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Sing of the Lovingkindness of Yahweh Forever

A [a]Maskil of [b]Ethan [c]the Ezrahite.

89 I will (A)sing of the lovingkindnesses of Yahweh forever;
From generation to generation I will (B)make known Your (C)faithfulness with my mouth.
For I have said, “(D)Lovingkindness will be built up forever;
In the heavens You will establish Your (E)faithfulness.”
“I have cut a covenant with (F)My chosen;
I have (G)sworn to David My [d]servant,
I will establish your (H)seed forever
And build up your (I)throne from generation to generation.” [e]Selah.

The (J)heavens will praise Your wonders, O Yahweh;
Your faithfulness also (K)in the assembly of the (L)holy ones.
For (M)who in the sky is comparable to Yahweh?
Who among the [f](N)sons of the mighty is like Yahweh,
A God (O)greatly dreaded in the council of the (P)holy ones,
And [g](Q)fearsome above all those who are around Him?
O Yahweh God of hosts, (R)who is like You, O mighty Yah?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
You rule the swelling of the sea;
When its waves rise, You (S)still them.
10 You Yourself crushed [h](T)Rahab like one who is slain;
You (U)scattered Your enemies with Your strong arm.

11 The (V)heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The (W)world and its fullness, You have founded them.
12 The (X)north and the south, You have created them;
(Y)Tabor and (Z)Hermon (AA)sing with joy at Your name.
13 You have a mighty arm;
Your hand is strong, Your (AB)right hand is exalted.
14 (AC)Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
(AD)Lovingkindness and [i]truth go before You.
15 How blessed are the people who know the (AE)loud shout of joy!
O Yahweh, they walk in the (AF)light of Your face.
16 In (AG)Your name they rejoice all the day,
And by Your righteousness they are exalted.
17 For You are the beauty of (AH)their strength,
And by Your favor [j]our (AI)horn is exalted.
18 For our (AJ)shield belongs to Yahweh,
[k]And our king to the (AK)Holy One of Israel.

19 Formerly You spoke in vision to Your [l]holy [m]ones,
And said, “I have bestowed help to a (AL)mighty one;
I have exalted one (AM)chosen from the people.
20 I have (AN)found David My [n]servant;
With My holy (AO)oil I have anointed him,
21 With whom (AP)My hand will be established;
My arm also will (AQ)strengthen him.
22 The enemy will not [o]deceive him,
Nor the [p](AR)son of unrighteousness afflict him.
23 But I shall (AS)crush his adversaries before him,
And strike those who hate him.
24 My (AT)faithfulness and My lovingkindness will be with him,
And in My name his (AU)horn will be exalted.
25 I shall also set his hand (AV)on the sea
And his right hand on the rivers.
26 He will call to Me, ‘You are (AW)my Father,
My God, and the (AX)rock of my salvation.’
27 I also shall make him My (AY)firstborn,
The (AZ)highest of the kings of the earth.
28 My (BA)lovingkindness I will keep for him forever,
And My (BB)covenant shall be confirmed to him.
29 So I will set up his (BC)seed to endure forever
And his (BD)throne (BE)as the days of heaven.

30 “If his sons (BF)forsake My law
And do not walk in My judgments,
31 If they profane My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
32 Then I will punish their transgression with the (BG)rod
And their iniquity with striking.
33 But I will not break off (BH)My lovingkindness from him,
Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness.
34 My (BI)covenant I will not profane,
Nor will I (BJ)alter what comes forth from My lips.
35 [q]Once I have (BK)sworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David.
36 His (BL)seed shall endure forever
And his (BM)throne (BN)as the sun before Me.
37 It shall be established forever (BO)like the moon,
And the (BP)witness in the sky is faithful.” [r]Selah.

