armies, who is strong like you, O Jah? and your unchanging faith is round about you.

9 Thou, rulest over the swelling of the sea, When the rolling waves thereof lift themselves, Thou, dost bid them be still:

You have rule over the sea in storm; when its waves are troubled, you make them calm.

10 Thou, hast crushed—as one slain—Rahab, With thy strong arm, hast thou scattered thy foes.

Rahab was crushed by you like one wounded to death; with your strong arm you put to flight all your haters.

11 Thine, are the heavens, Yea, thine, the earth, The world and the fulness thereof, Thou, didst found 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, Thou, didst create them, —Tabor and Hermon, with thy Name, shall shout for joy:

You have made the north and the south; Tabor and Hermon are sounding with joy at your name.

13 Thine is an arm with might, Strong is thy hand, High is thy right hand;

Yours is an arm of power; strong is your hand and high your right hand.

14 Righteousness and justice, are the establishing of thy throne, Lovingkindness and faithfulness, go before thy face.

The seat of your kingdom is resting on righteousness and right judging: mercy and good faith come before your face.

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 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 thy Name, shall they exult all the day, And, in thy righteousness, shall they be exalted.

In your name will they have joy all the day: in your righteousness will they be lifted up.

17 For, the beauty of their strength, thou art, And, in thine acceptance, shall our horns be exalted.

For you are the glory of their strength; in your pleasure will our horn be lifted up.

18 For, to Yahweh, belongeth our Shield, And, to the Holy One of Israel, belongeth our King.

For our breastplate is the Lord; and our king is the Holy One of Israel's.

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;

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, With mine own holy oil, have I anointed him;

I have made discovery of David my servant; I have put my holy oil on his head.

21 With whom my hand shall be firm, Yea, mine arm, shall strengthen him;

My hand will be his support; my arm will give him strength.

22 No foe shall make exactions on him, Nor shall, a son of perversity, humiliate him;

The deceit of those who are against him will not overcome him; he will not be troubled by the sons of evil.

23 And I will shatter, from before him, his adversaries, And, them who hate him, will I smite;

I will have those who are against him broken before his face, and his haters will be crushed under my blows.

24 And, my faithfulness and my lovingkindness, shall be with him, And, in my Name, exalted shall be his horn;

But my faith and my mercy will be with him; and in my name will his horn be lifted up.

25 And I will set, in the sea, his hand, And, in the rivers, his right hand;

I will put his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.

26 He, shall cry out unto me, My Father, thou art, My GOD, and my Rock of Salvation!

He will say to me, You are my father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.

27 Yea, I, will appoint him, firstborn, Most High to the kings of the earth!

And I will make him the first of my sons, most high over the kings of the earth.

28 Age-abidingly, will I keep for him my lovingkindness, And, my covenant, hath been made steadfast for him;

I will keep my mercy for him for ever; my agreement with him will not be changed.

29 Therefore will I appoint, to futurity, his seed, And his throne as the days of the heavens.

His seed will keep their place for ever; his kingdom will be eternal, like the heavens.

30 If his sons forsake my law, And, in my regulations, do not walk;

If his children give up my law, and are not ruled by my decisions;

31 If, my statutes, they profane, And, my commandments, do not keep:

If my rules are broken, and my orders are not kept;

32 Then will I punish, with a rod, their transgression; And, with stripes, their iniquity:

Then I will send punishment on them for their sin; my rod will be the reward of their evil-doing.

33 But, my lovingkindness, will I not frustrate from them, Neither will I falsify my faithfulness;

But I will not take away my mercy from him, and will not be false to my faith.

34 I will not violate my covenant, And that which hath proceeded out of my lips, will I not alter:

I will be true to my agreement; the things which have gone out of my lips will not be changed.

35 One thing, have I sworn by my holiness, Verily, to David, will I not lie;

I have made an oath once by my holy name, that I will not be false to David.

36 His seed, age-abidingly, shall remain, And, his throne, be 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 Like the moon, shall it be established unto times age-abiding, And, a witness, in the skies, hath been made sure. (Selah)

It will be fixed for ever like the moon; and the witness in heaven is true. (Selah)

38 Yet, thou thyself, hast cast off, and rejected, Thou hast been wroth with thine Anointed One!

But you have put him away in disgust; you have been angry with the king of your selection.

39 Thou hast cast down the covenant of thy Servant, Thou hast profaned, to the earth, his crown;

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 Thou hast broken down all his defenses, Thou hast laid his fortresses in ruins;

All his walls are broken down; you have given his strong towers to destruction.

41 All the passers by the way, have plundered him, He hath become a reproach to his neighbours;

All those who come by take away his goods; he is laughed at by his neighbours.

42 Thou hast raised the right hand of his adversaries, Thou hast gladdened all his enemies;

You have given power to the right hand of his haters; you have made glad all those who are against him.

43 Yea thou hast turned the edge of his sword, Neither hast thou caused him to stand in the battle;

His sword is turned back; you have not been his support in the fight.

44 Thou hast brought to an end his splendour, And, his throne—to the ground, hast thou hurled;

You have put an end to his glory: the seat of his kingdom has been levelled to the earth.

45 Thou hast shortened the days of his youths, —Thou hast covered him with shame. (Selah)

You have made him old before his time; he is covered with shame. (Selah)

46 How long, O Yahweh, Wilt thou hide thyself utterly? Shall thine indignation, 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-lived, I, am, Wherefore, in vain, hast thou created all the sons of Adam?

See how short my time is; why have you made all men for no purpose?

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)

What man now living will not see death? will he be able to keep back his soul from the underworld? (Selah) (Sheol h7585)

49 Where are thy former lovingkindnesses, O My Lord? Thou didst swear unto David, in thy faithfulness!

Lord, where are your earlier mercies? where is the oath which you made to David in unchanging faith?

50 Remember, O My Lord, the reproach of thy servants, I have carried in my bosom the insult of the peoples:

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 In that thy foes have reproached, O Yahweh, In that they have reproached the footsteps of thine Anointed One!

The bitter words of your haters, O Lord, shaming the footsteps of your king.

52 Blessed be Yahweh to times age-abiding, Amen, and Amen!

Let the Lord be praised for ever. So be it, So be it.