Psalm 89
Darby Translation
An instruction. Of Ethan the Ezrahite.
89 I will sing of the loving-kindness of Jehovah for ever; with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness from generation to generation.
2 For I said, Loving-kindness shall be built up for ever; in the very heavens wilt thou establish thy faithfulness.
3 I have made a covenant with mine elect, I have sworn unto David my servant:
4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne from generation to generation. Selah.
5 And the heavens shall celebrate thy wonders, O Jehovah, and thy faithfulness in the congregation of the saints.
6 For who in the heaven can be compared to Jehovah? [who] among the sons of the mighty shall be likened to Jehovah?
7 God is greatly to be feared in the council of the saints, and terrible for all that are round about him.
8 Jehovah, God of hosts, who is like unto thee, the strong Jah? And thy faithfulness is round about thee.
9 *Thou* rulest the pride of the sea: when its waves arise, *thou* stillest them.
10 Thou hast crushed Rahab as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with the arm of thy strength.
11 Thine are the heavens, the earth also is thine; the world and its fulness, *thou* hast founded them.
12 The north and the south, *thou* hast created them: Tabor and Hermon triumph in thy name.
13 Thine is the arm of might: strong is thy hand, high is thy right hand.
14 Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of thy throne; loving-kindness and truth go before thy face.
15 Blessed is the people that know the shout of joy: they walk, O Jehovah, in the light of thy countenance.
16 In thy name are they joyful all the day, and in thy righteousness are they exalted.
17 For thou art the glory of their strength; and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.
18 For Jehovah is our shield, and the Holy One of Israel, our king.
19 Then thou spakest in vision of thy Holy One, and saidst, I have laid help upon a mighty one; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
20 I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:
21 With whom my hand shall be established; and mine arm shall strengthen him.
22 No enemy shall exact upon him, nor the son of wickedness afflict him;
23 But I will beat down his adversaries before his face, and will smite them that hate him.
24 And my faithfulness and my loving-kindness shall be with him, and by my name shall his horn be exalted.
25 And I will set his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.
26 *He* shall call unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation;
27 And as to me, I will make him firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.
28 My loving-kindness will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him;
29 And I will establish his seed for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
30 If his sons forsake my law, and walk not in mine ordinances;
31 If they profane my statutes, and keep not my commandments:
32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
33 Nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor belie my faithfulness;
34 My covenant will I not profane, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
35 Once have I sworn by my holiness; I will not lie unto David:
36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me;
37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and the witness in the sky is firm. Selah.
38 But thou hast rejected and cast off; thou hast been very wroth with thine anointed:
39 Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant; thou hast profaned his crown to the ground:
40 Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin.
41 All that pass by the way plunder him; he is become a reproach to his neighbours.
42 Thou hast exalted the right hand of his oppressors; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice:
43 Yea, thou hast turned back the edge of his sword, and hast not made him stand in the battle.
44 Thou hast made his brightness to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground;
45 The days of his youth hast thou shortened; thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.
46 How long, Jehovah, wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy fury burn like fire?
47 Remember, as regards me, what life is. Wherefore hast thou created all the children of men to be vanity?
48 What man liveth, and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah.
49 Where, Lord, are thy former loving-kindnesses, [which] thou swarest unto David in thy faithfulness?
50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants—that I bear in my bosom [that of] all the mighty peoples—
51 Wherewith thine enemies, O Jehovah, have reproached, wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.
52 Blessed be Jehovah for evermore! Amen, and Amen.
Psalm 89
King James Version
89 I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
2 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,
4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.
5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.
6 For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?
7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.
8 O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
9 Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.
10 Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.
11 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.
12 The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.
13 Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
14 Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.
15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.
16 In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.
17 For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.
18 For the Lord is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.
19 Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
20 I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:
21 With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
23 And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.
24 But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
25 I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.
26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.
28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
30 If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;
31 If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;
32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
35 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.
36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.
37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.
38 But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.
39 Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.
40 Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.
41 All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbours.
42 Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.
43 Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle.
44 Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground.
45 The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.
46 How long, Lord? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?
48 What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.
49 Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth?
50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people;
51 Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O Lord; wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.
52 Blessed be the Lord for evermore. Amen, and Amen.
Psalm 89
Evangelical Heritage Version
Psalm 89
The Covenant With David
Heading
A maskil by Ethan the Ezrahite.
Opening Praise
1 I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.
With my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
through all generations.
2 Yes, I have said, “Your mercy is built to last forever.
In the heavens you establish your faithfulness.”
