Psalm 85-89

New American Standard Bible

Prayer for God’s Mercy upon the Nation.

For the music director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

85 Lord, You showed ^(A)favor to Your land;
You ^(B)restored the fortunes of Jacob.
²You ^(C)forgave the guilt of Your people;
You ^(D)covered all their sin. Selah
³You ^(E)withdrew all Your fury;
You ^(F)turned away from Your burning anger.

⁴^(G)Restore us, God of our salvation,
And ^(H)cause Your indignation toward us to cease.
⁵Will ^(I)You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to ^[a]all generations?
⁶Will You not ^[b]^(J)revive us again,
So that Your people may ^(K)rejoice in You?
⁷Show us Your mercy, Lord,
And ^(L)grant us Your salvation.

⁸^[c]I will hear what God the Lord will say;
For He will ^(M)speak peace to His people, to His godly ones;
And may they not ^(N)turn back to ^[d]foolishness.
⁹Certainly ^(O)His salvation is near to those who ^[e]fear Him,
That ^(P)glory may dwell in our land.
¹⁰^(Q)Graciousness and ^[f]truth have met together;
^(R)Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
¹¹^[g]Truth ^(S)sprouts from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven.
¹²Indeed, ^(T)the Lord will give what is good,
And our ^(U)land will yield its produce.
¹³^(V)Righteousness will go before Him
And will make His footsteps into a way.

Pleading and Trust.

A Prayer of David.

86 ^(W)Incline Your ear, Lord, and answer me;
For I am ^(X)afflicted and needy.
²^(Y)Protect my ^[h]soul, for I am ^(Z)godly;
You my God, save Your servant who ^(AA)trusts in You.
³Be ^(AB)gracious to me, Lord,
For ^(AC)I call upon You all day long.
⁴Make the soul of Your servant joyful,
For to You, Lord, ^(AD)I lift up my soul.
⁵For You, Lord, are ^(AE)good, and ^(AF)ready to forgive,
And ^(AG)abundant in mercy to all who call upon You.
⁶^(AH)Listen, Lord, to my prayer;
And give Your attention to the sound of my pleading!
⁷On ^(AI)the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
For ^(AJ)You will answer me.
⁸There is ^(AK)no one like You among the gods, Lord,
Nor are there any works ^(AL)like Yours.
⁹^(AM)All nations whom You have made will come and worship before You, Lord,
And they will glorify Your name.
¹⁰For You are ^(AN)great, and you ^(AO)do ^[i]wondrous deeds;
You alone ^(AP)are God.

¹¹^(AQ)Teach me Your way, Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
^(AR)Unite my heart to fear Your name.
¹²I will ^(AS)give thanks to You, Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forever.
¹³For Your graciousness toward me is great,
And You have ^(AT)saved my soul from the ^[j]depths of ^[k]Sheol.

¹⁴God, arrogant men have ^(AU)risen up against me,
And a gang of violent men have sought my ^[l]life,
And they have not set You before them.
¹⁵But You, Lord, are a ^(AV)compassionate and gracious God,
Slow to anger and abundant in mercy and ^[m]truth.
¹⁶^(AW)Turn to me, and be gracious to me;
^(AX)Grant Your strength to Your servant,
And save the ^(AY)son of Your maidservant.
¹⁷^(AZ)Show me a sign of good,
That those who hate me may ^(BA)see it and be ashamed,
Because You, Lord, ^(BB)have helped me and comforted me.

The Privileges of Citizenship in Zion.

A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.

87 His ^(BC)foundation is in the holy mountains.
²The Lord ^(BD)loves the gates of Zion
More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob.
³^(BE)Glorious things are spoken of you,
^(BF)City of God. Selah
⁴“I shall mention ^[n]^(BG)Rahab and Babylon ^[o]among those who know Me;
Behold, Philistia and ^(BH)Tyre with ^[p]^(BI)Cush:
‘This one was born there.’”
⁵But of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her”;
And the Most High Himself will ^(BJ)establish her.
⁶The Lord will count when He ^(BK)registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah
⁷Then those who ^(BL)sing as well as those who ^[q]^(BM)play the flutes will say,
“All my ^(BN)springs of joy are in you.”

A Petition to Be Saved from Death.

A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the music director; according to Mahalath Leannoth. A ^[r]Maskil of Heman ^[s]the Ezrahite.

88 Lord, the ^(BO)God of my salvation,
I have ^(BP)cried out by day and in the night before You.
²Let my prayer ^(BQ)come before You;
^(BR)Incline Your ear to my cry!
³For my ^(BS)soul has ^[t]had enough troubles,
And ^(BT)my life has approached ^[u]Sheol.
⁴I am counted among those who ^(BU)go down to the pit;
I have become like a man ^(BV)without strength,
⁵^[v]Abandoned ^(BW)among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You no longer remember,
And they are ^(BX)cut off from Your hand.
⁶You have put me in ^(BY)the lowest pit,
In ^(BZ)dark places, in the ^(CA)depths.
⁷Your wrath ^(CB)has rested upon me,
And You have afflicted me with ^(CC)all Your waves. Selah
⁸You have removed ^(CD)my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an ^[w]^(CE)object of loathing to them;
I am ^(CF)shut up and cannot go out.
⁹My ^(CG)eye grows dim from misery;
I have ^(CH)called upon You every day, Lord;
I have ^(CI)spread out my ^[x]hands to You.