38 But You have (BQ)cast off and (BR)rejected,
You have been full of wrath [s]against Your (BS)anointed.
39 You have (BT)spurned the covenant of Your [t]slave;
You have (BU)profaned (BV)his crown to the ground.
40 You have (BW)broken down all his walls;
You have (BX)beset his strongholds with ruin.
41 (BY)All who pass along the way plunder him;
He has become a (BZ)reproach to his neighbors.
42 You have (CA)exalted the right hand of his adversaries;
You have (CB)made all his enemies be glad.
43 You also turn back the edge of his sword
And have (CC)not made him arise in battle.
44 You have made his [u](CD)splendor to cease
And cast his throne to the ground.
45 You have (CE)shortened the days of his youth;
You have (CF)wrapped him up with shame. Selah.

46 (CG)How long, O Yahweh?
Will You hide Yourself forever?
Will Your (CH)wrath burn like fire?
47 (CI)Remember [v]what my span of life is;
For what (CJ)vanity [w]You have created all the sons of men!
48 What man can live and not (CK)see death?
Can he (CL)provide his soul escape from the [x]power of Sheol? Selah.

49 Where are Your former lovingkindnesses, O Lord,
Which You (CM)swore to David in Your faithfulness?
50 Remember, O Lord, the (CN)reproach of Your [y]slaves;
[z]How I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples,
51 With which (CO)Your enemies have reproached, O Yahweh,
With which they have reproached the footsteps of (CP)Your anointed.

52 (CQ)Blessed be Yahweh forever!
Amen and Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 89 Title Possibly Contemplative, Didactic, Skillful Psalm
  2. Psalm 89 Title 1 Kin 4:31
  3. Psalm 89 Title Ps 88: title
  4. Psalm 89:3 Or slave, cf. 89:39; see Foreword, “The Terminology of Slave”
  5. Psalm 89:4 Selah may mean Pause, Crescendo, Musical Interlude
  6. Psalm 89:6 Or sons of gods
  7. Psalm 89:7 Or awesome
  8. Psalm 89:10 Egypt
  9. Psalm 89:14 Or faithfulness
  10. Psalm 89:17 Or You exalt our horn
  11. Psalm 89:18 Or Even to the Holy One of Israel our King
  12. Psalm 89:19 Or ones of lovingkindness
  13. Psalm 89:19 Some mss one, cf. 16:10
  14. Psalm 89:20 Or slave,cf. 89:39; see Foreword, “The Terminology of Slave”
  15. Psalm 89:22 Or exact usury from him
  16. Psalm 89:22 Or unrighteous man
  17. Psalm 89:35 Or One thing
  18. Psalm 89:37 Selah may mean Pause, Crescendo, Musical Interlude
  19. Psalm 89:38 Lit with
  20. Psalm 89:39 Or servant, cf. Ps 89:3, 20
  21. Psalm 89:44 Lit clearness, luster
  22. Psalm 89:47 Lit of what duration I am
  23. Psalm 89:47 Or have You...men?
  24. Psalm 89:48 Lit hand
  25. Psalm 89:50 Or servants, cf. Ps 89:3, 20
  26. Psalm 89:50 Lit My bearing in my bosom

Psalm 89

A maskil[a] of Ethan the Ezrahite.

89 I will sing of the Lord’s loyal love forever.
    I will proclaim your faithfulness
    with my own mouth
    from one generation to the next.
That’s why I say,
    “Your[b] loyal love is rightly built—forever!
    You establish your faithfulness in heaven.”
You said,[c] “I made a covenant with my chosen one;
    I promised my servant David:
    ‘I will establish your offspring forever;
    I will build up your throne from one generation to the next.’” Selah

Heaven thanks you for your wondrous acts, Lord
    for your faithfulness too—
    in the assembly of the holy ones.
Is there any in the sky who could compare to the Lord?
    Who among the gods is equal to the Lord?
God is respected in the council of the holy ones;
    God is awesome and revered more than all those around him.
Who is like you, Lord God of heavenly forces?
    Mighty Lord, your faithfulness surrounds you!
You rule over the surging sea:
    When its waves rise up,
    it’s you who makes them still.
10 It’s you who crushed Rahab like a dead body;
    you scattered your enemies with your strong arm.
11 Heaven is yours! The earth too!
    The world and all that fills it—
    you made all of it! North and south—you created them!
12     The mountains Tabor and Hermon
    shout praises to your name.
13 You have a powerful arm;
    your hand is strong;
    your strong hand is raised high!
14 Your throne is built on righteousness and justice;
    loyal love and faithfulness stand in front of you.

