Psalms 89

The Lord’s Covenant with David and Israel’s Afflictions.

A ▼

▼Possibly, Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm

Maskil of ▼

▼1 Kin 4:31

Ethan ▼

▼Ps 88:title

the Ezrahite.

1 I will ^dsing of the graciousness of the Lord forever;
To all generations I will ^emake Your ^ffaithfulness known with my mouth.
2 For I have said, “ ^gGraciousness will be built up forever;
In the heavens You will establish Your ^hfaithfulness.”
3 “I have made a covenant with ⁱMy chosen;
I have ^jsworn to My servant David,
4 I will establish your ▼

▼Lit seed

, ^ldescendants forever
And build up your ^mthrone to all generations.” Selah

5 The ⁿheavens will praise Your wonders, Lord;
Your faithfulness also ^oin the assembly of the ^pholy ones.
6 For ^qwho in the skies is comparable to the Lord?
Who among the ▼

▼Or sons of gods

, ^ssons of the mighty is like the Lord,
7 A God ^tgreatly feared in the council of the ^uholy ones,
And ^vawesome above all those who are around Him?
8 Lord God of armies, ^wwho is like You, mighty ▼

▼Heb Yah

Lord?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
9 You rule the surging of the sea;
When its waves rise, You ^ycalm them.
10 You Yourself crushed ▼

▼I.e., Egypt, as a sea monster; not to be confused with Rahab in Joshua 2

, ^aaRahab like one who is slain;
You ^abscattered Your enemies with ▼

▼Lit the arm of Your might

Your mighty arm.

11 The ^adheavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The ^aeworld and ▼

▼Lit its fullness

all it contains, You have established them.
12 The ^agnorth and the south, You have created them;
^ahTabor and ^aiHermon ^ajshout for joy at Your name.
13 You have ▼

▼Lit an arm with strength

a strong arm;
Your hand is mighty, Your ^alright hand is exalted.
14 ^amRighteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
^anMercy and ▼

▼Or faithfulness

truth go before You.
15 Blessed are the people who know the ▼

▼Or blast of the trumpet, shout of joy

, ^aqjoyful sound!
Lord, they walk in the ^arlight of Your face.
16 In ^asYour name they rejoice all the day,
And by Your righteousness they are exalted.
17 For You are the glory of ^attheir strength,
And by Your favor ▼

▼Another reading is You exalt our horn

our ^avhorn is exalted.
18 For our ^awshield belongs to the Lord,
▼

▼Or Even to the Holy One of Israel our King

And our king to the ^ayHoly One of Israel.

19 ▼

▼Or At that time

Once You spoke in vision to Your godly ▼

▼Some mss one

ones,
And said, “I have ▼

▼Lit placed help upon

given help to one who is ^bcmighty;
I have exalted one ^bdchosen from the people.
20 “I have ^befound My servant David;
With My holy ^bfoil I have anointed him,
21 With whom ^bgMy hand will be established;
My arm also will ^bhstrengthen him.
22 “The enemy will not ▼

▼Or exact usury from him

deceive him,
Nor will the ▼

▼Or wicked man

, ^bkson of wickedness afflict him.
23 “But I will ^blcrush his adversaries before him,
And strike those who hate him.
24 “My ^bmfaithfulness and My favor will be with him,
And in My name his ^bnhorn will be exalted.
25 “I will also place his hand ^boon the sea,
And his right hand on the rivers.
26 “He will call to Me, ‘You are ^bpmy Father,
My God, and the ^bqrock of my salvation.’
27 “I will also make him My ^brfirstborn,
The ^bshighest of the kings of the earth.
28 “I will maintain My ^btfavor for him forever,
And My ^bucovenant shall be confirmed to him.
29 “So I will establish his ▼

▼Lit seed

, ^bwdescendants forever,
And his ^bxthrone ^byas the days of heaven.

30 “If his sons ^bzabandon My Law
And do not walk in My judgments,
31 If they ▼

▼Lit profane

violate My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
32 Then I will punish their wrongdoing with the ^cbrod,
And their guilt with ▼

▼Or plagues

afflictions.
33 “But I will not ▼

▼Lit break

withhold ^ceMy favor from him,
Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness.
34 “I will not ▼

▼Lit profane

violate My ^cgcovenant,
Nor will I ^chalter ▼

▼Lit that which goes forth

the utterance of My lips.
35 “ ▼

▼Or One thing

Once I have ^cksworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David.
36 “His ▼

▼Lit seed

, ^cmdescendants shall endure forever,
And his ^cnthrone ^coas the sun before Me.
37 “It shall be established forever ^cplike the moon,
And a ^cqwitness in the sky is faithful.” Selah

38 But You have ^crrejected and ^csrefused,
You have been full of wrath ▼

▼Lit with

against Your ^cuanointed.
39 You have ▼

▼I.e., scornfully rejected

, ^cwrepudiated the covenant of Your servant;
You have ^cxprofaned ^cyhis crown ▼

▼Lit to the ground

in the dust.
40 You have ^dabroken down all his walls;
You have ^dbbrought his strongholds to ruin.
41 ^dcAll who pass along the way plunder him;
He has become a ^dddisgrace to his neighbors.
42 You have ^deexalted the right hand of his adversaries;
You have ^dfmade all his enemies rejoice.
43 You also turn back the edge of his sword,
And have ^dgnot made him stand in battle.
44 You have put an end to his ▼

▼Lit clearness, luster

, ^displendor
And cast his throne to the ground.
45 You have ^djshortened the days of his youth;
You have ^dkcovered him with shame. Selah

46 ^dlHow long, Lord?
Will You hide Yourself forever?
Will Your ^dmwrath burn like fire?
47 ^dnRemember ▼

▼Lit of what duration I am

what my lifespan is;
For what ^dpfutility ▼

▼Or have You...mankind?

You have created all the sons of mankind!
48 What man can live and not ^drsee death?
Can he ^dssave his soul from the ▼

▼Lit hand

power of ▼

▼I.e., the netherworld

Sheol? Selah

49 Where are Your former acts of favor, Lord,
Which You ^dvswore to David in Your faithfulness?
50 Remember, Lord, the ^dwtaunt against Your servants;
▼

▼Lit My bearing in my chest

How I carry in my heart the taunts of all the many peoples,
51 With which ^dyYour enemies have taunted, Lord,
With which they have taunted the footsteps of ^dzYour anointed.

^eaBlessed be the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.
52

BOOK 4