¹⁰Will You perform wonders for the dead?
Or will ^(CJ)the departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah
¹¹Will Your graciousness be declared in the grave,
Your faithfulness in ^[y]Abaddon?
¹²Will Your wonders be made known in the ^(CK)darkness?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

¹³But I, Lord, have cried out ^(CL)to You for help,
And ^(CM)in the morning my prayer comes before You.
¹⁴Lord, why ^(CN)do You reject my soul?
Why do You ^(CO)hide Your face from me?
¹⁵I was miserable and ^(CP)about to die from my youth on;
I suffer ^(CQ)Your terrors; I grow weary.
¹⁶Your ^(CR)burning anger has passed over me;
Your terrors have ^[z]^(CS)destroyed me.
¹⁷They have ^(CT)surrounded me ^(CU)like water all day long;
They have ^(CV)encircled me altogether.
¹⁸You have removed ^(CW)lover and friend far from me;
My acquaintances are in a hiding place.

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

A ^[aa]Maskil of ^[ab]Ethan ^[ac]the Ezrahite.

89 I will ^(CX)sing of the graciousness of the Lord forever;
To all generations I will ^(CY)make Your ^(CZ)faithfulness known with my mouth.
²For I have said, “^(DA)Graciousness will be built up forever;
In the heavens You will establish Your ^(DB)faithfulness.”
³“I have made a covenant with ^(DC)My chosen;
I have ^(DD)sworn to My servant David,
⁴I will establish your ^[ad]^(DE)descendants forever
And build up your ^(DF)throne to all generations.” Selah

⁵The ^(DG)heavens will praise Your wonders, Lord;
Your faithfulness also ^(DH)in the assembly of the ^(DI)holy ones.
⁶For ^(DJ)who in the skies is comparable to the Lord?
Who among the ^[ae]^(DK)sons of the mighty is like the Lord,
⁷A God ^(DL)greatly feared in the council of the ^(DM)holy ones,
And ^(DN)awesome above all those who are around Him?
⁸Lord God of armies, ^(DO)who is like You, mighty ^[af]Lord?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
⁹You rule the surging of the sea;
When its waves rise, You ^(DP)calm them.
¹⁰You Yourself crushed ^[ag]^(DQ)Rahab like one who is slain;
You ^(DR)scattered Your enemies with ^[ah]Your mighty arm.

¹¹The ^(DS)heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The ^(DT)world and ^[ai]all it contains, You have established them.
¹²The ^(DU)north and the south, You have created them;
^(DV)Tabor and ^(DW)Hermon ^(DX)shout for joy at Your name.
¹³You have ^[aj]a strong arm;
Your hand is mighty, Your ^(DY)right hand is exalted.
¹⁴^(DZ)Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
^(EA)Mercy and ^[ak]truth go before You.
¹⁵Blessed are the people who know the ^[al]^(EB)joyful sound!
Lord, they walk in the ^(EC)light of Your face.
¹⁶In ^(ED)Your name they rejoice all the day,
And by Your righteousness they are exalted.
¹⁷For You are the glory of ^(EE)their strength,
And by Your favor ^[am]our ^(EF)horn is exalted.
¹⁸For our ^(EG)shield belongs to the Lord,
^[an]And our king to the ^(EH)Holy One of Israel.

¹⁹^[ao]Once You spoke in vision to Your godly ^[ap]ones,
And said, “I have ^[aq]given help to one who is ^(EI)mighty;
I have exalted one ^(EJ)chosen from the people.
²⁰I have ^(EK)found My servant David;
With My holy ^(EL)oil I have anointed him,
²¹With whom ^(EM)My hand will be established;
My arm also will ^(EN)strengthen him.
²²The enemy will not ^[ar]deceive him,
Nor will the ^[as]^(EO)son of wickedness afflict him.
²³But I will ^(EP)crush his adversaries before him,
And strike those who hate him.
²⁴My ^(EQ)faithfulness and My favor will be with him,
And in My name his ^(ER)horn will be exalted.
²⁵I will also place his hand ^(ES)on the sea,
And his right hand on the rivers.
²⁶He will call to Me, ‘You are ^(ET)my Father,
My God, and the ^(EU)rock of my salvation.’
²⁷I will also make him My ^(EV)firstborn,
The ^(EW)highest of the kings of the earth.
²⁸I will maintain My ^(EX)favor for him forever,
And My ^(EY)covenant shall be confirmed to him.
²⁹So I will establish his ^[at]^(EZ)descendants forever,
And his ^(FA)throne ^(FB)as the days of heaven.