15 The people who know the celebratory shout are truly happy!
    They walk in the light of your presence, Lord!
16 They rejoice in your name all day long
    and are uplifted by your righteousness
17     because you are the splendor of their strength.
By your favor you make us strong
18     because our shield is the Lord’s own;
    our king belongs to the holy one of Israel!

19 Once you spoke in a vision
    to your faithful servants:
I placed a crown on a strong man.
    I raised up someone specially chosen from the people.
20 I discovered my servant David.
    I anointed him with my holy oil.
21 My hand will sustain him—
    yes, my arm will strengthen him!
22 No enemy will oppress him;
    no wicked person will make him suffer.
23 I will crush all his foes in front of him.
    I will strike down all those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and my loyal love will be with him.
    He will be strengthened by my name.
25 I will set his hand on the sea.
    I will set his strong hand on the rivers.
26 He will cry out to me:
    “You are my father,
    my God, the rock of my salvation.”
27 Yes, I’ll make him the one born first—
    I’ll make him the high king of all earth’s kings.
28 I will always guard my loyal love toward him.
    My covenant with him will last forever.
29 I will establish his dynasty for all time.
    His throne will last as long as heaven does.
30 But if his children ever abandon my Instruction,
    stop following my rules—
31         if they treat my statutes like dirt,
        stop keeping my commandments—
32     then I will punish their sin with a stick,
        and I will punish their wrongdoing with a severe beating.
33 But even then I won’t withdraw my loyal love from him.
    I won’t betray my faithfulness.
34     I won’t break my covenant.
    I won’t renege on what crossed my lips.
35 By my own holiness I’ve sworn one thing:
    I will not lie to David.
36     His dynasty will last forever.
    His throne will be like the sun, always before me.
37     It will be securely established forever;
    like the moon, a faithful witness in the sky. Selah

38 But you, God, have rejected and despised him.
    You’ve become infuriated with your anointed one.
39     You’ve canceled the covenant with your servant.
    You’ve thrown his crown in the dirt.
40     You’ve broken through all his walls.
    You’ve made his strongholds a pile of ruins.
41 All those who pass by plunder him.
    He’s nothing but a joke to his neighbors.
42 You lifted high his foes’ strong hand.
    You gave all his enemies reason to celebrate.
43 Yes, you dulled the edge of his sword
    and didn’t support him in battle.
44     You’ve put an end to his splendor.
    You’ve thrown his throne to the ground.
45     You’ve shortened the prime of his life.
    You’ve wrapped him up in shame. Selah

46 How long will it last, Lord?
    Will you hide yourself forever?
    How long will your wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember how short my life is!
    Have you created humans for no good reason?
48 Who lives their life without seeing death?
    Who is ever rescued from the grip of the grave?[d] Selah
49 Where now are your loving acts
    from long ago, my Lord—
    the same ones you promised to David
    by your own faithfulness?
50 Remember your servant’s abuse, my Lord!
    Remember how I bear in my heart
    all the insults of the nations,[e]
51         the ones your enemies, Lord, use—
        the ones they use to abuse
        every step your anointed one takes.

52 Bless the Lord forever!
    Amen and Amen!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 89:1 Perhaps instruction
  2. Psalm 89:2 Heb lacks Your.
  3. Psalm 89:3 Heb lacks You said.
  4. Psalm 89:48 Heb Sheol
  5. Psalm 89:50 Correction; MT all of many peoples