‏ Psalms 89

Remembering the Covenant with David, and Sorrow for Lost Blessings

A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite. ▼
▼The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one

1I will sing forever of Yahweh’s acts of loyal love.
⌞From generation to generation⌟ ▼
▼Literally “To a generation and a generation”

I will make known your faithfulness with my mouth.
2For I say, “Forever your loyal love is built up.
The heavens you have established with your faithfulness in them.”
3“I made a covenant with my chosen one;
I swore an oath to David my servant:
4‘I will establish your descendants forever,
and I will build up your throne ⌞from generation to generation⌟.’ ” ▼
▼Literally “To a generation and a generation”
 Selah
5And so the heavens will praise your wonderful deed, O Yahweh,
even your faithfulness, in the assembly of the holy ones.
6For who in the sky ▼
▼Hebrew singular collective “clouds”
 is equal to Yahweh?
Who is like Yahweh among the sons of God,
7a God feared greatly in the council of the holy ones,
and awesome above all surrounding him?
8O Yahweh God of hosts,
who is mighty like you, O Yah,
with ▼
▼Hebrew “and”
 your faithfulness surrounding you?
9You are ruling the surging of the sea.
When its waves rise, ⌞you yourself still⌟ ▼
▼Literally “you, you calm”
 them.
10⌞You yourself crushed⌟ ▼
▼Literally “You, you crushed”
 Rahab like one who is slain;
you scattered your enemies with your strong arm.
11The heavens are yours, the earth yours as well,
the world with its fullness, because you founded them.
12North and south, you created them;
Tabor and Hermon shout joyfully over your name.
13You have a mighty arm;
Your hand is strong; your right hand reaches high.
14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.
Loyal love and faithfulness ▼
▼Or “truth”
 come before your face. ▼
▼That is, enjoy continual access
15Blessed are the people who know the joyful shout;
O Yahweh, they walk about in the light of your countenance.
16In your name they rejoice all the day,
and in your righteousness they rise up.
17For you are the glory of their strength,
and by your favor our horn rises up, ▼
▼According to the reading tradition (Qere). The Kethib reads “you exalt our horn”
18because our shield belongs to Yahweh, ▼
▼Or “Yahweh is our shield.”

and our king to the Holy One of Israel. ▼
▼Or “The Holy One of Israel is our king.”
19Formerly you spoke in a vision
to your faithful ones, and said,
“I have bestowed help on a mighty man;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
20I have found David, my servant.
With my holy oil I have anointed him,
21with whom my hand will be steadfast.
Surely my arm will strengthen him.
22The enemy will not deceive him,
and no ⌞evil man⌟ ▼
▼Literally “a son of wickedness”
 will afflict him.
23But I will crush his adversaries before him,
and I will strike those who hate him.
24And so my faithfulness
and my loyal love will be with him,
and in my name his horn will rise up.
25And I will set his hand on the sea
and his right hand on the rivers.
26He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,
my God, and the rock of my salvation.’
27I will also make him the firstborn,
the highest of the kings of the earth.
28Forever I will keep my loyal love for him,
and my covenant will be reliable for him.
29I will also establish his offspring forever,
and his throne as the days of the heavens.
30If his sons forsake my law
and do not walk in my judgments,
31if they defile ▼
▼Hebrew “profane; treat as common”
 my statutes
and do not keep my commandments,
32then I will punish their transgression with a rod,
and their guilt with wounds.
33But I will not break off my loyal love from him,
and I will not be false against my faithfulness.
34I will not defile ▼
▼Hebrew “profane; treat as common”
 my covenant,
or alter what proceeded from my lips.
35Once ▼
▼Hebrew “One”
 I have sworn by my holiness,
‘I will surely not lie to David,
36His offspring will endure ▼
▼Hebrew “be”
 forever,
and his throne as the sun before me.
37Like the moon it will be steadfast forever,
and like an enduring witness in the sky.’ ” Selah
38But you have spurned and rejected;
you are very angry with your anointed one.
39You have repudiated the covenant with your servant;
you have defiled ▼
▼Hebrew “profane; treat as common”
 his crown in ▼
▼Hebrew “to”
 the dirt.
40You have broken down all his walls;
you have made his fortifications a ruin.
41All passing along the road plunder him;
he has become a taunt to his neighbors.
42You have raised the right hand ▼
▼That is, given them victory
 of his adversaries.
You have made all his enemies rejoice.
43You have also turned back the edge of his sword
and have not helped him stand his ground in the battle.
44You have made his splendor to cease,
and cast his throne to the ground.
45You have cut short the days of his youth;
you have covered him with shame. Selah
46How long, O Yahweh? Will you hide yourself forever?
Will your wrath burn like fire forever?
47Remember what my lifespan is.
Remember for what vanity
you have created all the children of humankind.
48What man can live on and not see death?
Can he deliver his life from the ⌞power⌟ ▼
▼Literally “hand””
 of Sheol? Selah
49Where are your former acts of loyal love, O Lord,
that you swore to David by your faithfulness?
50Remember, O Lord the taunting of your servants,
how I bear in my bosom the taunts of all the many peoples,
51by which your enemies taunt, O Yahweh,
by which they taunt the steps of your anointed one.
52Blessed be Yahweh forever.
Amen and Amen.
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