89
Remembering the Covenant with David, and Sorrow for Lost Blessings
A Contemplation of ⚓Ethan the Ezrahite.
With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
2For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever;
⚓Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.”
3“I⚓ have made a covenant with My chosen,
I have ⚓sworn to My servant David:
4‘Your seed I will establish forever,
And build up your throne ⚓to all generations.’ ”
Selah
5And ⚓the heavens will praise Your wonders, O Lord;
Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.
6⚓For who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord?
Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the Lord?
7⚓God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints,
And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.
8O Lord God of hosts,
Who is mighty like You, O Lord?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
9⚓You rule the raging of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them.
10⚓You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain;
You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.
11⚓The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.
12The north and the south, You have created them;
⚓Tabor and ⚓Hermon rejoice in Your name.
13You have a mighty arm;
Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.
14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Mercy and truth go before Your face.
15Blessed are the people who know the ⚓joyful sound!
They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance.
16In Your name they rejoice all day long,
And in Your righteousness they are exalted.
17For You are the glory of their strength,
And in Your favor our horn is ⚓exalted.
18For our shield belongs to the Lord,
And our king to the Holy One of Israel.
19Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one,
And said: “I have given help to one who is mighty;
I have exalted one ⚓chosen from the people.
20⚓I have found My servant David;
With My holy oil I have anointed him,
21⚓With whom My hand shall be established;
Also My arm shall strengthen him.
22The enemy shall not outwit him,
Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
23I will beat down his foes before his face,
And plague those who hate him.
24“But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him,
And in My name his horn shall be exalted.
25Also I will ⚓set his hand over the sea,
And his right hand over the rivers.
26He shall cry to Me, ‘You are⚓my Father,
My God, and ⚓the rock of my salvation.’
27Also I will make him ⚓My firstborn,
⚓The highest of the kings of the earth.
28⚓My mercy I will keep for him forever,
And My covenant shall stand firm with him.
29His seed also I will make to endure forever,
⚓And his throne ⚓as the days of heaven.
30“If⚓ his sons ⚓forsake My law
And do not walk in My judgments,
31If they break My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
32Then I will punish their transgression with the rod,
And their iniquity with stripes.
33⚓Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him,
Nor allow My faithfulness to fail.
34My covenant I will not break,
Nor ⚓alter the word that has gone out of My lips.
35Once I have sworn ⚓by My holiness;
I will not lie to David:
36⚓His seed shall endure forever,
And his throne ⚓as the sun before Me;
37It shall be established forever like the moon,
Even like the faithful witness in the sky.”
Selah
38But You have ⚓cast off and ⚓abhorred,
You have been furious with Your anointed.
39You have renounced the covenant of Your servant;
⚓You have profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.
40You have broken down all his hedges;
You have brought his strongholds to ruin.
41All who pass by the way ⚓plunder him;
He is a reproach to his neighbors.
42You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries;
You have made all his enemies rejoice.
43You have also turned back the edge of his sword,
And have not sustained him in the battle.
44You have made his glory cease,
And cast his throne down to the ground.
45The days of his youth You have shortened;
You have covered him with shame.
Selah
46How long, Lord?
Will You hide Yourself forever?
Will Your wrath burn like fire?
47Remember how short my time ⚓is;
For what ⚓futility have You created all the children of men?
48What man can live and not see ⚓death?
Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?
Selah
49Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses,
Which You ⚓swore to David ⚓in Your truth?
50Remember, Lord, the reproach of Your servants—
⚓How I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples,
51⚓With which Your enemies have reproached, O Lord,
With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed.
52⚓Blessed be the Lord forevermore!
Amen and Amen.
89
A maskil⚓ of Ethan the Ezrahite.
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
through all generations.
2I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
3You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant,
4‘I will establish your line forever
and make your throne firm through all generations.’ ”⚓
5The heavens praise your wonders, Lord,
your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.
6For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?
Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?
7In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;
he is more awesome than all who surround him.
8Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?
You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.
9You rule over the surging sea;
when its waves mount up, you still them.
10You crushed Rahab like one of the slain;
with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
11The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;
you founded the world and all that is in it.
12You created the north and the south;
Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.
13Your arm is endowed with power;
your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.
14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
love and faithfulness go before you.
15Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
16They rejoice in your name all day long;
they celebrate your righteousness.
17For you are their glory and strength,
and by your favor you exalt our horn.⚓
18Indeed, our shield⚓ belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.
19Once 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.
20I have found David my servant;
with my sacred oil I have anointed him.
21My hand will sustain him;
surely my arm will strengthen him.
22The enemy will not get the better of him;
the wicked will not oppress him.
23I will crush his foes before him
and strike down his adversaries.
24My faithful love will be with him,
and through my name his horn⚓ will be exalted.
25I will set his hand over the sea,
his right hand over the rivers.
26He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,
my God, the Rock my Savior.’
27And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,
the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
28I will maintain my love to him forever,
and my covenant with him will never fail.
29I will establish his line forever,
his throne as long as the heavens endure.
30“If his sons forsake my law
and do not follow my statutes,
31if they violate my decrees
and fail to keep my commands,
32I will punish their sin with the rod,
their iniquity with flogging;
33but I will not take my love from him,
nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.
34I will not violate my covenant
or alter what my lips have uttered.
35Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
and I will not lie to David—
36that his line will continue forever
and his throne endure before me like the sun;
37it will be established forever like the moon,
the faithful witness in the sky.”
38But you have rejected, you have spurned,
you have been very angry with your anointed one.
39You have renounced the covenant with your servant
and have defiled his crown in the dust.
40You have broken through all his walls
and reduced his strongholds to ruins.
41All who pass by have plundered him;
he has become the scorn of his neighbors.
42You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
you have made all his enemies rejoice.
43Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword
and have not supported him in battle.
44You have put an end to his splendor
and cast his throne to the ground.
45You have cut short the days of his youth;
you have covered him with a mantle of shame.
46How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
How long will your wrath burn like fire?
47Remember how fleeting is my life.
For what futility you have created all humanity!
48Who can live and not see death,
or who can escape the power of the grave?
49Lord, where is your former great love,
which in your faithfulness you swore to David?
50Remember, Lord, how your servant has⚓ been mocked,
how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,
51the taunts with which your enemies, Lord, have mocked,
with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.
52Praise be to the Lord forever!