Psalms 89

1 I will sing about your mercies forever, Lord; from generation to generation I will proclaim your truth with my mouth.

2 You said,

“Mercy will be built forever; your truth will be prepared in the heavens.

3 I made a covenant with my chosen ones; I swore to David my servant:

4 ‘I will prepare your offspring forever and build your throne from generation to generation.’” Pause.

5 The heavens will give thanks for your wonderful works, Lord, and for your truth in the assembly of holy ones.

6 Who in the clouds can be considered equal to the Lord? Who among God’s sons can be compared to the Lord?

7 God is glorified in the council of holy ones, great and awe-inspiring to everyone around him.

8 Lord God of armies, who is like you? You are powerful, Lord, and your truth surrounds you.

9 You rule the sea’s power and calm the surging of its waves.

10 You brought down the arrogant like someone slain; with your powerful arm you scattered your enemies.

11 The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours. You founded the inhabited world and everything in it.

12 You created the north and the seas; Tabor and Hermon will rejoice in your name.

13 Yours is the powerful arm. Let your hand be strengthened and your right hand exalted.

14 Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of your throne; mercy and truth will go before your face.

15 Blessed is the people who know the joyful shout; they will walk in the light of your face, Lord.

16 They will rejoice in your name all day and be exalted in your righteousness.

17 You are the boast of their strength, and in your favor our horn will be exalted,

18 because our help comes from the Lord, and from the Holy One of Israel, our king.

19 Then you spoke in a vision to those holy to you and said,

“I placed help upon a powerful man; I exalted one chosen from my people.

20 I found David my servant and anointed him with my holy oil.

21 My hand will support him, and my arm will strengthen him.

22 The enemy will gain no advantage over him, and a lawless son will not continue to harm him.

23 I will cut down his enemies before him and put those who hate him to flight.

24 My truth and mercy will be with him, and in my name his horn will be exalted.

25 I will place his hand in the sea and his right hand in the rivers.

26 He will call upon me: ‘You are my Father, my God, and the helper of my rescue.’

27 I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.

28 I will keep my mercy for him forever, and my covenant will be firm with him.

29 I will establish his offspring forever and ever, and his throne like the days of heaven.

30 If his children abandon my law and do not walk in my judgments,

31 if they treat my rules as common and do not guard my commands,

32 I will call their lawlessness to account with a rod and their sins with scourges.

33 But I will not completely remove my mercy from him or act unjustly against my truth.

34 I will not treat my covenant as common or reject what proceeds from my lips.

35 Once I swore by my holiness: I will not lie to David.

36 His offspring will remain forever, and his throne will be like the sun before me

37 and like the moon established forever, a faithful witness in heaven.” Pause.

38 But you rejected and treated your anointed one as nothing; you cast him away.

39 You overturned your servant’s covenant and treated his sanctuary as common by casting it to the ground.

40 You broke down all his hedges and made his strongholds a terror.

41 Everyone passing by plundered him; he became a reproach to his neighbors.

42 You exalted his enemies’ right hands and made all his enemies rejoice.

43 You turned back the help of his sword and did not support him in battle.

44 You deprived him of purification and broke his throne down to the ground.

45 You shortened his time and poured shame upon him. Pause.

46 How long, Lord, will you turn away? Forever? Will your anger burn like fire?

47 Remember what my existence is. Surely you did not create all human beings for nothing!

48 What person will live and not see death? Will anyone rescue his soul from Hades’ hand? Pause.

49 Where are your ancient mercies, Lord, which you swore to David in your truth?

50 Remember, Lord, your servants’ reproach, which I carried in my chest—the reproach of many nations,

51 with which your enemies reproached you, Lord, and reproached the repayment of your anointed one.

52 Blessed is the Lord forever. May it be so! May it be so!