Psalm 89

Perplexity about God's Promises

A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1 I will sing about the Lord's faithful love forever;
I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations
with my mouth.

2 For I will declare,
"Faithful love is built up forever;
You establish Your faithfulness in the heavens."

3 [The Lord said,]
"I have made a covenant with My chosen one;
I have sworn an oath to David My servant:

4 'I will make your offspring endure forever
and establish your throne for all generations.'" Selah

5 Lord, the heavens praise Your wonders-
Your faithfulness also-
in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 For who in the skies can compare with the Lord?
Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord?
7 God is greatly feared in the council of the holy ones,
more awe-inspiring than all who surround Him.
8 Lord God of Hosts,
who is strong like You, Lord?
Your faithfulness surrounds You.
9 You rule the raging sea;
when its waves surge, You still them.
10 You crushed Rahab like one who is slain;
You scattered Your enemies with Your powerful arm.
11 The heavens are Yours; the earth also is Yours.
The world and everything in it-You founded them.
12 North and south-You created them.
Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at Your name.
13 You have a mighty arm;
Your hand is powerful;
Your right hand is lifted high.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation
of Your throne;
faithful love and truth go before You.
15 Happy are the people who know the joyful shout;
Yahweh, they walk in the light of Your presence.
16 They rejoice in Your name all day long,
and they are exalted by Your righteousness.
17 For You are their magnificent strength;
by Your favor our horn is exalted.

18 Surely our shield belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.

19 You once spoke in a vision to Your loyal ones
and said: "I have granted help to a warrior;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
20 I have found David My servant;
I have anointed him with My sacred oil.
21 My hand will always be with him,
and My arm will strengthen him.
22 The enemy will not afflict him;
no wicked man will oppress him.
23 I will crush his foes before him
and strike those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and love will be with him,
and through My name
his horn will be exalted.
25 I will extend his power to the sea
and his right hand to the rivers.
26 He will call to Me, 'You are my Father,
my God, the rock of my salvation.'
27 I will also make him My firstborn,
greatest of the kings of the earth.
28 I will always preserve My faithful love for him,
and My covenant with him will endure.
29 I will establish his line forever,
his throne as long as heaven lasts.
30 If his sons forsake My instruction
and do not live by My ordinances,
31 if they dishonor My statutes
and do not keep My commands,
32 then I will call their rebellion
to account with the rod,
their sin with blows.
33 But I will not withdraw
My faithful love from him
or betray My faithfulness.
34 I will not violate My covenant
or change what My lips have said.
35 Once and for all
I have sworn an oath by My holiness;
I will not lie to David.
36 His offspring will continue forever,
his throne like the sun before Me,

37 like the moon, established forever,
a faithful witness in the sky." Selah

38 But You have spurned and rejected him;
You have become enraged with Your anointed.
39 You have repudiated the covenant with Your servant;
You have completely dishonored his crown.
40 You have broken down all his walls;
You have reduced his fortified cities to ruins.
41 All who pass by plunder him;
he has become an object of ridicule
to his neighbors.
42 You have lifted high the right hand of his foes;
You have made all his enemies rejoice.
43 You have also turned back his sharp sword
and have not let him stand in battle.
44 You have made his splendor cease
and have overturned his throne.

45 You have shortened the days of his youth;
You have covered him with shame. Selah

46 How long, Lord? Will You hide Yourself forever?
Will Your anger keep burning like fire?
47 Remember how short my life is.
Have You created everyone for nothing?
48 What man can live and never see death?
Who can save himself from the power of Sheol? Selah
49 Lord, where are the former acts of Your faithful love
that You swore to David in Your faithfulness?
50 Remember, Lord, the ridicule against Your servants-
in my heart I carry [abuse] from all the peoples-

51 how Your enemies have ridiculed, Lord,
how they have ridiculed every step of Your anointed.