³⁰“If his sons ^(FC)abandon My Law
And do not walk in My judgments,
³¹If they ^[au]violate My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
³²Then I will punish their wrongdoing with the ^(FD)rod,
And their guilt with ^[av]afflictions.
³³But I will not ^[aw]withhold ^(FE)My favor from him,
Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness.
³⁴I will not ^[ax]violate My ^(FF)covenant,
Nor will I ^(FG)alter ^[ay]the utterance of My lips.
³⁵^[az]Once I have ^(FH)sworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David.
³⁶His ^[ba]^(FI)descendants shall endure forever,
And his ^(FJ)throne ^(FK)as the sun before Me.
³⁷It shall be established forever ^(FL)like the moon,
And a ^(FM)witness in the sky is faithful.” Selah

³⁸But You have ^(FN)rejected and ^(FO)refused,
You have been full of wrath ^[bb]against Your ^(FP)anointed.
³⁹You have ^[bc]^(FQ)repudiated the covenant of Your servant;
You have ^(FR)profaned ^(FS)his crown ^[bd]in the dust.
⁴⁰You have ^(FT)broken down all his walls;
You have ^(FU)brought his strongholds to ruin.
⁴¹^(FV)All who pass along the way plunder him;
He has become a ^(FW)disgrace to his neighbors.
⁴²You have ^(FX)exalted the right hand of his adversaries;
You have ^(FY)made all his enemies rejoice.
⁴³You also turn back the edge of his sword,
And have ^(FZ)not made him stand in battle.
⁴⁴You have put an end to his ^[be]^(GA)splendor
And cast his throne to the ground.
⁴⁵You have ^(GB)shortened the days of his youth;
You have ^(GC)covered him with shame. Selah

⁴⁶^(GD)How long, Lord?
Will You hide Yourself forever?
Will Your ^(GE)wrath burn like fire?
⁴⁷^(GF)Remember ^[bf]what my lifespan is;
For what ^(GG)futility ^[bg]You have created all the sons of mankind!
⁴⁸What man can live and not ^(GH)see death?
Can he ^(GI)save his soul from the ^[bh]power of ^[bi]Sheol? Selah

⁴⁹Where are Your former acts of favor, Lord,
Which You ^(GJ)swore to David in Your faithfulness?
⁵⁰Remember, Lord, the ^(GK)taunt against Your servants;
^[bj]How I carry in my heart the taunts of all the many peoples,
⁵¹With which ^(GL)Your enemies have taunted, Lord,
With which they have taunted the footsteps of ^(GM)Your anointed.

⁵²^(GN)Blessed be the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.

Footnotes

Psalm 85:5 Lit generation and generation
Psalm 85:6 Or bring to life
Psalm 85:8 Or Let me hear
Psalm 85:8 I.e., foolish self-confidence
Psalm 85:9 Or revere
Psalm 85:10 Or faithfulness
Psalm 85:11 Or Faithfulness
Psalm 86:2 Or life
Psalm 86:10 Or miracles
Psalm 86:13 Lit lowest Sheol
Psalm 86:13 I.e., the netherworld
Psalm 86:14 Lit soul
Psalm 86:15 Or faithfulness
Psalm 87:4 I.e., Egypt, as a sea monster; not to be confused with Rahab in Joshua 2
Psalm 87:4 Or as
Psalm 87:4 Or Ethiopia
Psalm 87:7 Or dance
Psalm 88 Title Possibly, Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
Psalm 88 Title 1 Kin 4:31; 1 Chr 2:6; Ps 89: title
Psalm 88:3 Or been satisfied with
Psalm 88:3 I.e., the netherworld
Psalm 88:5 Lit A freed one among the dead
Psalm 88:8 Lit abomination to them
Psalm 88:9 Lit palms
Psalm 88:11 I.e., place of destruction
Psalm 88:16 Or silenced
Psalm 89 Title Possibly, Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
Psalm 89 Title 1 Kin 4:31
Psalm 89 Title Ps 88: title
Psalm 89:4 Lit seed
Psalm 89:6 Or sons of gods
Psalm 89:8 Heb Yah
Psalm 89:10 I.e., Egypt, as a sea monster; not to be confused with Rahab in Joshua 2
Psalm 89:10 Lit the arm of Your might
Psalm 89:11 Lit its fullness
Psalm 89:13 Lit an arm with strength
Psalm 89:14 Or faithfulness
Psalm 89:15 Or blast of the trumpet, shout of joy
Psalm 89:17 Another reading is You exalt our horn
Psalm 89:18 Or Even to the Holy One of Israel our King
Psalm 89:19 Or At that time
Psalm 89:19 Some mss one
Psalm 89:19 Lit placed help upon
Psalm 89:22 Or exact usury from him
Psalm 89:22 Or wicked man
Psalm 89:29 Lit seed
Psalm 89:31 Lit profane
Psalm 89:32 Or plagues
Psalm 89:33 Lit break
Psalm 89:34 Lit profane
Psalm 89:34 Lit that which goes forth
Psalm 89:35 Or One thing
Psalm 89:36 Lit seed
Psalm 89:38 Lit with
Psalm 89:39 I.e., scornfully rejected
Psalm 89:39 Lit to the ground
Psalm 89:44 Lit clearness, luster
Psalm 89:47 Lit of what duration I am
Psalm 89:47 Or have You...mankind?
Psalm 89:48 Lit hand
Psalm 89:48 I.e., the netherworld
Psalm 89:50 Lit My bearing in my chest