Psalm 89In Hebrew texts 89:1-52 is numbered 89:2-53. 89

₁I will sing of the Lord’s great love for ever;

with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known

through all generations.

₂I will declare that your love stands firm for ever,

that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

₃You said, ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one,

I have sworn to David my servant,

₄“I will establish your line for ever

and make your throne firm through all generations.” ’

₅The heavens praise your wonders, Lord,

your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.

₆For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?

Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?

₇In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;

he is more awesome than all who surround him.

₈Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?

You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

₉You rule over the surging sea;

when its waves mount up, you still them.

₁₀You crushed Rahab like one of the slain;

with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.

₁₁The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;

you founded the world and all that is in it.

₁₂You created the north and the south;

Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.

₁₃Your arm is endowed with power;

your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

₁₄Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;

love and faithfulness go before you.

₁₅Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,

who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

₁₆They rejoice in your name all day long;

they celebrate your righteousness.

₁₇For you are their glory and strength,

and by your favour you exalt our horn.

₁₈Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord,

our king to the Holy One of Israel.

₁₉Once you spoke in a vision,

to your faithful people you said:

‘I have bestowed strength on a warrior;

I have raised up a young man from among the people.

₂₀I have found David my servant;

with my sacred oil I have anointed him.

₂₁My hand will sustain him;

surely my arm will strengthen him.

₂₂The enemy will not get the better of him;

the wicked will not oppress him.

₂₃I will crush his foes before him

and strike down his adversaries.

₂₄My faithful love will be with him,

and through my name his horn will be exalted.

₂₅I will set his hand over the sea,

his right hand over the rivers.

₂₆He will call out to me, “You are my Father,

my God, the Rock my Saviour.”

₂₇And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,

the most exalted of the kings of the earth.

₂₈I will maintain my love to him for ever,

and my covenant with him will never fail.

₂₉I will establish his line for ever,

his throne as long as the heavens endure.

₃₀‘If his sons forsake my law

and do not follow my statutes,

₃₁if they violate my decrees

and fail to keep my commands,

₃₂I will punish their sin with the rod,

their iniquity with flogging;

₃₃but I will not take my love from him,

nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

₃₄I will not violate my covenant

or alter what my lips have uttered.

₃₅Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness –

and I will not lie to David –

₃₆that his line will continue for ever

and his throne endure before me like the sun;

₃₇it will be established for ever like the moon,

the faithful witness in the sky.’

₃₈But you have rejected, you have spurned,

you have been very angry with your anointed one.

₃₉You have renounced the covenant with your servant

and have defiled his crown in the dust.

₄₀You have broken through all his walls

and reduced his strongholds to ruins.

₄₁All who pass by have plundered him;

he has become the scorn of his neighbours.

₄₂You have exalted the right hand of his foes;

you have made all his enemies rejoice.

₄₃Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword

and have not supported him in battle.

₄₄You have put an end to his splendour

and cast his throne to the ground.

₄₅You have cut short the days of his youth;

you have covered him with a mantle of shame.

₄₆How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself for ever?

How long will your wrath burn like fire?

₄₇Remember how fleeting is my life.

For what futility you have created all humanity!

₄₈Who can live and not see death,

or who can escape the power of the grave?

₄₉Lord, where is your former great love,

which in your faithfulness you swore to David?

₅₀Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked,

how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,

₅₁the taunts with which your enemies, Lord, have mocked,

with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.

₅₂Praise be to the Lord for ever!