52 May the Lord be praised forever.
Amen and amen.

Psalm 89

A well-written song by Ethan the Ezrachite.

1 I will sing continually about the Lord’s faithful deeds;
to future generations I will proclaim your faithfulness.

2 For I say, “Loyal love is permanently established;
in the skies you set up your faithfulness.”

3 The Lord said,
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have made a promise on oath to David, my servant:

4 ‘I will give you an eternal dynasty
and establish your throne throughout future generations.’” (Selah)

5 O Lord, the heavens praise your amazing deeds,
as well as your faithfulness in the angelic assembly.

6 For who in the skies can compare to the Lord?
Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings,

7 a God who is honored in the great angelic assembly,
and more awesome than all who surround him?

8 O Lord, sovereign God!
Who is strong like you, O Lord?
Your faithfulness surrounds you.

9 You rule over the proud sea.
When its waves surge, you calm them.

10 You crushed the Proud One and killed it;
with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.

11 The heavens belong to you, as does the earth.
You made the world and all it contains.

12 You created the north and the south.
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.

13 Your arm is powerful,
your hand strong,
your right hand victorious.

14 Equity and justice are the foundation of your throne.
Loyal love and faithfulness characterize your rule.

15 How blessed are the people who worship you!
O Lord, they experience your favor.

16 They rejoice in your name all day long,
and are vindicated by your justice.

17 For you give them splendor and strength.
By your favor we are victorious.

18 For our shield belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.

19 Then you spoke through a vision to your faithful followers and said:
“I have energized a warrior;
I have raised up a young man from the people.

20 I have discovered David, my servant.
With my holy oil I have anointed him as king.

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

22 No enemy will be able to exact tribute from him;
a violent oppressor will not be able to humiliate him.

23 I will crush his enemies before him;
I will strike down those who hate him.

24 He will experience my faithfulness and loyal love,
and by my name he will win victories.

25 I will place 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 protector who delivers me.’

27 I will appoint him to be my firstborn son,
the most exalted of the earth’s kings.

28 I will always extend my loyal love to him,
and my covenant with him is secure.

29 I will give him an eternal dynasty,
and make his throne as enduring as the skies above.

30 If his sons reject my law
and disobey my regulations,

31 if they break my rules
and do not keep my commandments,

32 I will punish their rebellion by beating them with a club,
their sin by inflicting them with bruises.

33 But I will not remove my loyal love from him,
nor be unfaithful to my promise.

34 I will not break my covenant
or go back on what I promised.

35 Once and for all I have vowed by my own holiness,
I will never deceive David.

36 His dynasty will last forever.
His throne will endure before me, like the sun,

37 it will remain stable, like the moon,
his throne will endure like the skies.” (Selah)

38 But you have spurned and rejected him;
you are angry with your chosen king.

39 You have repudiated your covenant with your servant;
you have thrown his crown to the ground.

40 You have broken down all his walls;
you have made his strongholds a heap of ruins.

41 All who pass by have robbed him;
he has become an object of disdain to his neighbors.

42 You have allowed his adversaries to be victorious,
and all his enemies to rejoice.

43 You turn back his sword from the adversary,
and have not sustained him in battle.

44 You have brought to an end his splendor,
and have knocked his throne to the ground.

45 You have cut short his youth,
and have covered him with shame. (Selah)

46 How long, O Lord, will this last?
Will you remain hidden forever?
Will your anger continue to burn like fire?

47 Take note of my brief lifespan!
Why do you make all people so mortal?

48 No man can live on without experiencing death,
or deliver his life from the power of Sheol. (Selah)

49 Where are your earlier faithful deeds, O Lord,
the ones performed in accordance with your reliable oath to David?

50 Take note, O Lord, of the way your servants are taunted,
and of how I must bear so many insults from people!

51 Your enemies, O Lord, hurl insults;
they insult your chosen king as they dog his footsteps.

52 The Lord deserves praise forevermore!
We agree! We agree!