The Statement of the Covenant
3 The Lord said,[a]
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one.
I have sworn to David my servant.
4 I will establish your seed[b] forever, Interlude
and I will build your throne through all generations.”
God’s Power Upholds the Covenant
5 The heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
also your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 For who in the skies can compare with the Lord?
Who is like the Lord among the sons of God?
7 God is revered in the council of the holy ones.
He is to be feared more than all who surround him.
8 O Lord God of Armies, who is like you?
You are mighty, O Lord,[c]
and your faithfulness surrounds you.
9 You rule over the majestic sea.
When its waves rise up, you quiet them.
10 You crushed Rahab[d] like one of the slain.
With your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
11 The heavens are yours, and yours also is the earth.
You founded the world and everything that fills it.
12 You created the north and the south.
Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at your name.
13 Your arm works for you with power.
Your hand is strong. Your right hand is raised high.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.
Mercy and truth are right in front of you.
The Security of God’s People
15 How blessed are the people who know the joyful cry.
Lord, they walk in the light from your face.
16 In your name they celebrate all day long.
In your righteousness they are lifted up.
17 For you are the beauty of their strength,
and by your favor you exalt our Horn.[e]
18 Indeed, our Shield belongs to the Lord,
our King to the Holy One of Israel.
The Promise to David
19 Once you spoke in a vision to your favored ones.
You said:
I have granted help to a warrior.
I have raised up a young man from among the people.
20 I found David my servant.
With my holy oil I have anointed him.
21 He is the one whom my hand will sustain.
Surely my arm will strengthen him.
22 No enemy will subject him to tribute.
No violent man will oppress him.
23 I will crush his foes before him
and strike down those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and mercy will be with him,
and through my name his horn[f] will be exalted.
25 I will set his hand over the sea,
his right hand over the rivers.
26 He will call out to me, “You are my Father,
my God and the Rock that saves me.”
27 I will also make him the Firstborn,
the highest of the kings of the earth.
28 I will keep my mercy for him forever,
and my covenant with him will stand firm.
29 I will establish his seed forever.
His throne will endure like the days of the heavens.
The Terms of the Covenant
30 If his sons forsake my law,
and they do not walk according to my judgments,
31 if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commands,
32 I will punish their rebellion with the rod, their guilt with whipping.
33 But I will not break off my mercy from him.
I will not let my truth become false.
34 I will not violate my covenant.
I will not alter what comes out of my lips.
35 Once and for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
surely I will not lie to David—
36 that his seed will continue forever,
and his throne will endure before me like the sun.
37 It will be established forever like the moon. Interlude
This witness in the sky is faithful.
The Covenant Abandoned?
38 But you have rejected, you have cast off,
you have been very angry with your anointed one,
39 and you have renounced the covenant with your servant,
and you have thrown his crown on the ground.
40 You have broken down all his walls
and reduced his fortresses to rubble.
41 All who pass by on the road have plundered him.
He is despised by his neighbors.
42 You have raised up the right hand of his foes.
You have made all his enemies happy.
43 Indeed, you have deflected the edge of his sword,
and you have not let him stand up in battle.
44 You have put an end to his majesty,
and you have hurled his throne to the ground.
45 You have cut short the days of his youth. Interlude
You have clothed him with shame.
46 How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
Will your wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember me! What is my life!
For you have created such futility for all the children of Adam!
48 Can anyone live and not see death, Interlude
or save his life from the power of the grave?
49 Where are your former mercies, O Lord,
which you swore to David in your faithfulness?
50 Remember, Lord, the scorn your servants have[g] endured.
(I carry on my heart all the many peoples!)[h]
51 Remember the scorn
with which your enemies have been scornful, O Lord,
with which they have scorned the steps of your Anointed One.
Closing Doxology
52 Blessed be the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.
Footnotes
- Psalm 89:3 The words The Lord said are added to clarify who is speaking.
- Psalm 89:4 Retention of the literal term seed makes it clear that this refers to the Messianic line from the seed of Eve, through the seed of Abraham and the seed of David, to Christ the Messiah.
- Psalm 89:8 Yah, the short form of the divine name, is used instead of the full form, Yahweh.
- Psalm 89:10 The name Rahab here is a personification of the sea as a monster.
- Psalm 89:17 The Horn and the Shield here are names for the King descended from David.
- Psalm 89:24 That is, his power
- Psalm 89:50 A Hebrew variant is servant has.
- Psalm 89:50 An emendation suggested by some translators is all the attacks of the peoples.
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.